Hi Fellow Tsikoteers:

Last Friday, I was along EDSA Northbound looking for a right turn exit going towards St. Francis Square. It has been a long time since I travelled along EDSA and then making a right turn to Megamall A. I didn't know that the entrance to Megamall Building A was already closed.

There were 2 MMDA officers there so I pulled over and asked one of them where I can make the right turn going towards St. Francis Square. The officer told me that the entrance is closed for 6 months already and I have to go to the next street (going towards Poveda).

Then to my surprise, the officer told me that I was in the bus lane and that I violated the MMDA Organized Bus Route crap. I told him that I was merely asking for directions and not intentionally placing myself in that "exclusive" lane. He told me that I can stop outside the yellow lane and ask (what the heck? Me stopping in the middle of the road? I ain't crazy stopping in the middle of the road obstructing others).

There you go. He asked for my license and explained to me that the violation I did has a fine of P1000. "P1000 for asking directions" I exclaimed to the officer. Then he told me what can we do. I said I didn't do any violation intentionally so why will I pay or be issued a ticket? With his thick face, he first asked for P800. I told him I don't have that money and with much dissapointment, I just offered P200 to just get myself going again. He told me "kawawa naman kami." What? Kayo pa kawawa? Gago pala kayo (MMDA) eh. Then the officer told me to pay him P500. I insisted on paying P200 but when I pulled out my wallet, the officer sneaked into the window and forcibly looked at it. There was a P500 bill out front, and he told me "Akin na yan, meron ka naman pala eh." WTF?

So, I just gave the P500 to this corrupt MMDA officer. Clearly, he took advantage since he saw that I was alone, and lost on directions. I'd rather give P5000 to the poor, rather than P.05 to some wicked MMDA officer who has all the reason to extort money from you.

I certainly hope that this MMDA officer who extorted money not just from me, but from others as well, still sleep well at night eventhough they know that what they spend to feed their family are somehow "stolen."