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Friday, March 29, 2024

So, who’s being ‘cute’?

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It’s difficult not to react to President  Benigno S. Aquino III’ s remarks even if one tries hard to just ignore them. Commenting on a commuters group’s  protest over the increased fares on the Metro and Light Rail Transit systems. Aquino dismissed critics as just being “cute.”

Getting a ride on a public transport system—that the government should be providing its taxpayers—to get to work is already a daily battle. Fighting for space on the train after lining up for hours under intense heat or driving rain is another struggle for commuters . Once on the train, one never knows whether he or she will make it to the next station going by the MRT’s track record of breakdowns and accidents.

The latest insult is BSA III’s  remark that “critics are just being cute.” The issue of the increased rail fares has been elevated to the Supreme Court. Let’s see if the high court will agree with Aquino’s dismissive remark.

Oppositors to the fare increase insist it is not justified considering the poor service. They also claim that the government subsidy for the cheap fare comes from the taxes they pay.

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The petitioners which include former Iloilo Representative Augusto Syjuco, Jr., Bayan Muna Rep, Neri Colmenares,  Alyansang Makabayan and United Filipino Consumers and Commuters  are  seeking a temporary restraining order against the fare increase imposed by Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya of the  Department of Transportation and Communications.

Cashing in on the papal visit

Pope Francis arrives tomorrow for his five-day visit to this Catholic bastion in Asia. The Pope is coming primarily to visit the survivors of super typhoon Yolanda in Leyte and Samar. But there are those who are exploiting the papal visit for their own means.

One can see this in the streamers and tarpaulins in Palo, Leyte proclaiming the names of the governor and mayor as if they were instrumental in the coming of the Holy Father . Some enterprising souls have also put on the market T-shirts, coffee mugs, and  other souvenir items , including cookies bearing the image of Pope Francis.

We should really observe the three S’s—security, solemnity and simplicity—in connection with the Pope’s visit. Pope Francis himself is known for keeping things simple and he frowns on ostentatious display of state receptions in countries he is visiting.

There have been two previous attempted assassination of a visiting Pope in this country. Let us not have a third one happen again.  Let us all pray for a safe papal visit.

The government cannot be too careful, considering the recent massacre of 12 journalists in a newspaper office in Paris, France by Islamist gunmen and the earlier the attack on the Canadian parliament in Ottawa. 

The Paris carnage brought the world together as one in mourning with France. World leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Prime Minister David Cameron, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas marched with French President Francois Hollande on the streets of Paris to show their solidarity with the French people and their condemnation of this brazen assault  on freedom of the press.

The United States sent Secretary of State John Kerry with the assurance of President Barack Obama’s strong words of support for France and the fight against global terrorism. 

“Je suis Charlie” was the unifying cry of those who marched on the streets of Paris proclaiming their support for freedom of speech and sympathy for those who were killed by Islamist fundamentalists linked to Al Qaeda and ISIS.

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