EDITORYAL - Walang disiplina sa

pagtatapon ng basura
KAHIT saan ay may nagtatapon ng basura. May mga nakasakay sa dyipni
at bus na itinatapon ang balat ng prutas na kanilang kinain. May mga
nakasakay sa pribadong sasakyan na itinatapon ang wrapper ng hamburger o
anumang kinakain. Maski ang mga plastic na pinagbalutan ng binalatang
mangga ay itinatapon sa kalye. Wala silang pakialam kung nakikita man
sila ng mga bata. Aakalain ng mga bata na tama ang ginagawang iyon. Dahil
sa kawalan ng disiplina sa pagtatapon ng basura, nagkakaroon ng mga
pagbaha at kung anu-anong sakit ang nananalasa – dengue, leptospirosis,
diarrhea at marami pang iba.

At hindi lamang wrapper ng hamburger o balat ng prutas ang itinatapon

ngayon ng mga walang disiplina kundi pati na rin diaper. Yakkk! At hindi
sa kalye itinapon ang diaper kundi sa linya ng kuryente na nagpapatakbo
sa Metro Rail Transit-3 (MRT). Nangyari ang insidente sa Ayala-EDSA
Station noong Lunes dakong 6:00 ng umaga. Dahil sa pagsabit ng adult
diaper sa linya ng kuryente agad itinigil ang biyahe ng MRT mula Taft
Avenue hanggang Boni Station. Na-resumed ang operations dakong 7:43 ng
umaga. As usual, marami na namang pasahero ng MRT ang naatraso sa kanilang
mga trabaho. Mayroong mga estudyante na na-late sa kanilang klase.
Maraming nagmura sapagkat araw-araw na lamang ay may nangyayaring aberya
sa MRT. Pero ang nangyari noong Lunes ay kakaiba sa mga dati nang
nangyayaring aberya sa MRT. Unang pagkakataon umano na may nagtapon ng
basura at sumabit pa sa linya ng kuryente.

Hindi pa natutukoy ang taong nagtapon ng diaper pero ayon sa mga

nakakita, maaaring iyon ay ginamit ng isang motorista na naipit sa trapik
at hindi na makatiis kaya gumamit ng diaper. Sabi pa ng mga pasahero,
marami raw talagang basura sa paligid ng Ayala-EDSA Stations. May mga
nakatambak na basyo ng plastic bottle ng softdrinks at iba pang inumin,
plastic shopping bags, grocery bags at iba pang basura.

Dinagdagan pa ang kalbaryo ng mga pasahero ng MRT dahil sa walang

disiplinang nagtapon ng diaper. May magagawa bang paraan ang MRT para
hindi mapagtapunan ng basura ang power line ng MRT? Ano pa kayang aberya
ang mararanasan ng may 500,000 pasahero ng MRT?
EDITORIAL - Battling corruption
About two decades ago, multilateral institutions providing development
assistance around the world began taking a closer look at the impact of
corruption on projects funded by their aid programs.

The studies determined that corruption retarded poverty alleviation

efforts and the pace of development. On Dec. 9, 2003, the United Nations approved
the Convention Against Corruption – one of several international agreements that
are legally binding on the state parties. The convention now has 186 signatory
states, with the Philippines joining in 2006.

The Philippines has tough laws against various forms of corruption. Apart
from the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, there is also a Code of Conduct
and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, which prohibits acts
such as receiving expensive gifts from persons dealing with government agencies.

A key problem, as in most laws in this country, is enforcement. That code

of conduct, whose prohibited acts can earn violators five years in prison and a
fine, is broken in many ways and varying degrees every day. Opportunities for
accepting grease money are built into systems and procedures. This is one of
the major disincentives to job-generating investments.

Another problem is the weakness of political will. It took years and

threats of an international financial blacklist before lawmakers approved the
inclusion of corruption among the predicate crimes covered by the Anti-Money
Laundering Act. Even when the AMLA is applied by the AML Council, however,
crooked public officials can still find kindred spirits in the judiciary.

In too many cases, justice is sold to the highest bidder, rendering the
toughest laws toothless. And the Office of the Ombudsman cannot even freely
investigate members of the judiciary for graft. The Supreme Court has ordered
the ombudsman to wait for the conclusion of the SC’s own administrative probe
of magistrates accused of wrongdoing before initiating a criminal probe. A judge
or justice accused of corruption could be dead before the Office of the Ombudsman
gets its hands on him.

Little wonder then that impunity in corruption reigns. Those who use public
office for personal gain are not only spared from punishment, but are also free
to hold public office again. International Anti-Corruption Day was marked last
Sunday with the Philippines already having all the legal weapons to fight the
scourge. What is needed is full enforcement.

https://www.philstar.com/pilipino-star-
ngayon/opinyon/2017/10/24/1752110/editoryal-walang-disiplina-sa-pagtatapon-ng-
basura

https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2018/12/11/1875980/editorial-battling-
corruption