As Manong Neal saw it

Bloggers are as opinionated a people as the opinion writers of newspapers like Neal H. Cruz. But while any Tom, Dick and Harry can be a blogger these days, not everyone can be a well-respected purveyor of opinions like Manong Neal.

We have known Manong Neal personally, and we can  say that we know the man too well also from his incisive writing, his divergent views, his pet peeves and the causes he had espoused.

Until he wrote 30 last Tuesday at the age of 85, he had been feeding the inquiring minds of readers of the Philippine Daily Inquirer for, as per PDI’s tribute to him, 21 long years. He will be missed.

Manong Neal was anything but a fence-sitter. He always called a spade a spade. Unlike many opinion writers who, in Facebook lingo are always trolling for “likes” from readers, he was unafraid to court the displeasure of his own readers and followers.

Case in point would be his angering many netizens for calling as “ugly” the underpass murals in Quezon City. As such, the "As I See It" title of his PDI column could not have been more apt because he called everything as he saw them.

In a way, despite his amiable mien and boyish smile, Neal Cruz’s journalism was Quixotic in the sense that he was never afraid to take a stab at the giants using only his pen.

Neal Cruz himself is a giant though, a towering icon of Philippine journalism because he always called a spade a spade and he never feared ruffling the feathers of the high and mighty, and even of his fellow journalists. –End-

TRIBUTE TO NEAL CRUZ

We commiserate with the family, colleagues and friends of journalist Neal Cruz on his passing.

No doubt, Neal Cruz was among the leading figures in Philippine journalism.

As a reporter, he was enterprising and had a keen eye for detail even as he always knew how to draw the big picture in his dispatches from the trenches. 

As an editor, he wrote attention-grabbing headlines and helped polish the prose of many aspiring journalists who now occupy leading positions in various publications.

And as a columnist, he consistently wrote many incisive pieces on politics and pressing social issues, allowing his readers to make informed judgments on various issues.

In his long career in newspapering, Neal Cruz contributed to a better understanding of our people and our society, and helped shape public opinion in our country.

The job of the journalist, someone once said, is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. Neal Cruz stayed true to his calling as a journalist to his last days, and his distinct contributions to the development of Philippine journalism will always be remembered.

We will miss him dearly.

                

Parochial pettiness

A high school graduate, a salutatorian at that, was forced to seek redress of grievance before the Court of Appeals (CA) because her former school, the Santo Niño Parochial School, would not issue her a certificate of good moral character.

As if stopping Krisel Mallari mid-speech during graduation rites was not uncivilized enough, the school had also withheld Mallari’s certificate that would allow her to enroll at the University of Santo Tomas.

Mallari’s fault in the eyes of this dictatorial school was, in fact, her practice of her constitutionally guaranteed right to free speech. All she did was to lament the lack of transparency in the computation of grades.

What morals were violated by Mallari with that?

If the priests of Sto. Niño would not open their minds to how petty their withholding the certificate is, the Dominicans of the Royal and Pontifical UST must rise above this narrow-mindedness by admitting Mallari sans the certificate.

In fact, the Department Education (CHED) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) must altogether stop the practice of requiring students to submit such a certificate from their previous schools.

As shown by the administrators of Sto. Niño Parochial School, many supposed educators are so uptight and imperious that they cannot be allowed to judge the character of their students. –End-

Image by: Pinoy Pulse

SONA style Pulis

Pia – Fabric seems itchy. Black-beaded accents are garish. The fit does not flatter her runner’s body. The half-butterfly sleeve is neither here nor there.

Loren – Is she with El Gamma Penumbra with that black 3-4th? Her attempt at sophisticated understatement is an epic fail. What’s with fido’s collar?

Cynthia – There are better off-the-rack pieces in Divisoria. The color is unbecoming her matronly age. A little padding upstairs would not hurt too.

Grace – Too plain Jane. An off-white would have been better. Pendant hangs too low. Overall, a forgettable look.

Nancy – Last year’s disaster still fresh in her mind. The traditional gown is safe and okay, but the blue shade is so yikes.

Image by: Ayee Macaraig

Dry run for 2016?

In social media is posted a photo of Senators Grace Poe and Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. together with two others at the resumption of the 3rd regular session of Congress just before President Aquino delivers his State-of-the-Nation Address today.

The Tweeter post said Sen. Poe joked that Bongbong's sons were her nephews. Bongbong, on the other hand, also quipped that this was a family picture, alluding to the rumor—unfounded and baseless, but perhaps given credence by the gullible—that Grace is an illegitimate daughter of his late father.

