MISSING THE ACTION by: Kiko Ortelano

I had to wait another day.

Yesterday was fully anticipated by those who have been watching intently on the contentious Ordinance 261 of the Province of Pampanga.

To those who discern correctly, the repeal of Ordinance 261 was another politically motivated action by the SP. Those morons at the SP do not care if what they do harm the people of Pampanga or not. All they care about is their continuing destruction of Among Ed and his administration.

The SP conducted a moro-moro hearing on the issue. They think they can continuously fool our Kabalens. ENOUGH!

1. The Implementing Rules and Regulations of Ordinance 261 was crafted by a technical working group (TWG) where all stakeholders were represented.

2. The TWG was politicized when the representative of the Truckers Association, Mike Tapang was ostracized publicly by some people within his same group. Those opposing members were later proven to have lied publicly about their allegations against Tapang, when the latter produced a video contradicting the misinformation against him. Clearly, they are also being used by the dirty politicians of the province. What the SP fails to tell our Kabalens is that the group that they are using against Ord. 261 are very few compared against the majority of the law abiding truckers and quarry operators.

3. Undeniably, the use of weighing scales and weigh bridges is more accurate in deterring overloading of trucks. However, this is absolutely impractical!

One would hope that the SP could have at least conducted tests and time and motion studies in the use of scales and weigh bridges. They did not! This would have shown the SP the absurdity and absolute impracticality of their proposal. Initial research by the group of Tapang revealed that with the present volume of trucks operating daily in Pampanga, it would take about four (04) days to process them! This is also based on the proposal of 4 weigh bridges and 2 portable weighing scales. IS THIS NOT ANTI BUSINESS? Consequently, is this not detrimental to the people of Pampanga?

The proposed total of 6 units is insufficient to provide regular, normal operations for hauling.

4. The insufficient units of scales and bridges in the current proposal of the SP is already morally untenable, considering the economic hardships that have befallen our peole. If we follow the logic(?) of the SP to pursue the scales and bridges, then they would probably propose more scales and bridges. Which will make their proposal all the more financially absurd. To think that to this date, the SP will not even provide the normal budgetry requirements for the operation of BALAS.

5. Where will be the location of the scales and bridges? Will these not impede traffic flow in areas where they will be located? Does the SP knows what happens every night right at the JASA righ before the southbound entrance of the NLEX? Will the repealed ordinance 326 not create more loopholes in the checking of trucks considering the very limited coverage and capability of the csales and bridges?

6. The scales will have to calibrated regulary. This is another aspect of the proposal that will have to be scrutinized as it can be a tool for corruption. Additionally, because of the environmental conditions that will be prevailing in the operations of the scales and bridges, maintenance of the units will be major concern. Breakdown of any unit will constitue more delays and even traffic to the other road users.

We could provide more arguments for Ord 261 and against Ord 326 but we know it will be futile.

The SP have been publicly claiming that the governor is the problem in all that is happening in our province. May you be hit by lightning so you can wake up from your sinful stupor! You are only fooling yourselves and your paid lackeys! You are also fooling your true heavyweight benefactors!

Thankfully, a big group of people's organization in Pampanga is continually mobilizing to support the governor in its worthy endeavors. But please pray tell, where is the (in)famous Fr. Resty Lumanlan in all of these? We thought he is working for the welfare of our Kabalens and yet he is silent on important issues? It seems to us that he has staged a crusade against Among Ed and not against the evils that roam our beloved province. It seem to us that politicking is more imporatant than serving our people. They have been claiming that KCI has about 70 organizations under its wings. Where are they? Do they have the people or all they have are their (active?) officers? We have seen a lot of civil society organizations. We can only pick few in Pampanga that have been consistent in actively pursuing their advocacies.

Where are the noisy professionals(?) and business leaders of Pampanga in all of these. Where is the justification of Rene Romero in all of these? He has spoken a lot in the past specially things against the governor, but where is he in all of these? To think that initially he was projecting to our people that he was speaking as the President of Pamcham until some of their directors publicly disavowed his public pronouncements. If he is such a good manager, he would have seen the absolute requirement of conducting research and studies on the use of scales and bridges. This would have provided him more and better information in making his decisions. He has been sitting in the past SP hearings and he seems to be just getting along the whims of the SP.

Sadly, HATRED has blinded a lot of people. JEALOUSY has boxed them inside their personal failings.

LET US GO BACK TO BASICS.

Let us look at the examples of LOVE and HUMILITY by our LORD.

To the SP, the mayors, KCI, and all their minions, WE LOVE YOU AND FORGIVE US FOR CROSSING SWORDS WITH YOU.

But we love our Kabalens better. See you in the battlefront again.

HAPPY VALENTINES!