TOW IT AWAY

This morning on my way to Makati I saw a middle aged lady talking/crying to a group of men with an ugly jeep converted into a money-making tow-truck. The knight in me dictated that I get off my car as I smell something wrong with the picture.
Apparently the car of the lady suddenly stopped but was lucky to be helped by some construction workers to bring her car to the curb. She began calling up for help and was glad that these men arrived only to find out that even before asking her what was wrong they immediately attached their contraption and got the lady's driver's license. They then brought it to a yellow uniformed sickly man who has to fight for weeks bout with alcohol and started the usual " a hindi pwede yan gregorian chant that would lead to extorting money". SOUNDS FAMILIAR?
I asked this sickly policeman if they tried to help the lady first before trying to extort money? "E Sir sira sasakyan dapat hatakin!"Ano ang sira? I asked "Ewan ko problema na nya yan!"I was pissed, took my suit off and asked the lady to open her trunk. Voila! The battery's connection was loose and it was aggravated when she fell into a hole along EDSA. The car was OK and no congestion was created. I then asked these men whose leader is tenacious ."Dapat hatakin na yan"was his unending cry. How much does it take for you to let her go?E sir mahigit isang libo yan pag dinala namin" OK fine I am impatient and don't have time, I pulled out a crisp 1000 bill and handed it to the "leader"(who has mastered the craft of extortion). He then said "di po pwede ganyan" and boarded the driver's side of the lady's car and asked us to board as well.
On the side street going to Urdaneta he demanded for the 1000. I got off the car and ran to my car behind and asked my driver for my son's toy gun. "E kung barilin na lang kaya kita P.I. mong hayop ka?" and pointed it to his cohorts. When we started catching attention he jumped into the jeep and while cursing me sped off.
I was surprised to learn that this has been happening for a long time. Without offering to help first they make things worse by adding the cost of towing. Fine if it is causing traffic congestion or it it is an old car and without proper maintenance it is bound to break down.BUT HELP FIRST. Your jeeps with their welded contraptions have made a fortune already. ENOUGH!I believe your mandate is to help. Tow to ease congestion of traffic flow but do not extort from helpless civilians. PI kayo lahat.
A friend's car was towed at 2300 Hrs along SSuper and was brought to this small house two meters away from where his car was. He was thankful he gave them five hundred as a token of friendship. When he came back with the gasoline, the men in the house was extorting 12oo from him and bluffing him with a long ticket. He asked for the guys he gave 500 to and they said they left for home already. AY PILIPINAS!:)