(Original photo from Corbis)

There’s one officer of MMDA posted along EDSA, before the Guadalupe section when you’re coming from the North, whose name I can’t remember. I don’t remember it because I don’t even know it. And since I don’t know the traffic enforcers’ schedules either, some other guy may now be found over there – waiting on either a violator or a prey.

On our way to a most crucial press conference for which we were already running late, this officer waved to pull us over for no reason related to any of the traffic regulations decreed in this country. I am quite sure of this, but apparently the officer thought otherwise (”you swerved to the right where you shouldn’t have”, he fabricated). But we preferred to sidestep a possible confrontation and avoid the hassle of authentic paperwork, and by that, I mean of course we gave him his lunch money.

In Manila are found the simplest yet dirtiest examples of evil breeding even more evils. Not that there’s solace in justifying it, nor justification in telling it; but the story indicates something which the city could definitely do without. (And we didn’t make it in time for the press con anyway.)

I can’t think of any other solution to this than what my thesis adviser once told the class. “Leave for your destination two hours if you estimate your trip will take one.” But musing upon the futility of it all, because some MMDA officer might pull you over whenever and howsoever he wishes to, I’m thinking we’re both glad – and for completely different reasons – that I don’t remember his name.