YESTERDAY, TODAY & TOMORROW
Linggoy Alcuaz
11/7-13/2011
P-Noy, the President, the Commander-in-Chief, the son of Hero, and Martyr Ninoy and Saint Cory, is a mere dog being wagged by its tail(s).
First, at noon of June 30, 2010, Noynoy, the newly elected (by a landslide) but naïve 15th President, reversed his freshly-won mandate of May 10, 2011, by appointing his entire audience as his “Boss”.
The “not-so-secret” formula of representative democracy is that, while all elective officials have to bow to the electors and/or voters on election day, once they are proclaimed, take the oath and assume office, they, in effect, are the “Boss” for three or six years and more.
They continue to consolidate, both leadership and power, during their incumbency and term of office, as well as beyond, in a second or third term, if allowed by law.
To Impeach a President
Under the 1987 Constitution, the President, the Vice President, as well as other officials of Constitutional Bodies, down to the Ombudsman are immune from suit and can only be removed from office by Impeachment.
As we saw in the 2000 – 2001 Impeachment of President Joseph “Erap” Ejercito Estrada, and the various attempts to impeach, “Not once, but Twice,” Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, in 2005, 2006 and 2008, it is very difficult to impeach a sitting President.
If the Impeachment by the House is successful (requiring only a vote by one third of all its members) as in the case of Erap, getting a successful conviction in the Senate as the Impeachment Court is doubly difficult (requiring a vote by two thirds of the total membership).
Erap was never convicted by the Senate Impeachment Court.
The Trial was never completed.
He was ousted by a Conspiracy, plus Prosecution Walkout in the Senate, plus EDSA People Power II with an AFP and PNP Withdrawal of Support.
P-Noy impeached himself in his “No Wang Wang!” speech. He knew no better then.
Slip is Showing
Second, P-Noy quickly showed his slip (as in “slip is showing”), when on several occasions, he could not discipline, fire or delineate his Kabarkadas, Kabarilans, Kabugaws, mga Kaklase and Kamaganaks.
Notables among these, were DILG Undersecretary Rico Puno, DOTC Assistant Secretary for LTO Virginia Torres, Bureau of Corrections Director Jose “Totoy” Diokno, Presidential Adviser for Political Affairs (PAPA) Ronald Llamas, and the Don of the CESO (Classmates of Ex-Sec Ochoa as opposed to the Career Executive Service Official).
The best words - that exemplify the art and science of a tail wagging the dog - were spoken by Rico Puno: “I’m one of the few who can tame him!”
The best posturing, as in doing a MacArthur, were broadcast by “I shall return!” Virginia Torres.
The best squid tactics employed by an octopus on its own head, are those performed by the invisible man himself, Executive Secretary Attorney (Of the new “The Firm” – the “MOST”) Paquito “Jojo”, the “Midget President”, Navarro Ochoa.
The very people he trusts to help, protect and save him, are the ones wagging him downwards.
P-Noy Pushed around?
Third, P-Noy, the Head of State and the Defender of our Sovereignty, allowed himself, his Administration and the Government and the State of the Republic of the Philippines and its People to be wagged and pushed around by bandits, minorities, rebels, secessionists and so called “Lawless Elements”.
Historically, both the MNLF and MILF, as well as the Abu Sayaff, were already in a terminal state when they were revived by the naiveté of Female Presidents.
To add insult to injury, both women were fooled by the same person, Norberto Gonzales.
After 14 years of war, splits and negotiations, the MNLF and its Chairman Nur Misuari were at a terminal low state in 1986.
Their heydays lasted from the MNLF’s founding on March 18, 1969 until the 1976 Tripoli Agreement. The founding was sparked by the March 18, 1968 Jabidah Massacre on the island of Corregidor.
The Jabidah Massacre
According to the Official MNLF blogsite: "In 18 March 1968, between 14 to 68 Filipino Muslim military trainees were massacred in Corregidor by soldiers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) under its Commander in Chief President Ferdinand Marcos. It was popularly called the Jabidah Massacre.
