by Jose Mari “Jomar” Almoradie Carpena

“You’re not a Filipino if you haven’t ridden any jeepney,” at least that’s what most people say here in the Philippines. True enough, the most common mode of public transportation here is the jeepney. Affordable fare, standard quality, and an open-air vehicle, it could be the perfect venue for some people to relax while going to their destinations, or to smoke their lungs out.

Yes, the sad truth about jeepneys is that some people think that they can smoke cigarettes inside the vehicle, which will eventually be inhaled by their fellow passengers. And it’s not exclusive to jeepneys, by the way, I myself have been enduring this problem for years, and have experienced it on buses, tricycles, and many more modes of public transportation.

I once gathered my courage to ask the driver (yes, the driver) who was smoking in his own jeepney to put out his cigarette, “Kuya, pwede po pakipatay yung sigarilyo? (Can you please put out your cigarette?)” was the question I asked the driver, and contrary to what I optimistically expected, he answered, “Naantok ako, eh. (I’m sleepy).” The nerve.

There have been recent developments regarding this concern; however, it seems to have very little effect. Why you ask? Would a sticker in front of the jeepney displaying the classic “No Smoking Sign” be really enough to stop a nicotine addict from smoking in a “perfect venue” such as the jeepney? From my perspective, and from my own observations, no, it’s not enough.

The solution, which is lacking in all common law violations here in the Philippines, is implementation of the law itself. Violations such as this happen right under our noses while numerous traffic officers and policemen patrol just standby on almost every major intersection in the streets of Manila, Parañaque, Muntinlupa, Las Piñas, Makati, should I go on? Implementation, my dear readers.

If even the smallest of all crimes, such as smoking in a Public Utility Vehicle (PUV), slip right under the watch of the police and law enforcers, then what more with bigger crimes like robbery? Mugging? Carnap? Rape? Murder? Massacre… as seen in the present year?