Motorcycle escorting big SUV: humarang sa gitna ng Roxas Blvd; montik ko mabangga

[empy]

Because in a place where the rules are not applied, anybody who has power and money can ruin your life. But when it comes to mano mano, I'm sure there's a good chance of giving them a piece of our minds.

But then again, you have to ask yourself, are you really being truly and specifically intimidated and bullied, or do you just feel that way because you don't know when to yield?

That's why people migrate to greener pastures so we can get away from these. You're living in the US din di ba?

maybe i'm not the best example. i was born and spent most of my early life in the US, and most of my family lives here. although i have lived in the Philippines. but please don't imply that i'm here because i'm trying to get away from anyone - when i lived in Manila i stood up to my fair share of bullying sons of mayors and congressmen (at least 4 of whom lived around my neighborhood)...most of the time just refusing to be intimidated has caused them to back off....which proves my point exactly. none of them ruined my life afterwards - in fact, i feel that my actions earned their respect.

by "not knowing when to yield", i believe you are referring to the OP's situation. well, i wasn't there but i do see your point about yielding to emergency vehicles.

HOWEVER - i am responding specifically to buriroy's story about arrogant government officials who would willfully assault people who fail to get out of their way immediately...i think more people need to stand up to these "public servants". or wait till they come up to someone with more juice than them...there's always someone bigger than you in the food chain of philippine power and politics.

[roberto_minosa]

the question i need to ask is, if those a-holes really need security escorts because there are death threats to them, then why are they still alive? i mean, totohanin na yang death threats na yan ano, ratratin na sana mga walanghiyang number 8 plates na yan bwiset!

I really wish that it's this easy. Like how Carl Johnson does.

Food for thought. Since these kind of passengers have really no immediate threat that requires them to have escorts, maybe escorts (along with lights etc.) should be banned (don't ask me how) unless a passenger really gets into trouble. Solution? Someone should get shot to prove that they really need all the help they can get.

[mbeige]

maybe i'm not the best example. i was born and spent most of my early life in the US, and most of my family lives here. although i have lived in the Philippines. but please don't imply that i'm here because i'm trying to get away from anyone - when i lived in Manila i stood up to my fair share of bullying sons of mayors and congressmen (at least 4 of whom lived around my neighborhood)...most of the time just refusing to be intimidated has caused them to back off....which proves my point exactly. none of them ruined my life afterwards - in fact, i feel that my actions earned their respect.

by "not knowing when to yield", i believe you are referring to the OP's situation. well, i wasn't there but i do see your point about yielding to emergency vehicles.

HOWEVER - i am responding specifically to buriroy's story about arrogant government officials who would willfully assault people who fail to get out of their way immediately...i think more people need to stand up to these "public servants". or wait till they come up to someone with more juice than them...there's always someone bigger than you in the food chain of philippine power and politics.

Ah, I see. My apologies, I did not mean to imply your specific case, and I asked if you were in the US only because I wasn't sure if it was you or somebody else. I can understand your position regarding intimidating individuals just because they are in power, or have relatives in power. I believe we've had our fair share of these.

I was thinking you were making an analogy that these guys with escorts are bullying other motorists, which in the OP's case, is not worth the time, in my opinion. If you're chased down and harassed, then that's when you fight back, but if they're just harassing people "in passing" then just avoid them. They weren't specifically targeting anybody.

When you said fighting back, I thought you really meant fighting back, but now you posted you're just refusing to be bullied, which I think sends an equally stern message to them, yet does not provoke them to attack more. This ends your problem. However, they'll always find somebody else to bully.

"There's always somebody bigger" was something I read or heard before that I think applies here.

[empy]

Ah, I see. My apologies, I did not mean to imply your specific case, and I asked if you were in the US only because I wasn't sure if it was you or somebody else. I can understand your position regarding intimidating individuals just because they are in power, or have relatives in power. I believe we've had our fair share of these.

I was thinking you were making an analogy that these guys with escorts are bullying other motorists, which in the OP's case, is not worth the time, in my opinion. If you're chased down and harassed, then that's when you fight back, but if they're just harassing people "in passing" then just avoid them. They weren't specifically targeting anybody.

When you said fighting back, I thought you really meant fighting back, but now you posted you're just refusing to be bullied, which I think sends an equally stern message to them, yet does not provoke them to attack more. This ends your problem. However, they'll always find somebody else to bully.

"There's always somebody bigger" was something I read or heard before that I think applies here.

no apologies necessary, and i agree with this last post on all points

[buriroy]

nice. what i don't get is why the "common man" would allow himself to get beaten up. i seriously doubt that in a fair fight these short-ass, middle-aged, tadpole-bellied politicians could really beat up anyone over the age of 13.

by allowing yourself to be intimidated by bullies, you only perpetuate the problem. i bet that if someone stood up to these idiots they would shrink away with their tails between their legs.

But the problem is it won't be a fair fight. These so-called "short-ass, middle-aged, tadpole -bellied (I love your description!) don't travel alone.
They usually have at least one back-up vehicle with three or four armed
bodyguards inside.

Sure you can whup the middle-aged politico in a fair fight, but you'll
have to get past his goons first and I'm pretty sure they won't hesitate
to whip your sorry ass if a traffic altercation should ensue.

