LTFRB – Lack of Transportation Frustrated Riders Babbled. This is not the new meaning of the transport regulatory agency’s acronym. It happened exactly last Friday; about 2,000 public utility jeepney (PUJ) drivers paralyzed transportation in the north part of the city, to attend the consultation on transport modernization conducted by the LTFRB.
LTFRB-Davao director Armand Dioso fetched two justifications: 1.) initially (underscore “initially”), they coordinated with a bus company but some buses were down. 2.) Upon learning the situation on the ground in the morning (underscore “in the morning”), he coordinated two bus companies to augment for the stranded passengers.
Whether or not “initially” referred to “in the morning”, the director was telling the truth, no doubt. What the commuters saw was only the frustrating poor contingency of the agency!
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Morning was broken last Saturday in Haran when a group of lumads belonging to Alamara group from Kapalong and Talaingod forcibly entered the compound to “rescue” their fellows.
Who instigated Alamara? We learned that Alamara is the same paramilitary group who allegedly harassed the lumads in the hinterlands of Davao del Norte prompting the IPs to seek shelter in Haran.
So the game now is between two factions of IPs.
Whoever draw rein of the Alamara that opened the channel for negotiation is a genius, if not a well-trained pongo in Civil Military Operations (CMO). Just make sure that all convincing promises in exchange for the task of Alamara must be given on time; else more lumads will join the bandwagon in Haran as experience of frustrations taught us.
Davao police responded the heightened tension when the insiders refused to be rescued by the unfriendly comrades. Restricted by IPRA, the authorities stood on their feet to maintain the peace and order only, but leave the settlement to the tribal leaders.
Bravo to this achievement. When the dust initially settled to the ground, four adults and three minors were rescued out of 400 IPs or about 125 families in Haran.
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Majority of Davao City police force is unfit yet patched their uniforms with “Davao’s finest”. What a joke! We lately learned about this joke when Philippine National Police Chief Archie Gamboa ordered his men to calibrate their BMIs to the standard as a strict requisite to schooling for promotion.
The 57 percent of 1,981 policemen under Davao City Police Office (DCPO) must burn their fats, at least two kilograms every month by way of “Sabayang Takbo para sa BMI-Buluhatong Makapayat na Inisyatibo” until they become fit for service.
Trim your lards twice a week, sirs. Sir Chief is not kidding!