opinion


POLICY PEEK


A 4


The Manila Times


TUESDAY


D e cember 14, 2010 Edit orial Not a HR abuse enabler


HE finding of priests and nuns known as the Religious Discernment Group does shock. During the months that President Benigno Aquino 3 rd has been in office it appears that there has been an of average of “one extra-judicial killing per week.” “The number of sectoral leaders, particularly peasants, jailed on false charges has continued to increase,” the group said. As a result, one could be led to conclude that this administra- tion is just as bad, maybe even worse, than the previous one when it comes to EJKs, forced disappearances and other human rights abuses committed by the military and the police. The priests and nuns held an Advent gathering. (For those who don’t know: We are now in the Church’s liturgical season of Advent, which is the preparation for Christmas Day and the Christmas liturgical season). The group’s Advent gathering was held so the members can “discern their prophetic role in promot- ing and defending human rights in the country.” “There will be no justice, freedom and peace for our people until the government take the welfare of the people, especially [those] of the urban and rural poor instead of the interests of local elites and large foreign corporations, as the starting point for all development policies,” they said. The group added that the government’s failure to bring to justice the perpetrators of human rights abuses is an “indictment” of Aquino’s “and daang matuwid [righteous path].” The group, supporting the calls of the National Democratic Front and other allies of the Communist Party, urged the govern- ment to be concerned about the continuing implementation by the Armed Forces of the Philippines of “Oplan Bantay Laya” [Operation Plan Guard Freedom]. They are disturbed by the human rights violations committed by military units or at least paramilitary units in pursuing the goals of this operation plan. “We ask the Government to abandon plans to implement the Oplan . . . but rather to resume peace talks with the NDFP [National Democratic Front of the Philippines] and MILF [Moro Islamic Liberation Front] to ensure that the roots of injustice are stamped out,” the Religious Discernment Group pleaded.


T


Culture of impunity of a few in the AFP For all the correctness of the petitions for Christlike love, clemency


and compassion in the AFP’s dealings with suspected communists and New People’s Army sympathizers, one fact must be kept in mind. No Philippine president—including even the one who, together


with now Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, former president Fidel Ramos and others, imposed martial law—ever formally ordered the Filipino generals, colonels and the officer corps of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to commit human rights abuses against commu- nists and other rebels. No administration ever made it official policy to use extra-judicial killings, forced disappearances, torture and such means to defeat the communist rebellion. It was during the martial regime that human rights abuse became an instrument of AFP policy. Was that because by that time the martial-law dictator President Marcos and his Defense Secretary Mr. Enrile had made it official policy? There are ques- tions whether they did. What is clear is that during the martial law years and the following years of Marcos authoritarian rule the culture of impunity became set in some, but not all, AFP officers. Who the torturers and extra-judicial killers were are known to the other AFP officers. Some have spoken out against them.


Blanket condemnation is wrong It is therefore unfair to follow the communist line in making a


blanket condemnation of Filipino presidents as empowerers of the generals, colonels and other men in uniform who perpetrated extra-judicial killings, forced disappearances and torture. It is unfair now to label President Benigno Aquino 3rd as an EJK enabler and condoner as it is unfair to accuse Presidents Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Fidel Ramos, Joseph Estrada and Corazon Aquino of being so. EJKs and forced disappearances also happened during the first Aquino presidency. It was during that presidency when communists were amnestied and National Democratic Front sympathizers gained high office.


This bitter fact of our history happened because there is that minority element in the military that does not quite see the wisdom and righteousness of the rule of that law which also subscribes to the Higher Authority of a Divine Being. The followers of that ungodly law in the military are a minority. Unfortunately, they are quite decisive and single-minded. They make themselves a force to be feared—even by their superiors. Presidents fear them, because their generals fear them. It is actually a combination of fear and the wrong conviction that, maybe, the murderous methods of these extra-judicial killers and torturers are necessary sometimes.


The so-called ‘Palparan solution’ lives on The presence of these elements was clearly seen, among other


instances, during the time of AFP Chief of Staff Alexander Yano while the AFP Commander in Chief was President Arroyo. Gen. Yano had made it AFP policy to instill respect for human rights in the soldiery. And Lt. Gen. Pedro Ike Insierto declared that he and most other AFP men rejected the so-called “Palparan solution.” Mr. Palparan is now a congressman. His solution, which no one could rightly define but which was being condemned as one that is against the law and involves human-rights abuse, was described by Gen. Insierto, who was then head of the AFP Central Command, as one that had not solved the country’s insurgency problem and might even have aggravated it by creating more dissatisfaction with government. That human rights abuse lives on in the AFP can be seen in the way the “Morong 43” were treated. President Aquino very commendably released them. We do not say the AFP is wrong to say the “Morong 43” or at least some of them are really communists and rebels. But we condemn the human rights violations committed against them in the process of raiding and arresting them and the indigni- ties they were subjected to by their military captors. The “Morong 43” is a large blot on the Philippine Republic and


the AFP. It proves that some top officers—like Maj. Gen. Jorge Segovia, commander of the Second Infantry Battalion, one of the officers engaged in the “Morong 43” detention, and Col. Antonio G. Parlade Jr., Army Chief Public Affairs—do not know that many of the things done to the detainees, like blindfolding them and having guards “help” them do their toilet because they were handcuffed, are against Philippine and international law.