The photo of the two senators together is likely to fuel speculation that they may be up to something now that the 2016 elections is just around the corner.

After all, Poe has topped recent surveys of potential presidential candidates, and said to have been the object of intense political courtship by PNoy in two extended dinners at Malacañang, presumably to get her as Mar Roxas's vice presidential bet.

Marcos, on the other hand, is being pushed by his mother, former First Lady and now Leyte Rep. Imelda Marcos, to toss his hat into the presidential derby. While he has not given a categorical answer as to whether he is running for higher political office, at the very least he is probably considering the idea of taking a stab at the presidency, but only if he can muster enough support not just from the Ilocano Republic, from the other regions as well.

In any event, a Poe-Marcos or Marcos-Poe tandem is an unlikely possibility at this point, even if they’re chummy in photo-ops and even joking about their supposed "family relations." But since there are no permanent friends or enemies in politics, only permanent interests, as the politically savvy would say, we cannot totally rule out the possibility of a newspaper headline declaring a Poe-Marcos or Marcos-Poe team-up as we draw closer to October, when the candidates must file their certificates of candidacy.

Don’t say we didn’t warn you. –End-

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Baby’s in black

Former First Lady and now Rep. Imelda Marcos comes all dressed in black in the last State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Aquino set for later this afternoon.

Nope, the Imeldific is not in an evening chic black but one that would not be out of place in a funeral. The way she talks, that may just be her mindset.

While saying she doesn’t want to pick a fight with PNoy, she nonetheless mouths: “All I can say is something personal. They (Aquino admin) have not been nice to the Marcoses.”

Marcos rues being too early (or did she really) and her being at  the center of reporters’ attention if only for a while. She is beaten, however, for the eager-beaver award by former Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim.

The style police would have plenty of reasons to blow their whistles, at least with the early birds among the lady senators, including a couple who like to think of themselves as fashionistas.

Pia Cayetano’s off-white number does not do justice to the hours spent running and biking. She could have worn any of her gowns in past SONAs and no one would have complained.

Loren Legarda’s attempt at sophisticated understatement is an epic fail, while for Cynthia Villar and Nancy Binay, their gowns are too safe except for their garish choice of color that are just not appropriate for their respective ages and complexions (pink for Villar and dark blue for Binay).

Grace Poe appears too plain Jane with her matrimonial white ensemble that has too few accents as to be totally forgettable, something that may set the tone for PNoy’s last SONA – End-

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Why only now?

 

Here's the headline: "PNoy orders Abaya to improve MRT service".

That was datelined July 24, 2015.  And how long has the MRT been in a state of disrepair? For as long as we can remember.

When the MRT-3 started operations in 1998, if we're not mistaken, you could go from North Avenue in Quezon City to say, Ayala Ave., in airconditioned comfort and expect to arrive in your destination in less than 30 minutes. Compare that to a bus ride which would have taken you at least an hour.

These days, however, what used to be a 30-minute ride could have you taking much longer as you have to deal with glitches in MRT-3 operations.

How long ago was it when a runaway train rammed through the end of the line at Taft Avenue and ended up in the street where jeepneys, buses and private vehicles  were the only ones that should have been there?

Or the train could have stopped anywhere along the stretch for some reason:  the doors didn't close, the electrical system didn’t work, the brakes failed, and so on.

The news report that President Aquino has directed Transportation Secretary Jun Abaya to implement improvements in the MRT-3 system following insistent reports of problems shows how the administration is insulated from reality.

President Aquino's belated instruction for DOTC Secretary Abaya to improve MRT services is, well, way out of line, as it has been years since the riding public made known their displeasure over the way the train system is being managed by the DOTC. 

Senate President Franklin Drilon told a media interview this week that the President should take firm executive action in the face of the MRT mess as the riding public is suffering from executive inaction by the DOTC and MRT. Read that to mean criminal negligence.

Drilon was just being diplomatic. What he is trying to say is that unless Abaya and his subordinates continue with their brazen criminal negligence and their blatant  defiance of the daang matuwid, perhaps their only honorable course of action is to resign. –End-

Image by: Rappler

Failure is Bad News

Here's bad news for the administration as President Aquino is all set to deliver his last State-of-the-Nation-Address before Congress on Monday, July 27.

Forty-six percent of Filipinos believe Aquino has failed in fulfilling his campaign promise of curbing corruption in government during his term.