So iwas na lang tayo mga pards, hayaan na natin sila. Karma sooner or later
will catch up with them.

[buriroy]

sorry dude - but this makes no sense at all. was DOJ guy sober?

We were only on our 5th beer (with some red wine in between) and it
takes a lot more to get him drunk, so yes, he was quite sober.

You have to look at it from the point of view of an "arrogant" official.

He really doesn't want to get into any confrontation with anyone.
But if you get into his space (by cutting him or "gitgitan"), he finds
this unacceptable and a pistol-whipping is the least you'll get.

I am not at all condoning this or saying this is right. But from his point of
view, sirens and blinkers (and escorts) does make sense if only to warn
us ordinary beings that these maniacs are in the vicinity and thus to be
avoided at all costs!

[empy]

But the problem is it won't be a fair fight. These so-called "short-ass, middle-aged, tadpole -bellied (I love your description!) don't travel alone.
They usually have at least one back-up vehicle with three or four armed
bodyguards inside.

Sure you can whup the middle-aged politico in a fair fight, but you'll
have to get past his goons first and I'm pretty sure they won't hesitate
to whip your sorry ass if a traffic altercation should ensue.

So iwas na lang tayo mga pards, hayaan na natin sila. Karma sooner or later
will catch up with them.

really? even a DOJ prosecutor travels around with an armed entourage these days? i think i've been away from the Philippines too long.

about 10 years ago it was a different story - the mayors and congressmen i was talking about in my earlier post would just move around our neighborhood like "normal people".

i guess the only solution is to travel around with your own goons para patas

[buriroy]

really? even a DOJ prosecutor travels around with an armed entourage these days? i think i've been away from the Philippines too long.

about 10 years ago it was a different story - the mayors and congressmen i was talking about in my earlier post would just move around our neighborhood like "normal people".

i guess the only solution is to travel around with your own goons para patas

Yes, my DOJ "drinking buddy" (actually he's not my friend but related to
a business associate of my wife so we inevitably end up in the same social
functions) gets a lot of death threats. He says that's the nature of their job
having to prosecute big-time criminals. He normally arrives in his SUV with
a backup vehicle with three or four "occupants". He himself is armed to
the teeth with a .357 magnum in a back-belt holster and several longarms
at the back of his SUV.

Which brings me to my point - with a paranoid government official
armed to the teeth with bodyguards barreling through traffic
with sirens and blinkers blaring, it's best to avoid them na lang, di ba?

[iohannes]

Yes, my DOJ "drinking buddy" (actually he's not my friend but related to
a business associate of my wife so we inevitably end up in the same social
functions) gets a lot of death threats. He says that's the nature of their job
having to prosecute big-time criminals. He normally arrives in his SUV with
a backup vehicle with three or four "occupants". He himself is armed to
the teeth with a .357 magnum in a back-belt holster and several longarms
at the back of his SUV.

Which brings me to my point - with a paranoid government official
armed to the teeth with bodyguards barreling through traffic
with sirens and blinkers blaring, it's best to avoid them na lang, di ba?

no offense sir, but i know of some prosecutors who handle big and controversial cases having no bodyguards.i dont think all the drama is necessary.it seems at times that they do these to make themselves feel important.even the former chief justice davide did not have any bodyguards and was even driven by his wife to his office. and if taxpayer's money is used to pay for your buddy's security detail,i resent it coz there are far better ways to spend my tax money. and if he is paying for it personally, i wonder how he cn afford to, considering that a govt employee's salary is not much. and to think there are 3-4 bodyguards, and a security vehicle to pay for. but if he's rich personally (not ill-gotten), then he can go spend his money all he want. but i still believe its better to keep a low profile if one works for the government so as to dispel the notion that high ranking officials are "mayabang" and abusive.

[buriroy]

no offense sir, but i know of some prosecutors who handle big and controversial cases having no bodyguards.i dont think all the drama is necessary.it seems at times that they do these to make themselves feel important.even the former chief justice davide did not have any bodyguards and was even driven by his wife to his office. and if taxpayer's money is used to pay for your buddy's security detail,i resent it coz there are far better ways to spend my tax money. and if he is paying for it personally, i wonder how he cn afford to, considering that a govt employee's salary is not much. and to think there are 3-4 bodyguards, and a security vehicle to pay for. but if he's rich personally (not ill-gotten), then he can go spend his money all he want. but i still believe its better to keep a low profile if one works for the government so as to dispel the notion that high ranking officials are "mayabang" and abusive.

No offense taken at all since as I've said, this DOJ guy is not a friend but
a mere acquaintance who happens to hang out in the same social circles
that I do.

From what I know, his father was a former high ranking government official
and so he can afford the bodyguards without depending on his salary.

As I said, he's been getting lots of death threats as he's been assigned
to several high-profile cases involving erring politicians and big-time
drug dealers.

Sure there are lots of "simple-living" prosecutors and government
officials but there are also a lot of arrogant, abusive, and paranoid
ones, and these are the ones to be avoided at all costs.

I surely wouldn't want to be playing in the same golf course as the
Pangandamans, much less being involved in a traffic altercation
with them, heaven forbid!!