by Martin B. Misa
Discrimination is less of a sin than Greed.
Why is it that the motorcyclist is always the object of deliverance to our country’s peace and traffic problems? As the loose firearm is the PNP’s problem in criminals on motorcycles, the Bureau of Customs’ challenge in curbing helmet smuggling has dug into the pockets of the riding Juan de la Cruz. The Helmet Law of Senator Bong Revilla says that the helmets of the riding public should have the ICC sticker from the DTI. Aside from assuring the Filipino that his helmet is not sub-standard, it is a measure that what is being sold is tax-paid.
After I had purchased a helmet bearing the ICC sticker off the rack, the helmet becomes now my personal possession. Being so, does the traffic enforcer have any business in my removing the ugly stickers from my new helmet that I polish daily? Can the Fire Department enter our houses and check if our Christmas lights have ICC stickers?
Do the math. They say that there are currently 3.4 million registered motorcycles. According to some sources, the number of unregistered motorcycles (many owned by Local Govt. Unit (LGU) employees, PNP personnel and by the deputized traffic law enforcers.) amount to 4 million. Now, assuming that only 3 million need helmets. The wholesale cost of a helmet is P250, and the retail average is P1,800. That is not considering the number of back riders yet. Please make sure that your calculator is generous with digits.
How about the owned stickerless helmets that pass the DTI standards? Do not worry, they can go to DTI and pay P100 processing fee and P1.25 sticker cost. Maybe now you can use your ordinary Casio calculator.
There are reports that the LTO is starting to apprehend the riders who disobey the helmet law. P1,500 for the first offense. P3,000 for the second. P10,000 for the third offense. Bring back that scientific calculator.
R.A. 10054 authored by Sen. Bong Revilla has to be amended. Moreover, it still has to publish to the public the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the anemic law. The damned motorcyclist has endured the discriminatory PNP check points. At least taking money from the rider is done under the table in this nightly exercise (This math is simpler… 10 riders x P200 = P2,000 a day.) The Helmet Law legalizes this outright robbery.
The rider has only one recourse. No politician who oppresses the rider will be voted in future elections. Those who will help the riders will be voted. Do the math. Rider plus back ride plus relatives plus neighbors multiplied by at least 3.4 million.