Yellowtards May Consider Boycotting Manila Bay Clean Up If Everything President Duterte Does Is Wrong

President Duterte may need to seriously clean up his dirty mouth and cease his profanity while I want credit where credit is due. You may choose not to be a Digong Duterte Supporter or DDS all the while you can support anyone's project. It's like how I could support some of the economic reforms of Fidel V. Ramos, Joseph Estrada, House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Noynoy Aquino even if I don't like all of them. Now, here's the latest project of President Duterte with the cleaning-up of Manila Bay because it's seriously an eyesore. That's why cleaning up is now done because it's not only an eye sore but it's also bad for the environment.

I remembered all the negative remarks that the Philippines deserved from past administrations. I can't forget how Claire Danes got a persona non-grata for her criticism of Manila's lack of sanitation. I could remember back last decade and in the 90s with how I knew some people throw their garbage anywhere all in the name of being Filipino -- just since when did doing such a bad habit make anybody a real Filipino to start with? It doesn't. Being a Filipino shouldn't even be defined by bad habits such as not following simple guidelines. I don't see how one is "truly Filipino" whenever they do stuff like habitual tardiness, smoking in no smoking areas, partying loud while their neighbors or sleeping or even throwing garbage in its proper place.

So why did all the garbage get into Manila Bay to start with? It's not just people who can't follow simple guidelines but also the current system that doesn't enforce it. Charging people a reasonable fine for throwing their garbage in the wrong place is not criminalizing everything. A civil offense is unlawful yet you don't go to jail or get a criminal record -- you can still get your NBI or baranggay clearance in contrast to doing a crime. Take Singapore for instance -- you may get fined for throwing your garbage anywhere but you don't go to jail. Vandalism becomes a crime because you are damaging somebody else's property. If people were fined for throwing their garbage anywhere and if there was a proper system that grants proper implementation then the mess would have had less chances of happening.

Look at how other countries are now using whatever clean-up projects they have. We know that progress will always have some drawbacks -- that's why we must establish systems on how to deal with drawbacks. People get higher income may mean there's going to be more garbage to clean up. It means more money may need to be spent on efficient and effective ways to collect and dispose of garbage. Right now -- it should be part of the priority. The Yellows should have just focused on becoming a constructive opposition (such as providing other alternatives to get President Duterte's projects done) rather than to be a group of scaremongering talebearers.