‘Many people suspect that the more than 20 percent sales tax earned by the government from the sale of brand-new vehicles may be behind the almost relentless and unregulated flood of new vehicles each year…’
VICE President Sarah Duterte should have stayed out of politics if she gets easily overwhelmed by the threats and intrigues spawned by the fiery political climate in our country.
Politicians do not openly announce harboring homicidal threats against their close rivals but look at what the VP did.
Elections here rarely end in unity and reconciliation, and instead, have raised personal passions for reprisal or retribution.
For President Bongbong Marcos, this is no time to take it sitting down. He said that if it seems so easy to assassinate the President of this country, it would be to plan and kill ordinary citizens.
His strong statement is undoubtedly an order for the Department of Justice to investigate, and if, necessary, prosecute Sara. Deadly threats against a country’s leader may yet constitute a criminal act.
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The government seems to have assumed the role of a bystander in the face of the worsening traffic congestion in most major thoroughfares in Metro Manila.
Four nights ago, my wife and her close friend spent five hours driving via C-5 from Bonifacio Global City to Marikina, which ordinarily is a one-and-a-half-hour drive.
According to government statistics, 20 percent more new vehicles are added to the already intolerable traffic volume during the annual Christmas season in the NCR and other urban centers. And yet the government would rather look the other way instead of effectively regulating the ever-mounting volume of vehicles yearly, which certainly has been a huge factor for the monstrous traffic jams as Christmas fast approaches.
Nothing is being heard on this issue from transport officials.
The proposed phaseout of 15-year-old vehicles has similarly not been prioritized.
Many people suspect that the more than 20 percent sales tax earned by the government from the sale of brand-new vehicles may be behind the almost relentless and unregulated flood of new vehicles each year which, according to government statistics, amount to more than 200,000 in Metro Manila alone.
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Allow me to share the thoughts of one group of my second-year students at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) on how we, Filipinos, should convey our solidarity to the suffering and oppressed, including the victims of the Israel-Hamas war, during Christmas.
“As a nation of faith and empathy, we must partake in the global issues taking place in the world. Just like Jesus Christ who was sent into this world to bring liberty to the oppressed… we need to partake in this discussion to try to reshape the reality for our countrymen. Let us not become bystanders and stand idly by as the deaths of innocent civilians continue to mount. Do not let the distance of our countries separate us from each other; let us use our platforms to help bring us together. In times of distress, our struggles bind us, and our true compassion is the thread that weaves us.
“As the time for yet another Christmas draws near, may we – as a nation – realize that this is the time for action and reflection, the time for us to become closer to what it really means to be human. In our world still marked with injustice and suffering, such as the ongoing Palestinian genocide, this spirit of love should clothe us with a greater role and significance. The message of Christmas in the Bible calls on us to stand with the oppressed, to show deep kindness to the marginalized, and to openly express empathy as an enduring forefront of our beliefs.”
