Daily Grind
asilva@theguidon.com

It’s a common sight to see an MMDA (Metro Manila Development Authority) officer pull over a big truck or a shiny sedan. It’s also common that those drivers creatively slip bribes to the enforcers, mostly by inserting money in their license as they hand it over the officer.

We often think that MMDA officers and other civil servants are the bane of our existence, just out to get whatever they can from us. The term “kotong cop” wasn’t born out of nothing.

A few weeks ago, I ran out of gas right in the middle of Katipunan. I was expecting to be hounded and intimidated by the five MMDA officers right there by the place where my car stalled, telling me all the sorts of violations I committed for disrupting traffic, etc. (It was after all, my ignorance that caused me to run out of gas.)

To my surprise, it was actually one of the MMDA officers who hailed me a tricycle, looked after my car while I got some gas, and helped me get it going again.

No violations, no tickets, no towing. He did tell me what could happen if I didn’t get my car out of there fast enough, but not in a threatening or imposing way. In fact, he sounded concerned more than anything. I considered this good karma as I try not to go against the MMDA system, not even when I get pulled over for minor violations. No name-dropping or even lagay, ever. (Although, to be honest, I’ve tried begging them off.)

We always complain about those MMDA officers, but sometimes, it’s not their fault that we made an illegal U-turn, or drove out when we were coding. We can’t blame them for everything that goes wrong because it is always a cause-and-effect thing.

They make rules if they see that there is a need for it. They make penalties because there are people who violate the rules. If everyone drove within their lanes and slowed down on yellow lights, then there would be no need for the corruptible traffic officers. And let’s not forget that their corruption thrives because there are people who fuel it.

There have been initiatives to curb the bribing. From experience, they no longer confiscate your driver’s license, but write you a ticket anyway. You then have to pay for the ticket in any Metrobank branch within a week, or else there will be problems when you have to renew your license.

Obviously, this system is much easier than lining up in some office to pay your fine and claim your license, but people still try to wriggle their way out by giving manong “pang-meryenda.” And then the same people go and complain about corruption in all levels of the government.

If you act against the system, you lose the right to complain. We can’t ask for perfect traffic enforcers if we can’t be law-abiding citizens to them as well.

I really can’t say what an ideal MMDA officer is. I don’t know what values they have to have or what skills they should practice. Though common sense tells me, corruption isn’t a part of that.

From my experience when my car stalled, I would say that they should at least help you when you obviously already need help, and not try to scare you with penalties and whatnot.

As I drove away from the MMDA officer and the trike driver, I thanked them profusely. Manong MMDA said, “Ok lang, ma’am. Pilipino tayo, tayo rin lang ang magtutulungan.”