The survey, conducted by Radio Veritas between March to April 2015, showed only 13 percent of Filipinos think Aquino succeeded in fighting corruption in the government.

More than four in 10 Filipinos, or 41 percent, however, are uncertain whether the Aquino administration's anti-corruption programs were effective.

The poll, called the Veritas Truth Survey, was conducted using face-to-face interviews with 1,200 respondents randomly chosen nationwide.

Among the three branches of government, Congress is perceived by Filipinos to be the most corrupt: the Senate with 49 percent, the House with 48 percent.

Cabinet officials are perceived to be corrupt by 41 percent of respondents while the judiciary was seen as corrupt by 40 percent.

In fifth place is the Office of the Vice President, which was perceived as corrupt by 38 percent of respondents.

Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr., however, disputes the findings of the Veritas survey and cites a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showing that 42 percent of Filipinos were satisfied with Aquino’s efforts to eradicate corruption.

Besides this, he said, the Philippines also improved in ranking in Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index last year.

Note, however, that Malacañang's defense of "daang matuwid" is no defense at all as the Veritas survey result merely echoes or validates what the SWS survey found out. 

If nearly half of all Filipinos believe the Aquino's administration's "daang matuwid" is a sham, then that means bad news as well for whoever will be endorsed by the President as the ruling coalition's standard bearer in 2016. –End-

Image by: www.kapatiranparty.org           

Shadow of influence

 

Last time we checked kidnapping is a capital offense for which no bail is recommended, just like the serious illegal detention case that already landed Janet Napoles in jail while still on trial.

Thus, the “we are still verifying” stance taken by the Philippine National Police (PNP) over allegations that several ministers of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) had  been kidnapped is befuddling.

This is more so considering the talk from the grapevine that new Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Ricardo Marquez got his post on the strong lobby of the INC leadership.

And why would an INC minister from Sorsogon be now in a Dasmariñas, Cavite jail? Somehow the stories do not make sense.  

Okay, let’s set aside that what’s rocking the INC is a family feud pitting its highest official against his own mother and younger brother, who had been unceremoniously thrown out of their church.

What? Not even a for-show hearing before the expulsion? The Spanish Inquisition, at least, held some baloney trials before expelling people from the church or burning “witches” at the stake.

Digression aside, the religious undertone of this matter is mere fodder for senseless debate. What’s to be determined here is, had people been kidnapped and what has the police done to get to the bottom of the allegation?

This is an acid test for PNP chief Marquez. He should prove he can rise above the perceived influence of the INC over him. The police should not wait for complainants before lifting a finger. -End-                

Image by: PhilStar

You ‘effing’ do it

 

You think you’ve heard the last of Chris Brown’s profanity-laced histrionics over being stopped from leaving the Philippines after his so-so concert at the Mall of Asia last Tuesday?

“Can somebody please tell me what the f*** is going on? I don’t know, I’m reading headline after headline. What the f***? What the f*** is going on?” ranted Brown in an Internet video post that has since been taken down.

Wait till Brown’s out of the country and into the loving arms of whomever he replaced Rihanna with, and Filipinos would surely get everything that’s in the mind of the rapper (air and all).

Oh well, let’s oblige Mr. Brown as to what the “f***” did he do.

According to local lawyer Glicerio Santos III, Brown and his manager POCKETED $1,006,250 as full payment for a concert Brown was supposed to give at the Philippine Arena on the night of December 31, 2014.

Now, that the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC)--presently at the epicenter of a full-blown family feud over control of the church and its billions of pesos--paid Brown over P40 million is totally irrelevant.

The issue is what the “f***” DIDN’T Mr. Brown do. Again according to Santos, he DIDN’T fulfill the terms of his contract; and he DIDN’T show up before the thousands of his Filipino fans who paid good money to see him.

What the “f***” is so hard to understand about that even for Chris Brown? If you get paid to dance and sing like a “f***ing” idiot, you “f***ing” do it. –END-

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Jail them

Over at the Bureau of Customs, they have already compiled a list of nearly a hundred suspected smugglers. The alleged smugglers are reportedly politicians' relatives, government officials and media personnel.

But the BOC has not revealed their identities as there's an ongoing investigation. The names on the list are said to have offered bribes to Customs officials to look the other way as they move the contraband out of the gates of various ports without paying the proper duties and taxes.

We know that smuggling is the cause of the failure of the Customs bureau to meet its monthly and annual revenue collection targets. The smugglers are said to pay only P60,000 to P80,000 for the taxes and duties of each container even when the standard rate is P120,000. The difference  between what they paid for each container and the standard rate is used to bribe Customs officials.