TUESDAY December 14, 2010 The Manila Times DANTE F. M. ANG 2ND, Executive Editor


FRED DE LA ROSA, Chairman Editorial Board RENE Q. BAS, Editor in Chief ROMY P. MARIÑAS, News Editor


ARNOLD S. TENORIO, Business Editor CONRAD M. CARIÑO, National Editor


TESSA MAURICIO-ARRIOLA, Lifestyle Editor ARIS L. SOLIS, Regions Editor


PERRY GIL MALLARI, Acting Sports Editor BRIAN M. AFUANG, Art Director RENE H. DILAN, Photo Editor


 DANTE F. M. ANG 2ND, President and CEO


Telephone All Departments. 524-5665 to 67 Telefax 528-1729; Subscription: 524-5664 Local 222 URL http://www.manilatimes.net • e-mail newsboy1@manilatimes.net Letters to the editor


THE MANILA TIMES is published daily at 2/F Dante Ang and Associates Building, 409 A. Soriano Avenue, Intramuros, Manila 1002


VOLUME 112 NUMBER 064


Home for the holidays J


UST going by the long lines at the immigration arrival coun- ters in the Ninoy Aquino Inter- national Airport, it’s easy to guess that thousands of Filipino work- ers abroad are coming home for Christmas to be with their fami- lies, as usual. Even in the Philippine Overseas


Employment Administration (POEA), applications for an over- seas employment certificate (OEC) usually peak during the Christmas season because of the surge in the number of returning OFWs. Christmas, indeed, is a time to be with your family and friends. It’s a time for bonding and reun- ions, which is all the more special for OFWs as they get to spend very little time with their loved ones. Of course, Christmas is also a time for shopping, the season where the retail industry is at its strongest. There is a natural ten- dency to shower our loved ones with gifts during the season, something that is true not just for OFWs but for most of us. People love to splurge during Christmas. There is that thinking, “It’s my money, I’ve worked hard for it, and I’ve earned the right to spend it.” But all of us would do well to practice a little prudence along with their generosity. Although, it’s good for the economy, we shouldn’t totally immerse ourselves in consumer spending. It’s not what Christmas is about, and in the end, our fami- lies would benefit more if we save a substantial part of our bonuses. One of the things we keep tell- ing workers, especially OFWs,


ERNESTO F. HERRERA


during counseling sessions at the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines is that we need re- place that habit of spending with the habit of saving. The savings rate of OFWs is way below their counterparts from China and In- donesia, for instance.


A good part of OFW earnings is spent on food and household needs and their children’s education. Then there are medical and emergency expenses and debt payments. A lot of OFWs work years and


years and have nothing to show for it. Sure they were able to send their kids to school but they have no investments and no savings, no financial security to fall back on when they go home. A study of the Episcopal Com- mission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People showed that despite the steadily rising remittance levels of Fili- pino migrant workers—expected to reach at least $19 billion in 2010—at least 60 percent of their families remain poor. Of course, not all OFWs are


poor. But most of them come from poor families. And only some of them are able to invest their money wisely to secure a


comfortable future when they re- turn. They are usually the skilled workers we send abroad, includ- ing our world-class seafarers, nurses and IT workers. Most workers who go abroad though are classified as unskilled or semiskilled, such as those in household work. They also are the ones most susceptible to em- ployer abuses. The good news is that more OFWs are now saving, at least according to figures from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), which showed that the percentage of households that allocated portions of their remit- tances to savings has steadily been increasing since the second quarter of last year.


The BSP noted increasing sav- ings and investments by OFW families largely in banks, other financial instruments and real estate. This is a big improvement. The news report filed by Lailany Gomez and published in this pa- per yesterday also says OFWs households have reduced their expenditures on big-ticket items such as property and motor vehi- cles amid the peso’s strength. They are buying less consumer durables (appliances, furniture, cars, etc). This is according to another sur- vey by the BSP.


All households and not just those of OFWs should actually do the same. Relating it back to the holidays, it would be wise to use the yearly income boost we get from Christmas bonuses on more productive ex- penses. Let’s not blow it on the latest gadgets and appliances.


Let’s think about the incoming semester and save a portion of our bonuses to paying our chil- dren’s tuition. For those who don’t have kids


yet, they might want to invest in additional training to add to their knowledge and skills, which would in turn make them more employable or qualified for higher salaries.


