“Every day people are straying away from the church and going back to God.” - Lenny Bruce

Pope Benedict XVI made headlines when he said it’s okay to use condoms as a means to prevent HIV. Although a no-brainer to non-Catholics and Catholics who retain their common sense, Benedict’s statement matters to those who observe unquestioning obedience to anything the Pope says on matters of morals.

Consequently, Benedict’s bishops, among them Deogracias Yñiguez of the Philippines, made sure the faithful understood that the statement of His Holiness applied only to the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, in particular HIV. He said, "If a condom is used as a contraceptive, certainly it will be condemned by the Church. But to use it to avoid a disease in specific circumstances, the Church can take another mindset.”

“The strong do what they can, the weak suffer what they must.” – Theucydides

Thousands of commuters were stranded, elementary and secondary school students missed class, and daily wage earners, including bus drivers and conductors, lost a day’s pay thanks to bus operators who did not like the MMDA’s number-coding scheme.

To be fair, legitimate bus operators felt they were being unfairly targeted. Arlene Camello of the Metro Manila Bus Operators Association said, "Before they concentrate on us, they should start with those who are operating illegally."

She meant authorities should first get rid of colorum buses before they even think of number-coding everybody. But why does vehicle reduction have to be done sequentially, illegal buses first? Can we afford that luxury?