DPWH: Inutile and incompetent

I don’t know about you, guys, but it’s December already and as far as I’m concerned, officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways under the control of Sec. Mark Villar don’t seem to know what to do to improve the traffic situation in Cebu City. At this point, I would like to hear a briefing on the plans and programs of the city. So far, I heard noises, especially from Glenn Soco and Infrastructure Chairman Kenneth Cobonpue, which happened a few months ago. But as far as the ground is concerned, nothing is happening.

I have already asked Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Dino for me to sit down with President Duterte but the last time the President was here, he came to the Tent very late. So meeting with the President would have been futile. Sure I still support the President, but we cannot deny the fact that three years of the Duterte reign have gone and if DPWH gives us empty promises, then Cebu is the greatest loser in voting Duterte for the top post on the land.

Mind you, when I first met with Sec. Villar, he gave us a ton of hope that, finally, the Duterte administration was here to solve our infra problems. This was a briefing at the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI). But three years later, what does DPWH have to show? Nothing! Three years later, we all have bad traffic. Sure when Duterte blasted Mayor Tomas Osmeña, not once but twice, many of us thought that finally good days have come to Cebu.  But all we are seeing are dreams of grandeur that perhaps some things would change for the better.

I don’t know if Michael Dino can solve this issue but whether he accepts it or not, DPWH goes on its merry way making decisions that don’t really solve our traffic problems. I dare you to go around Cebu City and you would get the reality that DPWH has not done anything to improve our lot. I can give you information of many places which can be linked into the main thoroughfare which, for many years, have never been looked into because no one really knows how to fix this problem.

I’ve been flying my Mavic Drone in these areas and, certainly, if only DPWH took a look into it, maybe they could have come up with something. Unfortunately, DPWH officials have the same attitude as Sec. Villar so I don’t expect good ideas to emanate from them.

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The Philippine National Police (PNP) should disarm and file charges against the politicians who reportedly connived with a gun-for-hire syndicate to liquidate their political opponents. I fully agree. If there is anything we don’t need, it is a bunch of politicos who are armed to the teeth purportedly for their protection. Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III said, “the PNP should go after all guns-for-hire and hit squads as part of their regular operations to promote law and order in the entire country.”

PNP Director-General Oscar Albayalde should not only look into the gun-for-hire industry but also those politicos into narco politics. Come on, guys! Maybe I’ve seen too many Pablo Escobar or El Chapo movies in Netflix, but like it or not, the reality here is not far from the narco movies. So all avenues must be checked by the PNP.

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Some 39 residents of City of Naga, Cebu filed a P4.5-billion case against entities they believe were responsible for the landslide that killed at least 78 in September. They are suing CEMEX Holdings Philippines Inc., Apo Land and Quarry Corp., Apo Cement Corp., Mines and Geosciences Bureau-Region 7, the Naga City government, and the Cebu provincial government. This report is fine given the realities of the time. Now whether P4.5 billion is the right price for that incident, I dare say that it is up to the judicial court.

But now, a new twist has surfaced when Apo Land & Quarry Corp., a respondent to the case, wants Regional Trial Court Judge Dennis Larrobis to inhibit himself from the case because he is allegedly a close friend of lawyer Benjamin Cabrido. While we do not yet know the score, it makes this very interesting! Abangan!

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