"The impact was an outrage among the Muslims in Mindanao, especially those who are from Sulu, where these military trainees were recruited. Not taking this lightly, Nur Misuari, a University of the Philippines professor rose to become the leader of this outraged group, and he founded the Moro National Liberation Front in 1969.
"After a few months of setting up the organization, in 1970, the MNLF officially proclaimed itself a political party.
"After recruiting sufficient number of armed freedom fighters, the MNLF launched a protracted armed struggle.
"At that time of the conception of the MNLF, it recruited members with an original objective of regaining the independence of the Bangsamoro People and separate its sovereignty from the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRPH).
"The MNLF proclaimed itself a Mindanao liberation movement and proceeded to start the insurgency against the dictatorship of then President Ferdinand E. Marcos.
"The seven years (1969-1976) of intense armed conflict between MNLF and the GRPH resulted in the deaths of thousands of government soldiers and MNLF freedom fighters, as well as the displacement of thousands of families all across the Bangsamoro Land."
Tacbil Mosque Massacre
The arming of the MNLF was facilitated by the Chief Minister of Sabah in the first half of the 1970’s, Tun Mustafa. He was born in Sulu, sympathetic to the Tausog-led MNLF (Nur Misuari comes from Sulu).
Continuing with the MNLF Blogsite: "Another important event in the MNLF history is the Tacbil Mosque Massacre.
"In 24 September 1974, a total of 1776 innocent and unarmed Moslem churchgoers were massacred by the Armed Forces of the Philippines in Malisbong, Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat, Mindanao.
"While the muslims were praying, they were sprayed with bullets by the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
"As of 2011, a marker in the massacre site reads:
'Bangsamoro Republic Moro National Liberation Front Hadji Hamsa Tacbil Mosque Malisbong, Palimbang Province of Sultan Kudarat... This old mosque was constructed and owned by late Hadji Hamsa Tacbil, a former strong MNLF finance supporter. Tacbil mosque a placed where more than one thousand muslims civilians was massacred by Philippine Army 15th 1B infantry battalion on 24 September 1974 under the regime of then President Fedinand E. Marcos. Compliment by Comdr Tuan Bazar G. Tacbil (MNLF) and Tacbil Family.'"
Tired of War
The above incident and massacre facilitated greatly in securing the widely-known support from Moammar Gaddafi and the Organization of Islamic Conference (Now Coordination, OIC).
However, by 1976, Tun Mustafa’s Opposition (To the UMNO.) Party had been defeated. Marcos had sent Imelda to Libya. Everybody, including Gadaffi and Misuari were tired of war.
Ninoy was assassinated on August 21, 1983.
Cory ran in the February 7, 1986, Snap Presidential and Vice Presidential Elections.
RAM’s Coup was discovered and failed.
EDSA People Power ousted Marcos and installed Cory in a Revolutionary Government.
Harmless in Exile
By a fluke, the MNLF and Malaysia had, earlier in 1980, become the hosts of Fr. Archie Intengan, S.J. and Norberto Gonzales in Jampiras, Sabah, Malaysia. Intengan and Gonzales’s PDSP was supposed to be a part of a Coalition of Non Communist Armed and Violent Freedom Fighters inspired by and supportive of Ninoy in Exile under the April 6 Liberation Movement.
They fled the country instead of fighting the Dictatorship after the discovery of unexploded bombs planted on June 24 or 29, 1980, the arrest of NPDSP or PDSP leaders Emmanuel “Manny” Cruz and Charlie Serapio in Greenhills in July, 1980 and the explosion of a bomb at the Valenzuela residence in Industrial Valley Subdivision in Marikina City.
From Sabah they made their way to Spain. There, they were as harmless in exile as Nur was in Libya.
