Badge Not Honored

Never have I actually known the meaning of this phrase until just the other day. As I frequent public buses, signs bearing such a phrase meet me and my co-passengers each time we get on the bus. Of course I knew to whom it was addressed. I’m not stupid. It is just that, then, I never really understood the repercussions, ramifications if you will, of the reason why that sign is put up.

I knew that it was for policemen and they were not supposed to flash their badge to get a free ride. But, surprisingly for myself, I didn’t actually think that a policeman would do such a thing. Well, stupid xtin, you should’ve known better.

My brother once mentioned that if he had his own blog, he would fill it with posts about what he calls ang pinakamababang uri ng tao. And who might this low-life be? It is he who is going to be the topic of this post. He who could read the sign “Badge Not Honored”, but could not seem to fathom that it is to himself, the law-abiding officer that he is, that this insult of a sign is directed. Who else would this kind pertain to? Sino pa ba kung hindi ang ating mga nagpipitagang mga pulis [pangkalawakan?].

This sudden rage of mine absolutely did not come just out of nowhere. As a matter of fact, no less than a first-hand witness account is the basis of this string of ranting.

It was a rainy Monday evening. I was coming from Timog after having dinner with a blockmate. I had accompanied him to the area so that he could run this one errand. Mind you, this was after a hellish midterm exam that drained us of all of our known bodily energy. We were tired, drenched, though a bit full from our 99-peso steak dinner, waiting for a bus at the corner of Kamias Road and Edsa.

As it was not the most opportune time to find public transportation, a bus was even harder to come by. We waited for at least 20 minutes in the light-to-moderate rains. I was growing a bit impatient so I finally decided to just get on this ordinary fare bus bound for Sucat-Bicutan-Alabang. I had to go south that night, instead of my usual north route, as I had some “business” to attend to at home.

The bus stopped, as expected, at the Cubao-Farmers bus stop to get passengers. It didn’t take much time after the bus had temporarily stopped when at least ten men got on the bus. All of us who were in our seats were caught in a somewhat awkward but noticeable silence. Our stares were rude, yes, but cannot be said to have been uncalled for. The men were all in uniform. They were all policemen. They filled the backmost row, just behind where I sat, and the three-seater to my left.

Not that I was trying to be effectively nonchalant about it, but I really could not have cared less that they were there. In fact, I felt a bit safer that they were there. At least, I thought, there would be less unfortunate chances that the bus would be held-up. Good for us.

As the bus was traversing EDSA, though, I began to notice something. Some of the policemen were already fast asleep in their seats, with their heads bobbing around with the motion of the bus, but they hadn’t paid the fare yet. I knew for a fact that they hadn’t put out even a cent because if they already had, I would have noticed the bus conductor collecting their money and issuing them tickets.

I was so tempted to ask the conductor why he wasn’t collecting the fares from the policemen. But, also coming to mind was the fact that though it was the conductor who personally waived the fares of the men in uniform, these so-called men in uniform didn’t really do anything about it. Not one of them called the conductor’s attention and voluntarily paid the fare that was due of them. It was as if they have been accustomed to this kind of “VIP treatment” while in public transportation.

All of them alighted at Bicutan. Saving a good P30 each.

Still fumed and totally dismayed by the incident of the night before, I talked to the taxi driver I encountered on my way to Rockwell the next day. I asked manong driver if it was usual for policemen to get free rides even from humble cab drivers like himself. He disappointedly told me that although some policemen do pay the meter rates, few of them even giving tips, he has had encounters with men in uniform who so gallantly decided not to pay full fare or not to pay at all. I asked him why he acceded to such lousy deals and to that his reply was, “Kasi wala naman akong magagawa.” He said that if he dared assert his right to full payment of his fare, the policeman would most probably slap him with a criminal case he would pull right out of his top hat.

I felt sorry for manong driver. But like him, there was really nothing I could do about it.

There was nothing I could do but fret about it. So still armed with an aura of discontent and anger, I went about my day-to-day commuting activities with eyes wide open, just in case I could catch even just a glimpse the pinakamababang uri ng tao on the freeloading prowl again.

True enough, at the Buendia MRT station, as I was in line for the bag inspection, I noticed this policeman who liberally bypassed the long lines of people, awaiting to get on the platform. He didn’t use any magnetic card to get in the station. All he had to do was lift the latch of the gate intended for “authorized personnel” use, and boom, he was in. At first, I actually thought he was one of them “authorized personnel”. Maybe, I thought, he was going to be on duty in a few minutes to man the station or something.

However, when I got to the platform, lo and behold, he was also there waiting for the same train I was catching.

Wow. How low are the wages of policemen, really, for them to not be able to pay even just P14 of MRT fares? What? Do they get just P10? Hhowcamon.

This post is going to be the start of my hopefully endless rantings of disgust and annoyance of the pinakamababang uri ng tao. I will be on the lookout for the shady practices of these low-lives we call law enforcers. It will not be pretty.

For every cent that you didn’t pay for but oughta have… For every peso you extort… For every little thing you get but don’t actually deserve… I will be watching. Closely. Slap me with a criminal charge, why don't you, and I'll slap you with one as well.