Briones: Crocodiles in our midst

BACK in Davao City, members of the Highway Patrol Group (HPG) have a special moniker. “Buaya,” or crocodile, they’re called.

Derisive, don’t you think? But I understood when my cousin told me why.

You see, they have a habit of blending in the background, he said. You’d never know they’re there. They’re that good at camouflage, he said.

Okay, so they’re out there. Somewhere. Probably patrolling because that’s what they’re supposed to do, right?

Yes and no, he said. If they were really serious about doing their job, they wouldn’t have to hide in plain sight and wait until they find a prey. Because that’s what they do, he said. They lie in wait, spot a prey and pounce.

By prey, I assume motorists who know they are committing a traffic violation, hence they are weary and on the lookout for the “buaya.”

My cousin smiled. Of course, the crocodiles in Davao are more urbane, he said. Some of them are willing to play blind in exchange for....

Ah. That conversation took place before Duterte became our President. But I doubt things have changed. The nature of things rarely does. Trust me. It’s nothing profound. That’s just how it is.

I remember those wildlife documentaries I love to watch on TV.

The wildebeest migration in Africa comes to mind. How, when they approach a river, they get fidgety. They know danger lurks underneath, but it eludes them. When they finally brave the water to make the crossing—CHOMP—one of their kind is bleating in pain, terror reflected in its eyes, while its hind leg is firmly locked inside the jaws of a crocodile.

Or how about those cute antelopes that approach the edge of the river to drink. One minute they’re quenching their thirst, and then the next, they’re up in the air—in slow motion, of course--having narrowly escaped the viselike grip of a hungry crocodile. The lucky ones, that is. Because there always is a victim. Otherwise, the crocodile would be extinct by now.

Anyway, the reason I’m talking about the HPG is because I received a text from a habal-habal driver wondering if he could still ply his trade.

Rumors abound after the Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order against a Mandaluyong court ruling that prohibited law enforcers from apprehending motorcycle-for-hire drivers.

The habal-habal driver was afraid because he spotted HPG personnel on the streets. And, like my cousin, he thought of them as crocodiles.

Unfortunately, I told him, the HPG would have every right to apprehend him and his fellow habal-habal drivers because that is the law. According to Republic Act 4136, motorcycles are not allowed to offer public transport.

In fact, I told him, the only reason Land Transportation Office 7 operatives are not out there is they have yet to come up with guidelines. As for the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board 7, it will start conducting operations against the habal-habal on Monday, Dec. 17.

But I understand the habal-habal driver’s apprehension. HPG personnel do have a reputation. And with the law firmly behind them, there’s bound to be a massacre.

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