There are two incredible issues which made it to tge headlines and opinion pieces in both print and broadcast media.
Davawenyos were jolted with the report culled from Tom Tom Traffic Index which showed that Davao City has the worst traffic congestion in the country and number 8 in the world.
The critics of the Duterte did not lose time and feasted on the issue. It took awhile for the City government to react. The Transport Committee of the City Council however belabored himself by arguing that the traffic situation in Davao City is not what Tom Tom made it appear to be.
The simple fact however is that the traffic congestion which Tom Tom showed in a picture to prove its report, is fatally flawed. In fact, what they showed is the perennialy congested Guadalupe Bridge that connects Makati and Mandaluyong Cities. In brief the report is deceitful and a blatant fakery.
Duterte’s critics nevertheless do not care whether the report is fake or not. Davawenyos of course do not buy the propaganda. While the City experience some traffic congestions these can only be attributed to vehicular accidents and emergency repairs.
The Transport Committee of the City Council is remiss with its task. Traffic flow is impeded because the City failed to invest in traffic signalization network. The existing facilities should have been consigned to the garbage dump. You can count with your fingers how many more traffic lights are functioning.
We take pride of the fact that the City has billions in the treasury and that it is debt-free. But that is not the business of the City government. It must invest the revenues generated to projects and services.
While the traffic report of Tom Tom is fake, it is a wake up call for the City government to prioritize the traffic signalization network.
The other issue is about the blank spaces in the Bicameral Report which was exposed by Rep. Isidro T. Ungab and former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte. Malacanang, in a knee-jerk reaction reacted and denied the expose’ as untrue even calling Duterte a liar.
The revelation was intended merely to alert the House of Representative and the Senate but Executive Sec. Lucas Bersamin and then President Marcos himself denied that there are no blanks in the GAB which the later signed.
The copy of the Bicam report which was in the hand of Ungab moreover bore the signatures of the members of the bicameral Committee despite the blank spaces. Later, other members of the House also received the same report which Ungab had. Then much later, UNTV also received copy of the General Appropriation Bill which had blanks but had the signatures of the members.
The speculation now arise. Since President Marcos insisted that the GAB had been signed and had no blanks then who was or were the magicians who filled up the blanks?