PDP-Laban's leadership confusion is not a war
It is only now that we Cebuanos learned that former Camputhaw Barangay Captain Lorenzo Basamot has been appointed as vice president of the PDP-Laban Cebu City Chapter by DENR Undersecretary Noel Felongco who is the Regional President of PDP-Laban. Meanwhile, House Speaker Pantaleon "Bebot" Alvarez appointed Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella as PDP-Laban President in Cebu City. But according to PDP-Laban Provincial President Nixon "Jojo" Dizon, they recognized Lorna Roa Bacalla as President of the PDP-Laban Cebu City Chapter.
Of course this report made headlines in The FREEMAN yesterday declaring it a leadership war. But to be totally honest about it I don't see any war, at least for now. I'd call it leadership confusion! What really needs to be done is for the national leadership of the PDP-Laban to settle this issue once and for all, while the local elections are still far away. First of all, who is Lorna Bacalla? What is her claim to fame with PDP-Laban? So before this war gets underway, PDP-Laban should resolve this issue of leadership and bestow it to the person who has the best chance of winning the elections against the incumbent Mayor Tomas Osmeña, because this is the bottom line and there is no substitute for victory!
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This week is the 32nd year of the EDSA People's Power celebrations and on Feb. 24 the anti-charter change groups, mostly composed of the members of the 1987 Constitutional Commission led by former chief justice Hilario Davide Jr. and former Commission on Elections chairman Christian Monsod will be holding an anti-cha-cha rally at the EDSA Monument. They call themselves the "No to Cha-Cha Coalition."
Unfortunately, the majority of these people are subservient to the Aquino Family and for the last 10 years the celebration of the EDSA Revolution at the EDSA Monument has drawn fewer and fewer people. Less than 3,000 joined the last rally. So can we expect much from people who used to be in power during the reign of the Aquino Family? I don't think so!
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I laud the efforts of Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña for vigorously pursuing his counterflow measures that has snared hundreds of motorcycles and a few cars that violated this law. That apparently has left Cebu City with less than 200 motorcycles on the road, at least for a month. But I heard that there will be a debate on whether impounding those motorcycles for a month is legal or not. However, I won't join that debate. But this has resulted in many motorcycles today avoiding the middle lane, opting to stay on the right lane where they can't make that mistake of counterflowing.
In short, motorcycle riders are a bit responsible these days unlike in the past where they ride their bikes to and fro, which in Cebuano we say: "Nag ki-at lang!" But this doesn't mean that some motorists do not take risks by counterflowing, some still do, but they have become a minority while in the past, this was a common occurrence.
Now that the Cebu City Transportation Office has seen the positive results of this program, I just hope that our traffic enforcers never let their guard down. If any, the biggest problem with our government, both local and national, is what is called "ningas cogon" where more often than not, the program slowly dissipates and is soon no longer implemented.
Meanwhile, at the heels of the success of the counterflow enforcement, I certainly hope that the CCTO embarks on a strict enforcement of the colored grid along the intersections, where motorists caught in the middle of the grid should also have their cars impounded. If there is anything that Cebuano motorists seriously lack, it is traffic courtesy as their attitude is "every man for himself."
You can see this happen below the flyover near the Cebu Business Park where Cebuano motorists follow the lines whenever there are enforcers around, but when there are no enforcers present, a gridlock always ensues because of a lack of courtesy. If CCTO strictly enforces no cars should be caught inside the grid then believe me, it will be the start of road courtesy by Cebuano motorists. All we need is to really get serious in enforcing our traffic rules and we've solved half the problem.