Of Splits & Break Aways
Meanwhile the MNLF had suffered two major splits, First, Dimasankay “Dimas” Pundato, a Maranaw, had led the Reform MNLF away from Nur and Libyan influence.
Second, in 1976, Hashim Salamat, a Maguindanao Iranon and a veteran of the Afghan Wars and a religious leader (unlike Nur Misuari who was a secular leader and a product of UP), gravitated to Saudi Arabia and broke away from the MNLF as the MILF.
These two splits took a big percentage of the Maranaw and Maguindanao members and supporters, out of the MNLF.
It left the MNLF and Nur mainly with Tausogs from Sulu and Tawi Tawi.
(In 1991, the Abu Sayaff also split away.
In 1995 a National Islamic Command Council (NICC) was organized from components and factions of the existing armed organizations and raided the town of Ipil in April).
It's Butz's Fault
It just took Archie and Bert to introduce Nur to Butz Aquino.
In turn, Butz presented the MNLF’s case to Cory.
In turn, the next thing Cory did, after releasing the Communist prisoners, was not only to allow Nur to come home legally, but also to allow him to rearm himself and roam around Mindanao armed and flags flying.
Fifteen years later, under the bigger and now direct influence of Norberto Gonzales (as Presidential Adviser on Special Concerns, then National Security Adviser and finally as Secretary of National Defense), GMA returned to the MILF what President Estrada had captured, taken from and deprived the MILF of in the April to September 2000 “All Out War.”
A Strong State, A Failed State
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo sabotaged the desire for and vision of a Strong State with the ingredients for a Failed State.
P-Noy is the political heir of both the achievements and mistakes of Marcos, Cory, Ramos, Erap, and GMA.
Will he ride on the achievements, correct the mistakes and lead the nation?
Or, will he remain a dog wagged by a multiple of tails?
Will he let the bandits, minorities, rebels, secessionists and so called “Lawless Elements” keep on dictating their terms?
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Monday, November 7, 2011
Oligarchs’ power plunder rages
CONSUMERS DEMAND!
Herman Tiu Laurel
11/7-12/2011
Not a week passes without new and shocking reports about the ongoing looting of the pockets of every Filipino electricity consumer and its dire consequences on our national economy. Take this latest news in the business pages, “High power rates force exporters to relocate,” depicting the exodus of Philippine export companies to China or Vietnam, where power costs are as low as $0.05/kWh compared to the Philippines’ $0.25/kWh. No wonder Vietnam got $8 billion in foreign direct investments in 2010 and China, an astronomical $105.7 billion; while the Philippines only had $1.7 billion.
Why is this country of 95 million people, a supposedly better educated population and champion of “democracy” in the region, tolerating such an inane, unjust, if not economically suicidal, situation in its power sector? Honestly, nothing will come of any effort to improve the economy without slashing our power rates by half, along with the throats of the power plunderers.
Nora Halili Lao, holiday and gifts sector director of the Philippine Exporters Confederation (PhilExport), said in various reports that the high power costs in the country make exporters’ prices too high to be competitive with their counterparts in other lands. She added that up to 40 to 50% of exporters’ production and operating expenses are attributed to power costs.
As a result, “producers and manufacturers suffer. They… are no longer competitive, so they go to (other) countries for an ocular inspection to determine if they can compete (from there),” Lao said in a statement posted on the PhilExport website.
One fishing company I know personally has subsidiaries already operating in Vietnam, and is even using China as a cold storage point for its fish supplies to avail of the cheap storage costs there. Filipino furniture companies have also relocated to Vietnam.
While this dire plea is read in one part of the newspapers, right beside the same panicky stories lie side-by-side corporate reports of the glowing profit margins and continuing acquisitions of giant, oligarchic power companies.
For example, this headline, “Meralco eyes P14.5 billion core net income for 2011,” reported the Manila Electric Co.’s expected rise in profit from 2010’s P12.2 billion to this year’s P14.5 billion, which its CEO Manny Pangilinan announced is based on a mere 2% increase in its volume of energy sold!
