In the classic Pinoy way of disagreeing and letting everyone know (in this case, the press) what a queen you are, four government agencies are thinking of cancelling (thus, the "queen" reference) the much needed P1.4 billion rehabilitation of EDSA because they can't agree whether to use asphalt or cement.

As with any public works project in Manila, there are several layers of wrong here:

1. How can you have an existing budget without it's creators having specified such a crucial parameter as cement or asphalt? Wouldn't that dictate the budget in the first place?

The administration's answer:

"There has not been any Cabinet decision on the cancellation, although there was a consensus reached among the DENR Secretary, NEDA Secretary, MMDA Chairman, and DPWH to 'recommend' its cancellation," said director Julian D. Amador of the Environment and Management Bureau in a memorandum for Environment Secretary Elisea G. Gozun.

Honey, it's a consensus only if it means that you can act based on it. I guess this whole double-presidency thing has got you thinking twice about "majority opinions". A case of too much democracy and twiddle-your-thumbscracy.

2. Because it's such a big pie, there are four executive departments involved, whose decisions are of equal weight. No wonder nothing gets done in Manila.

3. The project is actually part of the Metro Manila Air Quality Improvement program of the ADB. Hmmm... rehabilitating the roads to improve air quality. This could be the only reason why the DENR, who should be ought protecting our forests, instead gets its director to weigh in on road projects in Manila. Someone explain this to me.

4. The last layer of wrong is, again, the curse of the elections: nothing gets done until after the casino parties and the "destabilization efforts" have faded away. In the meantime, we live with the bad roads, the traffic delays, and console ourselves with the fact that somewhere out there, some government official's relative has the purchase order of his life.