If you’ve checked the top trending topics on Twitter today (I have to, it’s my job, what’s your excuse?), you might have noticed that Tyang Amy is highest on the list. If you’re a li’l confused about what’s going on and why your fave talk show tita is making the trending pages, I’ll fill you in on the goss.
On her teleradio show “Sakto,” Amy Perez had on Land Transportation Director Atty. Clarence Guinto to talk about the Child Safety in Motor Vehicles Act, which was first signed into law in February 2019 and according to Inquirer.net “will be fully enforced this month after its implementing rules and regulations were approved and published two weeks ago.”
A quick recap on the new-ish law: In order to lower the risk of child injuries or deaths in road accidents, children under 12 and/or under 4’11 feet will not be “allowed to sit in the front seat or to be left unattended inside a private vehicle.” Children who fall under those qualifications will also need to use child restraint systems while in the car.
Anyways, back to Tyang Amy. On the show, she asked Guinto a very simple question: What if her child is tall enough that their head will bump against the restraint’s hood, won’t that be more dangerous?
LTO Director Atty. Clarence Guinto advised bigger families with tall children to use bigger cars in compliance with the Child Safety In Motor Vehicles Act. https://t.co/gI61Kjud5s pic.twitter.com/pi5XUYQJfn
— Inquirer (@inquirerdotnet) February 1, 2021
Instead of answering the question (which, btw, is that if you’re child is that tall, they just need to wear the regular seatbelt), Guinto instead made a kinda dumb, very in poor taste joke: “Siguro, Ma’am, laki-lakihan mo ang sasakyan mo.”
“Ay, wala po akong ganon. Ang pinaguusapan po natin dito, Director Guinto, ay kailangan po nating iconsider po iyon [dahil concern iyon ng] karamihan po sa ating mga kapamilya,” she said back, reminding him that this is likely a concern that many families have now. (JSYK, it’s not like a lot of families can just buy these child car seats willy nilly—a quick Lazada search shows that, minus the sketchy-looking ones, they run the gamut from P3,000 to P25,000. They can’t just not follow the act, either. Violations will incur a P1,000 to P5,000 fine and a one-year suspension of driver’s license for third and succeeding offenses.)
In response to that, Guinto replied, “We’ll take note of that.” This is what your tax is paying for, folks.
He’s since issued an apology, but honestly it’s a little too late. You should’ve just said it on the show! Tyang Amy isn’t the first person shown living biting back against BS. Broadcast journalist Pinky Webb made headlines last Jan. 20 when she flipped her hair at Presidential Harry Roque, who was losing his cool after a tense conversation about the UP-DND accord. (He was repeatedly calling her line of questioning unfair. Okay, sure, Jan.)
Featured photo screengrabbed from a clip of “Magandang Buhay” on YouTube
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