Reading this report, one might believe that the increase is only thereabouts of 12% when it is actually double that (even though a 12% profit increase on a mere 2% volume rise is already anomalous for a public utility with a captive market).
Another headline, this time from the Philippine Star (“Meralco net income surges 25% to P9.95 billion in 9 months on higher sales”), was more accurate in stating the company’s actual profit jump. But it was still not without any PR spin due to the less-than-honest linking of its increased profits to “higher sales and controlled expenses.”
In all, what these reports hide is the surge in Meralco’s “capital expenditure” (capex) of $9 billion that is charged to consumers, even when this is not really invested while its manipulated distribution rates actually go up. This capex is based on what the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) terms the Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC), which uses Meralco’s claims of the cost of its assets as basis for setting rates, even when such claims are overvalued by as much as 100%--and despite these being utilized by only 50%. These facts, already confirmed by appraisal companies utilized by the ERC and Meralco, were revealed in hearings participated in by our anti-power plunder advocates such as Mang Genaro Lualhati, Jojo Borja, Butch Junia et al. But wait; there’s more.
On top of these is the exemption from bidding that the ERC had granted Meralco and all PBR (Performance Based Regulation)-qualified distribution companies for all their equipment purchases, which has resulted in asset overpricing of over 500% (such as in the case of Meralco’s transformers, which its buys from its own subsidiary).
Another item announcing, “Aboitiz Group remains keen on assets of Napocor,” triggered me to “connect the dots.” In the other newspaper I write for, my recent article, “A new Psalm-ERC-IPP con game?,” touched on the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (Psalm)’s scheduled privatization of four power barges--this as the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) issued a “red alert” on another impending power crisis in Mindanao.
I recall the same drama being staged between 2009 and 2010 about an El Niño threat to Mindanao’s hydro-electric plants, with Psalm selling off two power barges (PB 117 and 118) at around the same time to the Aboitiz group for $30 million, which the latter miraculously pegged at a hefty $84 million as a fair market value, which it then submitted for approval to the ERC as the basis for its exorbitant rates when the same power barges were needed during the island-wide power crisis. Take note: The crisis was not even largely due to El Niño but the Psalm and Napocor expedient of draining hydro-electric dams and the many untimely power plant maintenance shutdowns.
Manipulated crises and privatization? Oh, the link is too obvious.
By December this year, Psalm even wants to privatize power barges 101, 102, 103, and 104. I predict these four will be sold off at the same bargain basement prices as PB 117 and 118 to one or several of the usual power oligarchs. No matter who among them will be lucky enough to get these for a song, the acquisition cost will certainly be passed on to consumers through the ERC appraisal system, at a price at least three times higher than the original cost, with this ending up as the capital base. In short, what this means is that the power plunderers get to acquire these assets without putting out any of their own money and get to enjoy windfall profits immediately. It’s time to end this madness!
(Tune in to Sulo ng Pilipino/Radyo OpinYon, Monday to Friday, 5 to 6 p.m. on 1098AM; Talk News TV with HTL, Saturday, 8:15 to 9 p.m., with replay at 11 p.m., on GNN, Destiny Cable Channel 8; visit http://newkatipunero.blogspot.com for our articles plus TV and radio archives)
Herman Tiu Laurel
11/7-12/2011
Not a week passes without new and shocking reports about the ongoing looting of the pockets of every Filipino electricity consumer and its dire consequences on our national economy. Take this latest news in the business pages, “High power rates force exporters to relocate,” depicting the exodus of Philippine export companies to China or Vietnam, where power costs are as low as $0.05/kWh compared to the Philippines’ $0.25/kWh. No wonder Vietnam got $8 billion in foreign direct investments in 2010 and China, an astronomical $105.7 billion; while the Philippines only had $1.7 billion.
