Deserving reciprocal gesture

Ben Contreras

SOME people should apologize for the things they state. Indeed, those were unkind words that shouldn’t have been stated in the face of a bomb attack that claimed several lives. One’s utterance, for instance, may be uncalled for but one bad apple does not make the whole basket bad.

We all have our own biases as far as this administration is concerned. But this should not take us away from one fact. The bombing is an attack on our way of life, a peaceful co-existence amid contrasting opinions. The bombing is an attack against us as a people. That should have unified us as Filipinos, not crabs.

We all know Davao poured its resources on disaster-stricken places, sent its trained personnel to help the victims and risked their lives amid chaos. They deserve, at least, a reciprocal gesture from any sane person in time of their own misfortune.

Let us pray for the people of Davao, pray for our soldiers and police and pray for our nation.

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Our publisher took note of the frequent accident in Gusa area involving motorcycles. Every time accident happens, it impedes the smooth flow of traffic that could run up to a kilometer long.

The number of road users continues to grow in number while our streets remain the same. Motorists are always in a rush. Trying to beat another to reach a destination makes the temptation to violate traffic laws stronger. They counter-flow or overtake carelessly at your right side without regard that they might hit your vehicle. One mistake could claim a life or lives.

I have not seen any effort to remedy this. You criticize the head and he accuses you of seeing only the bad side as if he has the monopoly of bright ideas. It makes many wonder if he is still in charge or not.

I guess he wants us to learn to live with this.

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It’s been a week since my challenge to city treasurer Glenn Bañez, the city council, Mayor Moreno and DENR regional director Ruth Tawantawan to conduct an investigation into quarrying businesses in the city. Apparently, nobody wants to.

But I can wait. I hope this doesn’t have to reach the top. Some don’t believe that the President is serious about curbing corruption.

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In trying to explain the mandate of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), it ignored the fact that the issue on alleged extrajudicial killings (EJK) has become more of a moral issue than legal.

Has CHR been noisy on the drugelated killings of innocent people as they are on alleged EJKs of drug addicts, people would not have this impression that CHR is on the side of evil?

If it continues to do so, there might come a time when people would demand for the abolition of this office or people might vent their anger on it.

Let’s hope CHR would be more circumspect with its criticism on this war on drugs.