Anti-Smoke Belching Racket, Part 5

The Anti-Smoke Belching Units (ASBUs) of various city governments in Metro Manila are now among the modern highway robbers and road terrorists.

These photos I took last February 14, 2013, afternoon. I was riding an air-con bus and have a good, elevated view of the other side of Buendia, Makati CBD-bound.

These people flag down closed vans, AUVs and pick ups that run on diesel engines. They NEVER stop jeepneys or government (red plate) vehicles that also run on diesel engines.

Below are some troubling comments from ordinary motorists. The 5th comment, below, was made only this morning. People normally do not give their full name as they are helpless when confronted by a gang of those local bureaucrats who are "empowered by the law" to flag down and stop ordinary citizens from free travel, on arbitrary and flimsy reasons. These comments also serve as "tips" for motorists driving diesel engine cars, vans and pick ups.
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(1) Blog comment from Anonymous
January 18, 2013

true!!! SOBRA YANG MGA ASBU NA YAN.. SAKSI AKO SA SOBRANG PANGONGOTONG NG MGA YAN! brand new ang car namin, sportivo model 2010series at casa maintained pero yr 2011 hinuli kami ng mga yan along edsa buendia.galing kami sa funeral service non and bigla nila kmi pnatabi checking dw for anti smoke belching.. nagulat kami syempre dhil yung mga ksabayan nmin na d hamak nmn n grabe ang labas ng mga itim n usok d nman nila cnita,kami pa ang napag-tripan. 

iba cla, kung ano lang ang trip nila parahin as in alam n kc nila kung ano ang diesel car.. kya prepared na cla s dapt nila parahin..

tumabi kami at nakiusap s knila..kaka check up lng ng car at bagong change oil kya npka imposible nmn n smoke belching na yan. besides wla pa 1yr ang car since ng mngyari ang pnghuhuli nila/..

so d nila kmi pnancn,nkipagtalo pa ang partner ko s knila dhil nga ayaw nila kmi pakinggan..pnababa nila ang partner ko from the driver seat at inupuan ng isang naka itim n shirt na may ASBU print at tinapakan ng ubod ng tagal ang silinyador..

after non ang failed dw sa test nila.. so,binakbak nila ang plate nmin at sabi n tubusin dw s ofis nila s makati.. from der, pnagbayad kami ng 1500k.. at ang sabi ng mama n may hawak ng plate number named mr.danny ,kung gus2 daw nmin na wag na masita o ung masita man kami ulet better dw na i-renewed dw namin yung receipt worth 1k n lng pra juz incase masita yun nlng dw i-present namin..

imagine,pagkabayad nmin ng 1k,,.wala ng test test pa n ginawa sa car basta nilagyan n lng ng 1.sumtinig yung receipt na nagsasabi na passed na..

WHAT THE...!!! nANG KAKAPAL NG MGA MUKHA!!! grabe sa KOTONG MGA ASBU NA YAN.. 

at sa totoo lng until now madalas pa din kami pnapara ng mga yan jan s c5 naman..mdalas cla anjan lalo na pag wik ends..pero tinatakbuhan n lng tlga nmin cla.. PAPARAHIN ULET KAMI TAPOS ANO BAYAD NA NAMAN SA WALNG KAKWENTA KWENTANG PANGHUHULI-DAP NILA NA AN!!!SOBRA NAMAN KC.. DAPAT MAKARATING S KINAUUKULAN MGA GAWA NILNG GANYAN..

(2) Blog comment from Anonymous 

February 09, 2013 

Nabiktima rin ako kanina ng mga hayop na yan. bago lang sasakyan namin adventure gls sports diesel syempre ginawa ng mga walangya binomba ng binomba accelerator kya syempre sobra usok, thus bagsak ka sa test. ang kakapal ng mga mukha! dami na pala nagrereklamo dyan bakit pinagtatagal pa yan? and to think di naman kami kakanan papuntang makati, naghanap talaga sila ng mga sasakyang diesel para siguradong bagsak sa test dahil bobombahin nila ng todo! suma total kailangan kunin ang lisensya ng driver ko sa makati na 5 taon na kong di nagpupunta. ANG KAKAPAL NG MGA PAGMUMUKHA! It's more CORRUPT in the Philippines!

(3) ELLA ESLERA, Makati City
Posted in Philippine Daily Inquirer
February 18, 2013 at 12:51 am

Smoke emission test required every 2 months?

Barely two weeks before Christmas, my Cebu-based older brother was in Metro Manila on official business. To facilitate his travels, he borrowed my car, a 2005 Hyundai Starex, which is in tip-top condition as it is regularly maintained. While driving along Buendia (Gil Puyat Avenue) near Dian, he noticed about five private cars (AUV, pickup, other diesel-powered cars about 5-7 years old) lined up on the right side of the road with about four or five Makati traffic enforcers (in yellow and green uniform) talking to the drivers.

My brother was driving slowly, taking extra caution because buses were passing by the area, when traffic enforcers/officers waved for him to stop. He acceded and parked on the right side of the road totally perplexed as to what could have been his traffic violation. “Sir,  bakit  po? Ano  po  ang  violation  ko?” he asked one of the officers. “Nagpa-smoke emission test ka ba nito?” the officer replied. Knowing that my car is maintained well, my brother replied, “Opo, nung  huling  registration.”