Why is this country of 95 million people, a supposedly better educated population and champion of “democracy” in the region, tolerating such an inane, unjust, if not economically suicidal, situation in its power sector? Honestly, nothing will come of any effort to improve the economy without slashing our power rates by half, along with the throats of the power plunderers.
Nora Halili Lao, holiday and gifts sector director of the Philippine Exporters Confederation (PhilExport), said in various reports that the high power costs in the country make exporters’ prices too high to be competitive with their counterparts in other lands. She added that up to 40 to 50% of exporters’ production and operating expenses are attributed to power costs.
As a result, “producers and manufacturers suffer. They… are no longer competitive, so they go to (other) countries for an ocular inspection to determine if they can compete (from there),” Lao said in a statement posted on the PhilExport website.
One fishing company I know personally has subsidiaries already operating in Vietnam, and is even using China as a cold storage point for its fish supplies to avail of the cheap storage costs there. Filipino furniture companies have also relocated to Vietnam.
While this dire plea is read in one part of the newspapers, right beside the same panicky stories lie side-by-side corporate reports of the glowing profit margins and continuing acquisitions of giant, oligarchic power companies.
For example, this headline, “Meralco eyes P14.5 billion core net income for 2011,” reported the Manila Electric Co.’s expected rise in profit from 2010’s P12.2 billion to this year’s P14.5 billion, which its CEO Manny Pangilinan announced is based on a mere 2% increase in its volume of energy sold!
Reading this report, one might believe that the increase is only thereabouts of 12% when it is actually double that (even though a 12% profit increase on a mere 2% volume rise is already anomalous for a public utility with a captive market).
Another headline, this time from the Philippine Star (“Meralco net income surges 25% to P9.95 billion in 9 months on higher sales”), was more accurate in stating the company’s actual profit jump. But it was still not without any PR spin due to the less-than-honest linking of its increased profits to “higher sales and controlled expenses.”
In all, what these reports hide is the surge in Meralco’s “capital expenditure” (capex) of $9 billion that is charged to consumers, even when this is not really invested while its manipulated distribution rates actually go up. This capex is based on what the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) terms the Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC), which uses Meralco’s claims of the cost of its assets as basis for setting rates, even when such claims are overvalued by as much as 100%--and despite these being utilized by only 50%. These facts, already confirmed by appraisal companies utilized by the ERC and Meralco, were revealed in hearings participated in by our anti-power plunder advocates such as Mang Genaro Lualhati, Jojo Borja, Butch Junia et al. But wait; there’s more.
On top of these is the exemption from bidding that the ERC had granted Meralco and all PBR (Performance Based Regulation)-qualified distribution companies for all their equipment purchases, which has resulted in asset overpricing of over 500% (such as in the case of Meralco’s transformers, which its buys from its own subsidiary).
Another item announcing, “Aboitiz Group remains keen on assets of Napocor,” triggered me to “connect the dots.” In the other newspaper I write for, my recent article, “A new Psalm-ERC-IPP con game?,” touched on the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (Psalm)’s scheduled privatization of four power barges--this as the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) issued a “red alert” on another impending power crisis in Mindanao.
I recall the same drama being staged between 2009 and 2010 about an El Niño threat to Mindanao’s hydro-electric plants, with Psalm selling off two power barges (PB 117 and 118) at around the same time to the Aboitiz group for $30 million, which the latter miraculously pegged at a hefty $84 million as a fair market value, which it then submitted for approval to the ERC as the basis for its exorbitant rates when the same power barges were needed during the island-wide power crisis. Take note: The crisis was not even largely due to El Niño but the Psalm and Napocor expedient of draining hydro-electric dams and the many untimely power plant maintenance shutdowns.
Manipulated crises and privatization? Oh, the link is too obvious.
