ON WEDNESDAY, January 18, 2017, a Cebu Pacific flight was delayed after a woman named Blanca A. Pulvera, 28, a resident of Mabini, Compostela Valley province allegedly cracked a bomb joke while inside an aircraft bound to Manila from Davao City.
The tasteless and irresponsible joke caused the delay of the flight as the aircraft personnel had to deplane the passengers and the Philippine National Police Explosive Ordnance Disposal (PNP-EOD) and the K9 unit of Aviation Security Unit (Avsu) 11 personnel conduct a Render Safety Procedure (RSP).
Her actions caused the delay of the flight and the time of other people.
Did she not see the warning signs at the airport? What was she thinking to crack that joke? Presidential Decree 1727 clearly states that making jokes or dissemination of false information relating bombs is clearly a crime. Also you do not have to know the law to know that bomb jokes are never appropriate in whatever setting you are in.
Meanwhile, on the streets of Davao City on regular days, pedestrians and motorists outdo each other by violating simple local traffic laws -- pedestrians crossing the street despite the "don't walk signal" or drivers going pass the speed limit.
Every now and then we hear whines and complaints that there are too many laws but lack implementation. However, did it ever come into our minds that sometimes the reason these laws are not easy to implement is because some of us lack discipline or always look for the opportunity to break the law due to our impatience or since nobody is looking around?
Yes, we have lots of laws, both local and national. The government has got their work cut out for them in the implementation of the laws, adding to the problem are government workers who are barely doing nothing.
We as Filipino citizens or people living in this country called the Philippines must abide by the rules of the land, whether you hate them or not.
This has always been the call of the present administration but it seems like some are just not used to sticking with the rules, they even find ways to go around it to suit their own needs.
Just like the speeding driver who was caught by the authorities, instead of accepting his mistake he threatens the personnel that he knows someone on the inside and the personnel may lose his job if he penalizes him.
The implementation of laws is not one way. As citizens, we also have to do our part in the successful implementation of the laws by following these, whether someone is watching or not.