The officer asked for the smoke emission certificate. When my brother showed it to him, the officer said the test had expired. My brother said how could it be, the smoke emission test was just done the previous September as part of the car’s registration process. The officer said that in Makati, smoke emission test is required every two months. My brother said he did not know of such requirement as he is from Cebu. Then the police officer said, “Naku papano ’yan, babaklasin na namin tong plaka.”

My poor brother was so shocked something like this could happen to him. Keeping his cool, my brother explained to the police officer his lack of awareness of the ruling and the seeming absence of announcements on this regard. He begged and pleaded with the officer to let him go. My brother’s angels must have been there watching over him because the officer gave back his driver’s license, though not after saying, “Sige eto na, ikaw na ang bahala.” My brother thanked the police officer and drove away thinking if what the officer meant with “ikaw na ang bahala” is the same as what you and I may be thinking. The thing is, my brother did not give in. He just went away after getting his driver’s license.

After hearing of this, I got so irritated, disappointed and upset, and questions hounded my mind. Is there really such a ruling? If there is, is it legal? Why did the officer stop my car, which was not emitting black smoke? Why were the officers only picking on private cars while leaving “untouched” buses that spew thick black smoke?

Though I do not drive my car to Makati every day, in this land of double and even triple taxation, a smoke emission test every other two months would be an additional big burden for us fixed-income earners who contribute a big chunk of our salaries to the government. I would like to bring these concerns to the attention of Mayor Junjun Binay, MMDA Chair Francis Tolentino and the LTO chief.

(4) Blog comment from Anonymous

March 16, 2013

suggestion lang sa mga asbu, huliin nyo na lang mga talagang smoke belcher, mag motor kayo sa kalye,dun kayo mag abang sa mga may stop light para mapansin nyo agad kung sino talaga dapat huliin. pag go ng signal light ay sure na mabubuking kung alin sa mga sasakyan ang dapat huliin. yun mga bus at jeep bakit di nyo sinisita. nakakaabala kayo eh.kayo kaya abala hin namin, ano kaya mararamdaman nyo?

(5) Blog comment from Alfred
April 02, 2013

kakahuli ko lang kahapon dito, lagi akong nakikipagpaptintero sa mga ito sa loob ng maraming taon dahil eto ang ruta ko tuwing pupunta ako sa manila at sa pasay, taga alabang kase ako at hindi maiiwasan dumaan sa magallanes bridge

anyway kahapon ko lang na experience na habulin ako dahil lagi ko tinatakbuhan ito, ang unang banat ko sa enforcer kung anong violation ko, napakayabang nung traffic enforcer bakit daw hindi ko sya tinigilan, sabi ko wala naman silang probable cause para iflagged down ko, sabi nya hindi daw kailangan ng probable cause kasi may operation daw sila, sabi ko hindi mo pwede i flagged down ang sasakyan ng walang probable cause, sabi nya kung gusto ko daw ng probable cause bumaba daw ako at itest namin ang sasakyan, sabi ko hindi probable cause ang tawag dun, may operation daw sila at pwede daw nila itest lahat ng dumadaan na sasakyan, sabi ko hindi pwede yung ganun, napakarami nya pang sinasabi hindi ko na iniitindi dahil halatang kung ano ano lang, naramdaman nya sigurong wala syang makukuha sa akin ang sabi nya lang gusto nya lang daw humingi ako ng pasensya dahil tinakbuhan ko sila, ako naman para matapos sabi ko ay "sorry na po sir" (parang syota lang) ayun sabi nya sa susunod daw na tumakbo ako ay tutuluyan nya na daw ako hulihin, sabi ko ay pasensya na ulit at umalis na ako

dadaan pa ba ako sa magallanes bridge? oo naman wala naman ako choice pero makikipag patintero pa rin ako sa kanila, ang diskarte dyan ay medyo slow down ka muna kasi ay lagi traffic dun para pag ikaw na ang dadaan ay maluwag na, tapos ay bigla harurot pag nandun ka na, medyo gigitna sila sa daan pero pag mabilis ka ay hindi sila gigitna

P300 ang minimum na suhol dito according sa mga kaibigan ko nahuli na din, kung delivery van/truck ka naman payag sila P100 lang

tanggal plaka/kuha lisensya pag hindi ka nagsuhol at dadalhin mo sa malapit sa makati fire station pati sasakyan mo para itest ulit nila na sigurado namang babagsak ulit at magbabayad ka ng extra fine ulit 

nagtataka ako student pa lang ako about 10 years ago panahon pa ng soon to be president ay meron na yan, pinagpatuloy lang ng anak ang hanapbuhay, pero kahit minsan ay never na imbestigador to or na tulfo, siguradong malakas ang head nila

anyway balik ako sa pakikipagpatintero sa kanila since wala naman ako choice, goodluck na lang sa iba. 

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See more comments here:
Anti-smoke belching Racket, January 17, 2011
Anti-Smoke Belching Racket, Part 2, September 15, 2011
Anti-Smoke Belching Racket, Part 3, November 25, 2011
Anti-Smoke Belching Racket, Part 4, September 25, 2012
MMDA, LGUs and Towing Racket, November 26, 2012