By December this year, Psalm even wants to privatize power barges 101, 102, 103, and 104. I predict these four will be sold off at the same bargain basement prices as PB 117 and 118 to one or several of the usual power oligarchs. No matter who among them will be lucky enough to get these for a song, the acquisition cost will certainly be passed on to consumers through the ERC appraisal system, at a price at least three times higher than the original cost, with this ending up as the capital base. In short, what this means is that the power plunderers get to acquire these assets without putting out any of their own money and get to enjoy windfall profits immediately. It’s time to end this madness!
(Tune in to Sulo ng Pilipino/Radyo OpinYon, Monday to Friday, 5 to 6 p.m. on 1098AM; Talk News TV with HTL, Saturday, 8:15 to 9 p.m., with replay at 11 p.m., on GNN, Destiny Cable Channel 8; visit http://newkatipunero.blogspot.com for our articles plus TV and radio archives)
'What to do now, Pinoy?'
DIE HARD III
Herman Tiu Laurel
11/7/2011
I translated this letter from a Nigeria-based OFW, with some parts retaining the original.
“Pinoy, paano ka na ngayon?, by Lito Nucum: ‘NOW, THEREFORE, the POEA (Philippine Overseas Employment Administration) governing board resolves… to stop the deployment of OFWs to the above-mentioned countries for non-compliance with the guarantees required under RA 10022.” The POEA issued GB Resolution No. 7, Series 2011, which named 41 countries that have not complied with Rule III of RA 10022. Is this the appropriate response to help Filipinos who take their chances to work in other countries? Be it Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Lebanon, Kuwait, or Saudi Arabia, why do Pinoys still persist in leaving their homeland and face the perils awaiting them in these and/or other countries that are non-compliant still with Rule III of RA 10022?
“What I do know is that it is the right of every Filipino to seek a means of livelihood wherever in the world. When the state fails to provide its own people with sustainable employment, tutunganga na lang ba si Itay at Inay at titignang nakangiti ang isang katerbang mga anak habang tirik ang mata at nakanganga ang bibig sa gutom? ‘Survival,’ the life of the entire Filipino family, is at stake and we want to stir up the conscience of our government ‘not to impose’ a ‘deployment ban’ on whatever country. I know our government realizes the lack of opportunities in our country. That is why, despite violation of Section 5 of RA 10022 which ‘shall allow the deployment only of skilled Filipino workers,’ thousands upon thousands of inengs, ates, nanays, titas and lolas still force themselves into countries abounding with abuses. Ano sa palagay ng gobyerno natin, makiki-chismis sila doon, makikipag-karaoke lang? Gising… kailangan nilang mabuhay nang marangal.
“Many of those in government ride around in luxurious cars, have nice homes in Forbes, Dasma, or maybe Alabang, and send their children to Ateneo, UP, La Salle, sporting signature clothes, smartphones, and pa-Belo-Belo pa. Well, after all, madali lang naman sabihing, ‘Lord, I am not worthy to receive you but (I) only (need) to say the word and I shall be healed. Until next kumpisal ulit.’ Anyway, here are some parts of the report as seen on GMA News: ‘DoLE (Department of Labor and Employment) Secretary Baldoz said the ban will affect a little over 200 OFWs, who she said can avail of the government’s integration program if they wish to return home. Earlier Wednesday the POEA ordered a deployment ban on 41 countries for the lack of guarantees ensuring the welfare of overseas Filipino workers. She said many of the OFWs deployed to the 41 countries are employed by globally operated companies and are not covered by the deployment ban.’
“Nagtatanong lang ako kung saan nakuha ng kagalang-galang na DoLE secretary yung ‘a little over 200.’ Maybe, I thought, this was just a typo error and two zeros got lost. According to my research on POEA data, there are 21,948 land-based OFWs that are legally working in the countries cited. First is Libya where there are 11,000 heroic fellow Filipinos who, despite the war, choose not to return home yet. I would be grateful if only a little over 200 are affected by the ban in 41 countries, which means 21,700 of our countrymen working in globally operated companies are not covered by the deployment ban. But will this be the view of the BI (Bureau of Immigration)? E, walang hinihintay ang mga kapatid diyan sa BI kung hindi ang mga ganitong Resolution at iba pang government orders na siyang nagiging sanhi ng lalong pasakit sa Pinoy na gustong mag-hanap-buhay sa abroad. For the BI, those countries affected by the ban will become gold when GB R#7 comes into effect.
