Weekend Fun 59, Laglag bala extortion at PH airports

The "tanim bala", "laglag bala" or bullet-planting scandal, for harassment and extortion of departing passengers at the NAIA/Manila and some provincial airports in the country continues until this week.

This and other photos and memes below are products of Filipinos' creativity to portray government inefficiency. All of these I got from friends' fb updates + those shown in  the web.

Shameful stories. The government should be very ashamed of this, but DOTC and airport officials appeared less worried, or not even ashamed. Kapal muks.

From a friend, Aiken: Bullets are not allowed on board the plane so upon CONFISCATION AND NECESSARY DOCUMENTATION, passengers should be allowed to board...BUT their names be flagged for investigation. Bullets should be treated like scissors, knives, water, i believe...unless the person carrying them is flagged as terrorist.

From another friend, Butch A.: What a bunch of clowns and buffoons we have running operations at NAIA, the Philippines' flagship international airport. Surrealistically, the Philippine President and his appointed government executives who have charge of addressing this bullet-planting extortion scheme still refuse to regard it as the scam that it is. That, despite the 105 reported incidents in this year alone vs. just 14 last year. What's their interpretation of this scheme?
 

From another  friend, Peter P.: Dear Government, make it policy to Confiscate the solitary bullet found, give the alleged carrier of the solitary bullet a stern warning, then let him/her be on her way, PERIOD! Problem solved and syndicate loses their livelihood and your people and visitors no longer have to suffer. Or will you just give me a thousand reasons why this cannot be done?

Palpak Mar, lousy and insensitive response. Laglag boto ka sa 2016.

1 or 2 day/s after, Mar changed tune. Bawi boto ka Mar.

Among the many news reports on  the subject.

Whatta shame, airport security officials and bureaucrats.
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See also:
Weekend Fun 46: Pork Barrel's New Names, August 25, 2013 
Weekend Fun 51: Martilyo Gang Jokes, December 20, 2013 

Weekend Fun 54: World Map of Country Images, January 11, 2014

Weekend Fun 56: Some Photos at Sic O'clock News, July 05, 2014 

Weekend Fun 57: Cow Capitalism, November 01, 2014 

Weekend Fun 58: Mugabe Falls, February 08, 2015

Extortionist Traffic Enforcers in Ortigas, Pasig City

This story was reported by Kicker Daily News last December. It's about some traffic enforcers in Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila, who extort money from hapless motorists. Vehicles going to Edsa should be in the middle to right lane. The traffic officers would flag down motorists in the middle lane and insist that they were using the left lane and hence, should be penalized for traffic violation. It is time consuming to argue with these officers, and even more time consuming to redeem one's driver's license at their office + pay the penalty. So they extort money and they will let go of the motorists.

The motorist who posted originally in facebook, David Kilpatrick, has been extorted previously, P500. The practice is repeated, so one day he took video of the two officers, shown above. The one directly facing the camera is JA Cruz, Traffic and Parking Management Office (TPMO) #276. His buddy's name was not captured by the camera.

After their faces have been reported in media, one may expect that these guys may have been suspended or sacked already as their acts would negatively affect TPMO Mandaluyong Pasig City. This did not happen.

Today, a friend way back in Congress, Jojo Menorca, posted and positively identified these two officers who flagged down his daughter two weeks ago for the same accusation against Kilpatrick, and tried to extort P2,000 from her.

Jojo wrote (posting this with his permission):

Itong dalawang tarantadong ito ang nanghuli sa anak kong si Elysse Toral Menorca dyan mismo sa ORTIGAS two weeks ago. Same situation. Nasa mid lane sya at iniinsist ng mga ito na me violation siya. I am sharing this para makita nyo mga pagmumukha ng mga hayup na ito.

Akala ng mga ito e matatakot sa kanila ang anak ko. Kinokotongan nila ng P2K para di na raw maabala. I told her over the phone na wag siya aalis kung saan siya pinara until I get there to challenge these 2 idiots sa sinasabi nilang violation. Dahil palaban ang anak ko, nakipag argue siya at hinahanap niya ang karatulang sinasabi nila na bawal dumeretso ng Edsa ang galing sa Ortigas. Elysse went down her car and took picture of the signboard that says something like "Vehicles in the inner lane must turn left to Meralco Ave." So, where is her violation? She is in the middle lane and not in the inner lane? Sensing na walang mangyayari sa pakikipag argue nila sa anak ko, they let her go without giving money to these two CORRUPT TRAFFIC ENFORCERS. Buti nga hindi sila nakatikim ng mura sa anak ko e. Kahit timid anak ko palaban yun!

Look at how they cover their NAMECLOTH with accessories.

Many government personnel especially in local governments have acquired that extortionist culture. Here's what they do: they create many Nos, prohibitions and restrictions on the roads -- No left turn and No right turn on red, No U-turn here, No Parking or Waiting there, No Loading here, No Unloading there, etc. Sometimes the left or U-turn slots are far away or in traffic-congested areas, enough to cause inconvenience to motorists. Some drivers who want to avoid getting stuck in heavy traffic try their luck and take the nearest open intersection, and that's where the "public servant" traffic officers come to harass them, impose fines and penalties + deliberate time consuming process to redeem the driver's license. Motorists will be pressured to pay the extortion that they demand.

As government expands, opportunities for extortion also expand. Hence, the need to stop further and endless expansion of the government, local and national.
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See also:

Towing 2: Confiscating Motorcycles, September 22, 2013

Anti-Smoke Belching Racket, Part 7, February 13, 2015

LTO Bureaucracy 8, No Driver's License Available, May 24, 2015 

On Taking Photos of Government Personnel and MAPSA, May 28, 2015 

Confiscation of Driver's License by Pasay Traffic Enforcers, May 31, 2015