The Exception to the Rule: Police Officer Santiago

Today, July 7, 2013 we got involved in a vehicular accident. It was around noon, and being a Saturday, traffic was unusually heavy. Edu (a.k.a. Mr. Edwin G. Madriaga, Speed Center for Leadership [SCL] Administrator) picked me up earlier in the morning to make some purchases. We decided to go to downtown Sta. Cruz, Manila, where there is a substantial concentration of construction suppliers.

Edu, who was driving, positioned himself on the leftmost lane of Recto St. as we approached Masangkay St. That’s where he intended to make a left turn. As we turned the corner, the car on our right side and a bit ahead of us, miscalculated its turning radius. There was a soft thud as our bumper’s right tip got caught in the other car’s left rear fender.

Since we were on top of the line of cars on the left lane making a left turn, all other cars behind us stood still. To make matters worse, the car on our right side was blocking the middle lane of a street that can accommodate only 3 cars side-by-side. The driver of this car disembarked from his Enova. He appeared to be a young Chinese, thirty-ish, almost Edu’s age. Edu went out of the car to confront him.

About 2 minutes later, a cop came. He looks fifty-ish and clean in his uniform despite the sweltering midday sun. He immediately took charge of the situation, much like a solicitous parent trying to mediate between his kids. His demeanor must have disarmed the 2 drivers completely because they now focused on disengaging the cars rather than getting an advantageous traffic report.

As both drivers clambered back to their seats, this cop assisted them by making signals so the 2 cars that got entangled would be free of each other. From time to time he would frantically shout to stop when it appeared that tugging it this way or that would tear the fender or cause more damage. When both or either of the 2 drivers got out, the cop immediately held a mini conference to sort of get their feel of the situation. It was when the best option came out: to bodily lift the Enova while the Revo backed out at a specific angle.

Do we need more warm bodies to lift the car? This cop darted to the sidewalk and in an instant had 4 ‘tambays’ back with him. Meanwhile traffic came to a snarl, except for the opposite direction, with vehicles inching their way past us beyond the median barrier. An ‘uzisero’ of a jeepney driver stopped to make casual chatter, thus aggravating the stress of the people around. Without losing his cool, this cop barked at the driver to get lost or else…

By now there were 5 or 6 people lifting the Enova, and 2 drivers seated and waiting for directions. A lot of instructions were being thrown in by concerned passersby. This cop fleetingly looked and listened to most of them, perhaps trying to process in his mind what best to do.

Then he stepped back, and like a conductor in an orchestra, made quick gestures and instructions. He was so taken in by the moment that his face contorted every now and then, as if feeling the pressure on the metal of the cars.

Suddenly everything seemed to go slow-motion and silent. A few heaves and tugs, all in unison, under the baton of the maestro. And just like that, the 2 cars disengaged. The cop signaled at the young Chinese, asking which way he intended to go. With a hand signal for other cars to stop, the cop cleared the road for the Enova and it dashed off towards Mendiola. He also made way for us to complete our left turn on Masangkay St.

Traffic was still at a snail’s pace when next I noticed the cop walking along Masangkay St. in the direction of the next block, Soler St. I suggested to Edu to surreptitiously hand some amount to the cop for his trouble and so that he could take care of the ‘tambays’ without shelling out of his own pocket. We changed seats and I took the wheel as Edu clambered down and started walking at a fast clip to reach the cop.

The next scene was straight out of the movies. The cop, who was momentarily taken aback, vehemently refused with a vigorous head shake. “Wag na, wag na! Trabaho lang!” (No, no! don’t bother. It’s just my work!) I picked Edu up, and as I made a right turn on Soler St., he recognized our car, and with a smile, waved us goodbye. I made a quick glance at his nameplate. There it was: SANTIAGO. I did not get his rank, but I’m guesstimating PO3 or PO4.

Police Officer Santiago, you may be an Exception to the Rule, but you certainly did the Uniform and the PNP proud. You may be a voice in the wilderness, but you are a beacon of hope for your organization. Here’s hoping the majority will be like you someday. No matter how long it takes. Cheers! And my snappy salute.