“I am certain that many of our countrymen working in countries affected by the ban will hesitate to take their vacations to the homeland, fearing they will not be able to return to the foreign countries giving them livelihood. What do they say to their families? ‘Inday, sorry Ma, i-explain mo na lang sa mga bata kung bakit hindi tayo magkakasama sa Paskong ito. Merry Christmas. I love you all very much at God bless; ingat.’ Like us here in Nigeria… many have fallen victim to that deployment ban; and I am one of them. That is why I took the nerve to express my innermost feelings, and cry out loud, ‘remove the deployment ban,’ or else another huge question shall face us all: ‘Pinoy paano ka na ngayon?’…
“About the partial deployment ban here in Nigeria, it should not be so. It is clearly stated in Section 6 RA 10022, ‘termination or ban on deployment,’ which states ‘notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 1 and 5 of this Rule, in pursuit of the national interest or when public welfare so requires, the POEA governing board, after consultation with the Department of Foreign Affairs, at any time, (may) terminate or impose a ban on the deployment of migrant workers.’ But what national interest and public welfare is affected for a certain country that is already compliant but still faces the ban, like Nigeria, that has given life to our hopes that our own country has not been able to give? Then they will impose the ban? Is this what the country that took us in gets in return — shamed before the whole world? Our government in the Philippines is ungrateful and treacherous.”
The letter speaks volumes about the plight of our OFWs under the present government of incompetence and naiveté that was brought in by the “civil socialites” of the Yellow and Akbayan charlatans. With P-Noy, they have all done huge damage, instead of good, to “the people” whose name they woefully invoke to claw to politics and plunder.
(Tune in to Sulo ng Pilipino/Radyo OpinYon, Monday to Friday, 5 to 6 p.m. on 1098AM; Talk News TV with HTL, Saturday, 8:15 to 9 p.m., with replay at 11 p.m., on GNN, Destiny Cable Channel 8; visit http://newkatipunero.blogspot.com for our articles plus TV and radio archives)
Herman Tiu Laurel
11/7/2011
I translated this letter from a Nigeria-based OFW, with some parts retaining the original.
“Pinoy, paano ka na ngayon?, by Lito Nucum: ‘NOW, THEREFORE, the POEA (Philippine Overseas Employment Administration) governing board resolves… to stop the deployment of OFWs to the above-mentioned countries for non-compliance with the guarantees required under RA 10022.” The POEA issued GB Resolution No. 7, Series 2011, which named 41 countries that have not complied with Rule III of RA 10022. Is this the appropriate response to help Filipinos who take their chances to work in other countries? Be it Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Lebanon, Kuwait, or Saudi Arabia, why do Pinoys still persist in leaving their homeland and face the perils awaiting them in these and/or other countries that are non-compliant still with Rule III of RA 10022?
“What I do know is that it is the right of every Filipino to seek a means of livelihood wherever in the world. When the state fails to provide its own people with sustainable employment, tutunganga na lang ba si Itay at Inay at titignang nakangiti ang isang katerbang mga anak habang tirik ang mata at nakanganga ang bibig sa gutom? ‘Survival,’ the life of the entire Filipino family, is at stake and we want to stir up the conscience of our government ‘not to impose’ a ‘deployment ban’ on whatever country. I know our government realizes the lack of opportunities in our country. That is why, despite violation of Section 5 of RA 10022 which ‘shall allow the deployment only of skilled Filipino workers,’ thousands upon thousands of inengs, ates, nanays, titas and lolas still force themselves into countries abounding with abuses. Ano sa palagay ng gobyerno natin, makiki-chismis sila doon, makikipag-karaoke lang? Gising… kailangan nilang mabuhay nang marangal.
