Lacson and Tolentino on crime and traffic

Topics at last Monday’s Kapihan sa Manila at the Diamond Hotel were the crime wave and the daily horrendous traffic jams in Metro Manila, especially on Edsa. Sen. Panfilo Lacson, former chief of the Philippine National Police, and Chair Francis Tolentino of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) were the guests.

Senator Lacson attributed the criminality in the country to the failure of the government to successfully prosecute criminals. It takes many years to try the accused such that complainants and witnesses eventually lose interest and the cases are eventually dismissed, he said. This encourages the accused and other criminals to continue their activities.

The fault for the slow wheels of justice is placed on the judiciary. The clogged court dockets and the lackadaisical and lenient attitude of many judges are cited as the primary causes and, sometimes, also the law and the court rules themselves that clever defense lawyers use to delay cases.

As an example, Chair Tolentino cited the cases of colorum buses. Law enforcers impound the buses, but the law imposes only a small fine on the bus companies. So after the fine is paid, the buses are released and they are back on the streets, colorum still. The colorum, Tolentino said, add to the excess of buses on Edsa, which results in the terrible traffic congestion every day.

Lacson also cited the defective recruitment procedures for policemen. Some applicants, he said, bribe the recruiters to be admitted. This way, even police characters get admitted as police recruits. Paradoxically, the ambition of many police characters is to be a policeman. This is to avoid prosecution and to gain the upper hand on their fellow criminals. The rogue policemen come from the ranks of these recruits.

Lacson said, however, that current PNP Chief Nicanor Bartolome is doing a good job but he is hampered by the limitations cited. The senator also cited the lack of discipline in the police force.

When he was PNP chief, Lacson was known for the strict discipline he imposed on the policemen, even making them exercise to lose weight and remove the big bellies that made them the butt of ridicule and jokes.

On his plans after his term as senator expires next year, Lacson said he wants to rest. He has served the government long enough, the two-term senator said.

Is he joining President Aquino’s Cabinet as  interior and local government secretary?

Lacson said: “I have not been offered the position. Neither am I interested in it. I will not ask for it nor lobby for it. If the President appoints me, I will thank him for it  If he doesn’t, I will also thank him for allowing me peace.”

Lacson is seen by many as the one person who can impose discipline and improve the police force as he did when he was PNP chief. There is also talk that after a successful stint at the Department of Interior and Local Government, Lacson would make a good presidential candidate in 2016. Lacson scoffs at all these speculations.

On our quarrel with China over islets in the West Philippine Sea, Lacson said that instead of involving other countries like the United States and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, we should hold one-on-one negotiations with China on jointly developing the area which is believed to be rich in oil and natural gas.

“We cannot develop it alone. We do not have enough resources,” Lacson said. “So why not develop it with China? It is believed to have one of the world’s richest deposits of natural gas and oil. There is enough for both countries. Of course, the issue of sovereignty is out of the question. That is ours.”

On the lack and poor performance of MMDA traffic enforcers, Tolentino admitted he lacks enforcers, but he said that the present traffic aides have improved very much from the former Metro aides who were made traffic enforcers. The current enforcers undergo training continuously, he said.

On untangling the traffic mess in Metro Manila, Tolentino said the MMDA is finalizing plans to have bus terminals at the outskirts of the metropolis. Buses will be dispatched from the terminals only as needed to avoid clogging the bus lanes and the bus stops. If there is yet no need for them, no bus would be allowed to leave the terminals. That would not only unclog the streets but would save precious fuel and wear and tear on the buses.

There are obviously too many buses on Edsa and not enough passengers for them. This is evident in the bumper-to-bumper lines of buses crawling along Edsa with very few passengers in each of them. Obviously, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has issued too many franchises. It is reported that Edsa has more than four times the number of buses than its carrying capacity. Shouldn’t some of these franchises be cancelled? Tolentino was asked.

That is correct, Tolentino replied, but the MMDA has no authority to do that. That is up to the LTFRB. And then how do you choose which franchises to cancel?

How about those of companies whose buses have been involved in many accidents and traffic violations? Make that a penalty. One serious accident or three traffic violations and the bus franchise is cancelled.

“That is a good idea, but it may need an amendment to the law.”

Aren’t the passenger fares for buses and jeepneys too high? That explains why they continue to operate even with very few passengers. Obviously, these few passengers are being overcharged. Why do the bus companies want their units to ply the Edsa route despite the dearth of passengers? If they are not overcharging the passengers, they should be bankrupt by now.

“Again, that is under the jurisdiction of the LTFRB. The MMDA cannot do anything about that.”