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Bacolod City, PhilippinesTuesday, August 21, 2012
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Editorial

The price of arrogance

Daily Star logo
Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.
NINFA R. LEONARDIA
Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ
Editor

GUILLERMO TEJIDA III
Desk Editor
PATRICK PANGILINAN
Busines Editor

NIDA A. BUENAFE

Sports Editor
RENE GENOVE
Bureau Chief, Dumaguete
MAJA P. DELY
Advertising Coordinator

CARLOS ANTONIO L. LEONARDIA
Administrative Officer

Last week Robert Blair Carabuena became the poster boy for road bullying thanks to a 27-second video clip taken by a TV-5 news team of him slapping around Saturnino Fabros, a defenseless traffic enforcer who had the temerity to stop him for violating traffic rules at an intersection in Quezon City. That video quickly went viral and generated widespread condemnation and as a result, charges were filed against Carabuena, his employer suspended him, and the LTO is considering revoking his driver's license.

A few days later, charges were also filed against another abusive motorist here in Bacolod City after he insisted on entering a one-way zone, orally defamed a policeman who prevented him from doing so, and even bumped a policeman who was putting a barricade on the road. Dr. Benjamin Gonzaga of the City Health Office may not be as famous as Carabuena, but their disregard for the law and those who enforce it have put them in the same boat.

The arrogance displayed by Carabuena and Gonzaga emphasize how certain people have become so used to ignoring the law and throwing their weight around that they actually think they can get away with anything. This is a mind frame that the government has to decisively stop right now if it does not want our society to descend into chaos. The swift and decisive prosecution of these abusive individuals will send a message to everyone like them that the government will not tolerate such behavior, as well as empower law enforcers and their authorized deputies to fulfill their duties properly, without fear or favor.

Many motorists and even pedestrians do not think highly of traffic enforcers or policemen, especially when their presence seems to aggravate rather than improve the situation. But there is no justification for blatantly ignoring their attempts to put order into the chaos, and subjecting them to verbal or physical abuse when they actually try to enforce the law. Robert Blair Carabuena and Benjamin Gonzaga have given us an example of what not to do. Hopefully the government does not throw away this opportunity to send a stern message to the motoring public.*

 
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