Some 16,178 containers were reported smuggled out of Customs in January 2015 alone. Hence, the total amount of bribes during that period was at least P161.7 million, if P10,000 was forked out as bribery in each instance.

No less than a top-ranking Customs official has admitted that there is still corruption in the Bureau but that it has been substantially reduced. Really? The question is, will Department of Finance take action and file the appropriate charges against those in the list of alleged smugglers?

The Customs bureau has long been tagged as among the top corrupt agencies in the government. But the under-the-table deals have not stopped even with changes in Customs hierarchy. President Aquino recently appointed the fourth  Customs chief after the three previous ones all failed to reform the bureau. Will it be any different this time, with less than one year to go before another Customs chief steps in? –End-

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Abaya crawled out from what rock?

 

Transportation Secretary Emilio Abaya  says that the “minor glitches” in the rollout of the new ticketing system at the Light Railway Transit (LRT) Line 2 would be resolved soon enough.

The glitches in the tap-and-go ticketing system included bank notes being stuck in the vending machines that dispensed the so-called “beep cards.”

According to project concessionaire AF Payments, Inc. (AFPI), they sold 6,000 cards in the first two days of the trial, underscoring “positive public response.” Bravo, bravo! Cue in the canned applause!

But Abaya and AFPI don’t get it at all that it doesn’t matter to the public whether they buy their cards from a vending machine or from a live sales person behind a counter.

The riding public, whether at LRT or the Metro Rail Transit, care little whether their ingress or egress at rail stations is through the use of whatever smart card is in vogue.

There’s no point in addressing the queue at the ticketing windows or booths if after getting their trip cards, commuters find themselves waiting in eternity for the few LRT and MRT train cars that are still in operation.

What the LRT and the MRT need are an overhaul of their system, the purchase of new coaches and the bidding out of their system maintenance to companies that really know what they are doing.

The people are asking for new trains and Abaya gave them a new ticketing system?  From what rock did Abaya crawl out from? – End-                                       

Image by: Rappler

Ready for Mars attack?

                          

In 1938, mass panic and hysteria hit the United States when Orson Welles’ radio adaptation of H.G. Well’s 1897 novel War of the Worlds was mistaken to be an actual news report of Martians attacking New York City. Frantic calls flooded media and police offices from frazzled people frenetically asking what they should do if and when the green extraterrestrials from Mars came knocking down their doors or when flying saucers buzzed their homes.

Fast-forward to the present (past the first lunar landing by Apollo 11 in 1969 and the fly-by, photo-shoot mission last month to Pluto) and the Albert Einstein of our time, Stephen Hawking, has lent his name to a new search for life from outer space.  Hawking’s 10-year, $100-million search for intelligent extraterrestrial (ET) life would dwarf similar searches in the past like Project SETI or Project Blue Book.

Hawking’s effort would surely fan the flames of ancient astronaut theorists who believe that aliens put man on earth, and that aliens built the megalithic structures on earth like the giant Easter Island heads and the many pyramids on earth.

SETI or the search for extra-terrestrial intelligence used giant radio telescopes to scan the universe for radio waves that could have only been sent by intelligent creatures. Project Blue Book, on the other hand, is a study, or some say a cover-up, by the US government of UFO (unidentified flying object) sightings.

The biggest alleged cover-up, of course, as far as UFOlogists are concerned, is the claimed UFO crash in Roswell, New  Mexico and the alleged reverse-engineering of the US of the saucer, and its alleged autopsy of dead ETs. Seriously, the search for the extraterrestrial origin of life on earth does not involve nutcases or lunatics but well-known scientists who think that life propagated here when some asteroids containing simple cells crashed into Earth.

The problem with Hawking’s project and the similar SETI efforts in the past is that what happens when we find out that indeed there’s life outside of earth. Are we really ready for an “ET phone home” scenario or would there be a repeat of the Orson Welles fiasco but on a global scale and this time around for real, and not just radio drama. –End-

Image by: The Movie Mars Attack

State of the art? Seriously?

Many Filipinos have experienced being hassled at immigration counters around the world or being offloaded from planes because of issues like human trafficking and carrying prohibited items like fake Gucci bags.  Then there’s the reputation of Philippine-issued passports as being very easy to forge although some security features had already been added to them through the years.