“Many of those in government ride around in luxurious cars, have nice homes in Forbes, Dasma, or maybe Alabang, and send their children to Ateneo, UP, La Salle, sporting signature clothes, smartphones, and pa-Belo-Belo pa. Well, after all, madali lang naman sabihing, ‘Lord, I am not worthy to receive you but (I) only (need) to say the word and I shall be healed. Until next kumpisal ulit.’ Anyway, here are some parts of the report as seen on GMA News: ‘DoLE (Department of Labor and Employment) Secretary Baldoz said the ban will affect a little over 200 OFWs, who she said can avail of the government’s integration program if they wish to return home. Earlier Wednesday the POEA ordered a deployment ban on 41 countries for the lack of guarantees ensuring the welfare of overseas Filipino workers. She said many of the OFWs deployed to the 41 countries are employed by globally operated companies and are not covered by the deployment ban.’
“Nagtatanong lang ako kung saan nakuha ng kagalang-galang na DoLE secretary yung ‘a little over 200.’ Maybe, I thought, this was just a typo error and two zeros got lost. According to my research on POEA data, there are 21,948 land-based OFWs that are legally working in the countries cited. First is Libya where there are 11,000 heroic fellow Filipinos who, despite the war, choose not to return home yet. I would be grateful if only a little over 200 are affected by the ban in 41 countries, which means 21,700 of our countrymen working in globally operated companies are not covered by the deployment ban. But will this be the view of the BI (Bureau of Immigration)? E, walang hinihintay ang mga kapatid diyan sa BI kung hindi ang mga ganitong Resolution at iba pang government orders na siyang nagiging sanhi ng lalong pasakit sa Pinoy na gustong mag-hanap-buhay sa abroad. For the BI, those countries affected by the ban will become gold when GB R#7 comes into effect.
“I am certain that many of our countrymen working in countries affected by the ban will hesitate to take their vacations to the homeland, fearing they will not be able to return to the foreign countries giving them livelihood. What do they say to their families? ‘Inday, sorry Ma, i-explain mo na lang sa mga bata kung bakit hindi tayo magkakasama sa Paskong ito. Merry Christmas. I love you all very much at God bless; ingat.’ Like us here in Nigeria… many have fallen victim to that deployment ban; and I am one of them. That is why I took the nerve to express my innermost feelings, and cry out loud, ‘remove the deployment ban,’ or else another huge question shall face us all: ‘Pinoy paano ka na ngayon?’…
“About the partial deployment ban here in Nigeria, it should not be so. It is clearly stated in Section 6 RA 10022, ‘termination or ban on deployment,’ which states ‘notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 1 and 5 of this Rule, in pursuit of the national interest or when public welfare so requires, the POEA governing board, after consultation with the Department of Foreign Affairs, at any time, (may) terminate or impose a ban on the deployment of migrant workers.’ But what national interest and public welfare is affected for a certain country that is already compliant but still faces the ban, like Nigeria, that has given life to our hopes that our own country has not been able to give? Then they will impose the ban? Is this what the country that took us in gets in return — shamed before the whole world? Our government in the Philippines is ungrateful and treacherous.”
The letter speaks volumes about the plight of our OFWs under the present government of incompetence and naiveté that was brought in by the “civil socialites” of the Yellow and Akbayan charlatans. With P-Noy, they have all done huge damage, instead of good, to “the people” whose name they woefully invoke to claw to politics and plunder.
(Tune in to Sulo ng Pilipino/Radyo OpinYon, Monday to Friday, 5 to 6 p.m. on 1098AM; Talk News TV with HTL, Saturday, 8:15 to 9 p.m., with replay at 11 p.m., on GNN, Destiny Cable Channel 8; visit http://newkatipunero.blogspot.com for our articles plus TV and radio archives)
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