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3 Cost Effective Ways to Solve Metro Manila's Traffic Problem

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The Facebook page of ANC 24/7 is asking for its reader's suggestion on how to solve Metro Manila's traffic problem. This got me thinking, "what is the best way to solve Metro Manila's traffic problem?" It's easy to make suggestions, what's hard is the implementation and the cost of implementation. So what is the the best way to solve Metro Manila's traffic problem and the most cost effective solution? Punitive Fines Add caption First of all, any implementation will definitely cost money, a lot of money. The cause of the traffic mess is the people themselves so it's only right that those causing the traffic problem should be fined and the fine should hurt. That way, the fines will pay for the cost of enforcing the law. The fines should start at P500 and goes up every week if you don't pay it within 15 days. To enforce this and prevent people from ignoring the fine. It will be tied to their driver's license or car registr...
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Abomination

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

The plea bargain that government prosecutors struck with the lawyers of ex-general Carlos Garcia last week is a legal abomination. It violates both the explicit letter of the law and the spirit that gives law life; it makes a mockery of the justice system at the very moment that system is under great stress; not least, it feeds the cynicism of the public, more and more of whom believe that Lady Justice is not blind. When the moneyed are haled to court, she only pretends to close her eyes.

Garcia, whose sons were caught in the United States carrying hundreds of thousands of dollars in 2003 and whose wife admitted that their inexplicable family fortune came from bribes, stands (or rather, stood) accused of the non-bailable crime of plunder for accumulating over P300 million in personal wealth while he was still serving in the Armed Forces. Last Saturday, after negotiating a plea bargain and posting bail of P60,000, he walked out of prison. Technically, he is not yet scot-free, since he will now face trial for the lesser offenses of direct bribery and money laundering. But even with conviction, he now stands a good chance of becoming a free man after a few years. Because the plea bargain includes a settlement of P135 million, Garcia also can look forward to enjoying a personal retirement fund of P168 million—more than half of the P303 million in ill-gotten wealth he was accused of plundering.

As it turns out, this agreement was begun before the Aquino administration even assumed power; it is, in other words, another midnight deal that stinks to the highest heavens.

Is it ever a wonder why the Philippines would never improve?

Full story here.

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