Well, the Philippine passport may finally earn some degree of respectability when the new breed of “e” or electronic Philippine passports roll out starting January next year from a plant inaugurated recently by President Aquino in Malvar, Batangas.  The new e-Passports are touted to be state-of-the-art and with more and better security features to deter forgery or tampering.

They would contain the biometrics of the owners and some other stuff better not discussed to make them more difficult to reverse-engineer. They would no longer be produced by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas but by the government-owned printer APO Production Unit tapped by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to ease the backlog in passports production.

From the present 15-day wait, it would only take 10 days for the new e-Passports to be ready for delivery, while express processing will now only take five days from the erstwhile seven days.  The passport booklet will also be made of more durable material, guaranteed against wear and tear past the issuance validity period.

Well, we just hope that the e-Passports would not go of the way of the new motor vehicle license plates with their delayed release and the many complaints as to their lack of durability. We can’t help but to air this caveat considering that many government pronouncements have turned out to be far removed from reality. –End-

Image by: Manila Bulletin

Beat the Big

The World Health Organization (WHO) data on the number of Filipinos who died last year from cancer is mind-numbing – 28,700 males and 27,99 females.

  

The Philippine Cancer Society, on the other hand, pegged at about 98,200 the new cases of cancer diagnosed each year among Filipinos, of whom 59,000 individuals are expected to die.

Among men, lung cancer, accounting for 24.3 percent of the fatalities, has remained the No. 1 killer, followed by liver cancer with 14.7 percent and colorectal cancer with 12.8 percent. 

Breast cancer is most lethal among Filipino women with 27.7 percent, with colorectal cancer at 10.4 percent and lung cancer at 9.9 rounding up the top three.

While cancer has been linked to genes, people should not feel helpless against it, especially in lessening the cancer risk factors already identified by doctors and scientists. These cancer risk factors include the use of tobacco, alcohol, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity.

Cigarette smoking, for one, accounts for 20 percent of all cancer deaths not just in the Philippines but worldwide.

Thus, just quitting the nicotine habit, along with excessive alcohol intake blamed for most liver ailments, would definitely lessen the chances of people getting cancer.

 

Then, there’s also eating right, getting plenty of rest and stopping being a couch potato by exercising. Vigilance is also critical because early detection is key in surviving cancer. –End-

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Why Justice is hard to get?

Among the principal accused in the infamous Maguindanao massacre, former Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan Sr., passed away on Friday.

As death  extinguished any criminal liability, the 58 counts of murder against the patriarch of the Ampatuan clan will have to be dismissed. But a number of his sons and relatives, including as well as members of their clan's supposed private army and the local police, will continue to stand trial for the carnage  in Maguindanao in November 2009.

What is unfortunate is that the trial has proceeded at a snail's pace for the last six years after the gruesome incident. More than a hundred of the original 197 suspects have been arraigned, and all, including Ampatuan and his sons, Andal Jr. and Zaldy, pleaded not guilty.

The delay in the court proceedings can be partly traced to the various legal moves taken by defense lawyers to shield their clients from a guilty verdict. But the judicial process itself may be at fault for the snail's pace considering that the number of accused—nearly 200—makes it next-to-impossible for the court to render an early judgment. After all, the accused are entitled to due process and to avail of all legal remedies despite the gravity of the charges against them.

Some lawyers argue that the trial may be speeded up by dropping the murder charges against those considered as accessories to the crime and concentrating only on the key respondents, or the masterminds, namely the Ampatuans. The Supreme Court, if we're not mistaken, has tried to speed up the process by assigning two other judges to assist the main judge already handling the case. But it appears that's the only thing that the High Court can do a this point, or else it would be accused of undue haste in resolving the case.

Still, we believe that the judiciary can still do much more so that justice can be served soon enough for the 58 victims of the massacre, including 32 journalists. Six years is a long time to wait for justice in this particular case. The longer it takes, the more that our people will realize that justice delayed is justice denied. -End-

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OFWs need it too

The registration of senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs) at booths set up by the Commission on Election (Comelec) in several shopping malls Thursday was such a success it should be replicated all over the country.

The exercise proves the point that if the Comelec makes it easier for citizens to register as voters, they would come en masse to sign up so their voices could be heard come election time.

It would be safe to assume that at least half of those who registered at the malls would not have bothered to register for the 2016 elections had the registration process not been made more convenient and hassle-free.

A noted election lawyer quibbled about the Comelec registration at the malls as being in violation of some technicalities or some mundane rule.

