Mugged to mum

IT WAS Sunday when I arrived at the Lumbia domestic airport after a quite long journey that consumed half the month of September. Home at last. Work as usual.

I was wondering what would be the future of Lumbia and nearby communities once the domestic airport will be transferred to Laguindingan town, now that it has flourished subdivisions and commercial establishments along its highway. But I think they will get by with it, that’s if you have the comfort of your own mode of transportation.

It worries me, considering the distance from the city to Lumbia, it will also mean a problem for a taxi ride. That fear when they will ask you for a fixed rate, which is more expensive, instead of a standard metering. Then suddenly a miracle occurred when I was about to leave at the airport, and I heard most of the taxi drivers saying, they will use the fare meter.

Did I really arrive at Cagayan de Oro City? Sure enough, they pressed the meter on and when I reached my destination, they did not ask for any additional pay. Instead, because I was delighted, I voluntarily gave the driver a generous tip.

When I shared this experience via social network, a reliable source who is also keen on current events said this was due to the “operation” made by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) in the region.

“Mabuhat man diay ngano wala man sa una gi implement (if it can be done, why it wasn’t been implemented before?),” he commented.

But he was hinting that the operation was political after the first district representative was said to have made a congressional inquiry about the LTFRB. And the wife of the LTFRB chief is said to have interest in politics that may affect the political career of the representative.

If these claims were true, this is good mudslinging, if I may say. And the people can benefit in the form of honest taxi metering.

***

It is sad that we have come to another era of oppression, thanks for the passage of Republic Act 10175, otherwise known as the Anti-cybercrime Law. It may appear like a very beautiful heroine fighting side by side in favor of the people, repelling the scammers and other forms of illegal operations made online. But on the inside, she stinks of deviousness.
And that is when the law made it clear that whatever you post on social networks that may destroy or simply criticize whatever that is, it can be subjected for a cyberlibel. As if the existing libel law was not enough to keep freedom of expression at bay.

Did President Aquino read thoroughly the provisions of the law, or did he just let his advisors do the talking? It is so ironic, actually, when this current administration is championing for a “tuwid na daan,” yet there are vague initiatives and steps made that could really curtail in achieving it.

The effect may not happen immediately, but if this law will be abused and go beyond its mandate, it can be a precedent of something sinister.