Technology or presumptions

“Use Drones and see what the real situation is.”

I am an “Old School” kind of guy particularly when it comes to cars and backyard farming but I have on several occasions advised government leaders to adapt modern technology to understand modern day problems. In fact I advised a cabinet member recently to suggest to the President to use Drones all over Metro Manila in order to get a “Bird’s Eye View.” Apparently the City of Mandaue in the province of Cebu has already been using Drones to help them monitor and manage their growing traffic congestion resulting from their economic progress. As a result they found the technology very useful and even landed them in the weekend newscast for their modern and effective approach to traffic management.

In the next few weeks the Metro Manila Development Authority will be presenting possible solutions and suggestions to the City Mayors League that I heard will include “Double color coding” in a week and many other suggestions that I’m sure will be debated and fought over because no single solution will be acceptable to all. The problem with the MMDA approach is that most ideas are for short term relief, based on statistics, static input from CCTVs, table based solutions or trial and error.

Using drones gives us a better perspective than fixed location CCTV cameras that does not give the public and the Mayors the actual picture of the flow and the congestions. When I made the suggestion to a Cabinet member my point was that the Drones will also show us that the bottlenecks and traffic on EDSA / C5 and other major intersections  are because the run-off or drive off points are not manned by City enforcers or traffic lights many of which are turned off. It will also show how many Cities prioritize THEIR traffic concerns and say: to hell with everyone else!

I remember in the heydays of the recently departed Joe Taruc how they had an “Eye In The Sky” at DZRH. Ricky Rosales of DZMM also patrolled the skies until both birds got grounded presumably because costs became prohibitive or technology became affordable and efficient. So, this week when the MMDA give their latest menu of solutions I hope that it will at least include Drones to gather data or EVIDENCE for filing charges against major traffic violators as well as show what doesn't work in terms of existing traffic schemes such as making southbound traffic from Katipunan Avenue swerve across EDSA to a U-Turn slot instead of making them U-Turn via the service road and under the Boni Serrano overpass. Like I always teach my students at the DAP - DepEd -PNP-DPCR etc., we have become a video driven society. Use drones and take out the debates in traffic management.

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Is it mere “Coincidence” or is there really a “Conspiracy”?

After President Rodrigo Duterte started accusing the Yellows and the Reds of conspiring to remove him from office, I heard Renato Reyes the current icon of Street protests and marches respond by saying that the President is simply imagining things and seeing ghosts.He even made most of his statement in English which is so unlike the Nato of the past. So I back tracked a little in the weeks gone by and checked if there was a noticeable pattern. The big event that first caught my eye was the “Day of Protest” last September 21 where everybody and anybody who hated or disliked DU30 and his administration got together to voice their grievance and accusations. Floating in the stream of conflict was the Human Rights Commission standing its ground or persistently being the annoying fly in DU30’s life. An even more annoying presence if not enemy was Senator Antonio Trillanes who crossed swords or traded accusations with President Duterte.

Then popped up the series of SWS surveys that many quarters criticized as the equivalent of lawyers leading the witness in stating that public opinion was contrary to the official claims of the PNP regarding drug busts. Then we heard about the Office of the Ombudsman investigating the hidden wealth of DU30 followed by alleged documents provided by the Anti Money Laundering Council or AMLAC pointing to several bank accounts purportedly containing billions. Then comes the Catholic Church offering “sanctuary” to policemen involved in Extra Judicial killings or EJKs. And in case you did not realize it, the NPAs have been launching attacks or operations against government troops and business facilities in Cagayan Valley, Iloilo, Batangas, parts of Mindanao. The NPAs were never this busy during the time of PNoy although we all know they're pissed because all their representatives in the cabinet were rejected by the Commission on Appointments or CA. Was it simply a string of unfortunate coincidences against President Duterte? I have my doubts.

A leopard does not change its spots and a snake no matter how many times it sheds remains a snake. In the same manner the “campaign” or stand against DU30 remains too similar to past campaigns against Presidents: Ferdinand Marcos, Erap Estrada, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Renato Corona. Only Gloria Arroyo was not impeached or overthrown probably because she was an ally at the start, familiar with the names, games and strategies so the best they could do was to punish her for her insolence and for being as they labeled her “Ingrate”. Maybe DU30 should get PGMA as a “Consultant” on the matter. This season the target is clearly President Rodrigo Duterte. Whether their fight, campaign or battle against those people and the current president is “JUSTIFIED” or not, there is no denying that a number of the prominent players or personalities feuding with President Duterte are political appointees of President Noynoy Aquino, members of his political party the Liberals or allies in many political wars and operations in the past.

That’s the problem and it’s not a coincidence.

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