However, his was the lone voice in the wilderness as the majority of Filipinos are in favor of any and all innovations that could make the registration and voting exercises easier.

Not only should the Comelec do this nationwide, it should also undertake, with the help of the labor and foreign affairs department, a new round of registration for Overseas Absentee Voting (OAV) at malls in areas abroad with concentration of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

That’s the least the Comelec can do considering that it has been a complete failure in making online registration for overseas Filipinos a reality at least for next year’s election.

Set up the registration booths at malls where overseas Filipinos are concentrated and fast-track the registration and our countrymen abroad would come to register, even if that means using their lunch breaks to do so. –END-

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A day of thanksgiving

 

Eid al-Fitr, also known as Eid ul-Fitr or Eid, is a joyous celebration of the conclusion of the dawn-to-sunset fast during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

Ramadan ends and Eid al-Fitr begins when the new moon is spotted in the sky. This means the start of the Eid holiday can vary in different parts of the world. Muslims in the Middle East will celebrate Eid al-Fitr on Friday, while Muslims in other nations will observe the holiday on Saturday.

The holiday often begins with morning prayers and a small breakfast, marking the first daylight meal in a month. Muslims will decorate their houses and get dressed in new or clean clothes. Families and friends exchange gifts and gather for feasts, which often feature sweet, traditional delicacies. On Eid, Muslims can eat all the things that are considered too rich, too sweet, too creamy for a normal day. The whole day is dedicated to rejoicing in having food on the table.

But it is much more than this. Many Muslims also celebrate Eid by delivering food donations to those who are less fortunate. Eid al-Fitr is an important celebration for Filipino Muslims. Also known as “Wakas ng Ramadan” and “Pagtatapos ng Pag-aayuno”, it has been proclaimed  a national public holiday in the entire country since 2002. It was the first predominantly Christian country to do so.  This proclamation was evidently made to foster peace and goodwill between major religions in the Philippines. –End-

Image by: www.newsday.com

Later this afternoon: More than breaking Fast

The Eid al-Fitr, a non-working holiday in the Philippines, is a celebration marking the end of Ramadan, the ninth month in the lunar Islamic calendar considered most holy by Moslems everywhere.

It is believed that the Koran was first revealed by God to the Prophet Mohammad during the ninth month of 610CE, thus Moslems focus on personal reflection and prayer during Ramadan.

Moslems observe three types of worship during Ramadad, namely charity, praying and fasting from dawn to sunset. They abstain from procreation and vices like smoking and try to avoid speaking ill of others.

A common misconception is that the Eid al-Fitr is all about Moslems breaking their fasting. It is that too but, more importantly, Moslems are celebrating in the Eid their having been given the strength to succeed in purifying themselves during the month.

The Eid is a very happy time for Moslems as they gather with friends and families, wear their best dress and share bountiful feasts for their first daylight meal in a month. 

–End-

Image by: The Independent

Recipe for disaster

You'd be myopic to miss seeing them all over the busy, bustling streets of Metro Manila. They're the spanking brand-new vehicles with their glossy paint jobs that are now a dime a dozen because of the cutthroat competition among automotive companies.

It's never as easy or as cheap as now to own your dream car, whether you're salivating for an inexpensive first car, a mid-class sedan or even an SUV. For entry level subcompacts, the LTO, insurance and chattel mortgage fees are now being waived by car companies to snare customers.

So what sticks out like a sore thumb if these new metals in our streets are so numerous? Well, because many of these brand-new cars already sport unsightly dents and other damage that show they have already figured in accidents, mostly fender benders.

And take a look at who's behind the wheels of the already banged-up new cars. Most likely the demographic would look like this: upwardly mobile sales reps or junior executives on corporate car fleet programs.

No gender bias whatsoever, but many of the drivers are young women or in some cases very senior citizens who should no longer be driving and should just be driven around.

So what's the point of this rant? It's that the too many ill-trained new drivers behind the wheels of peppy, zippy brand new cars that can change lanes in a jiffy is a recipe for disaster -- an accident waiting to happen.

Yes, it's easy to unmask the new drivers who had also been ill-trained. They cut corners, swerve and stomp at the gas pedal for jack-rabbit starts at the stoplights. They also tail-gate like crazy.

Which brings us to our primary peeve: What kind of drivers are our driving schools producing? Are driving schools properly accredited and are their trainers properly vetted? What kind of tests do the LTO give new drivers to keep them, their passengers and fellow road users alive?

These questions are driving us crazy and there's no pun intended. –End-

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