Before spending, let’s take care of our bills first. Pay off those credit card debts, which charge an arm and a leg in accumulated in- terests every month. If you’ve got car and house monthly pay- ments, you can pay more than the usual monthly payment to lessen the debt. Accrued interests in these loans are about three times higher than the original loan amount so the sooner we pay for them the better. If we can save as much as half of our extra income during Christmas, that would go a long, long way. After buying gifts for loved ones—we’re not going to be Scrooges after all—let’s stash it away in some interest bearing account. Of course, banks pay very low interest rates, not a good investment altogether, but at least it is still better than spending the entire Christmas bonus without getting anything in return. To all the Filipinos who are home for the holidays, the warm- est of welcomes. Cheers to a happy reunion with your coun- try, loved ones and kapwa Pinoys! And thank you very much.


ernestboyherrera@yahoo.com


OPINION Syndicate behind German escape from immigration BY DR. DANTE A. ANG


WHY am I no longer surprised when I read in the papers on Sun- day that a German national de- tained at the Bureau of Immigra- tion had escaped while “having snacks at a fastfood restaurant along Evangelista Street” (must be in Bangkal, Makati)? Andreas Kohn is wanted in his home country for various sex crimes. He was “given a pass to enable him to get travel docu- ments at the German Embassy in Makati,” according to the story. He was escorted, by jail guard Geronimo de Guzman and jail warden Enrico Gecomo. In a statement to the media, Bu- reau of Immigration OIC Ronaldo Ledesma said that “the two security guards were immediately dismissed and that he has ordered the two to explain within 72 hours why they should not be charged administra- tively for the escape of Andreas Kohn on Dec. 8.”


Ledesma did not explain why


the two had to “explain within 72 hours” why administrative charges should not be brought against them if they had already been dis- missed from the service. Or were they just relieved from their duty? Something is fishy. I find it


strange, no, suspicious, why Kohn would be issued a pass by the bureau allegedly to secure travel documents from the German Embassy in Makati escorted by only two guards and even treated at a Jollibee, McDonald’s or Mang Inasal outlet. In all probability he was not handcuffed at all.


The story did not say whether


Kohn was scheduled to be de- ported to his country, Germany. As far as I know, passes are issued to the inmates strictly for medi- cal reasons and that travel docu- ments are secured from a foreign embassy only if the detainee is up for deportation. Kohn must be lined up for ex- tradition to Germany for sex-re- lated offenses. That explains why he was issued a pass to secure the travel papers from the German Embassy. Existing protocols that cover detainees and how they should be handled or treated when allowed on a furlough were violated. Given the fact that Kohn was a fugitive in his own country, our own Immigration officials should have considered him a high flight risk. Yet, only two se- curity guards were assigned to him and he was not handcuffed either. To top it all, Kohn was even treated to a McDonald’s or Jolli- bee snack by his jail guards to fill his tummy. This is a no-no, ac- cording to my inside source. Given the ease with which Kohn


“escaped” and eluded his escorts, I cannot help conclude that the whole episode was planned and executed with the connivance of some immigration officials. Gemoco and de Guzman, poor fellas, while obviously participants, could only be minor players in a big sickening plot. That explains the story from the bureau that Gemoro and de Guzman can be made to answer administratively for Kohn’s “escape.”


I could almost imagine what


went on during the planned es- cape. BI official to de Guzman and Gemoco: “Wag kayong mag-alala. Kunwari bubugbugin ko kayo. Ano ba naman yung isa o dalawang black eye, pagkatapos naman abswelto na kayo. May datung pa. [Don’t worry. We’ll make it appear I beat you up. What’s a black eye or two, when you will go scot-free. And there’s cash in it for you, too.]” Security Guards: “Sir, kung makukulong kami, paano naman ang pamilya namin? [Sir, what happens to our family if we get locked up?]” BI official: “Wag kayong mag- alala. Makalalabas kayo agad. Administrative case lang naman


ang ipa-file namin sa inyo. Baka nga di pa kayo makulong. [Not to worry. You’ll get out in no time at all. You’re facing only an ad- ministrative case. You may not get jailed at all.]”


Security Guards: “Sir, sigurado ba kayo, di kami makukulong? [Sir, you’re sure we won’t land in the slammer?]” BI official: “Sure na sure ako.


Mayroon bang nakulong sa katangahan? [Very sure. Do you know anyone who was jailed for stupidity?]” Security Guards: “Sir, di naman po kami tanga. [Sir, we‘re not stupid.]” BI official: “Kaya nga, ang depensa ninyo, tanga kayo. Sigurado ako, abswelto kayo. Di ba ninyo napansin, sino na sa mga kurakot sa gubyerno ang nakulong? Wala, di ba? Ano na ang kanilang depensa? Wala silang alam sa nangyari. Nagtuturu- turuan sila? Puro sila walang alam, walang kasalanan. Ganoon din kayo, wala kayong kasalanan, wala kayong


alam. O, heto na ang down payment. Magpakatanga kayo sa mga sagot ninyo. [That’s why your defense is stupidity. Tell me, who among the crooks in government have been canned? No one, right? All they do is blame each other. Everyone claims innocence, they didn’t know a thing. That goes for the two of you. You’re blameless, you’re totally in the dark. O, here’s your dough. Sound and look as stupid as you could when answer- ing questions.]” The two security guards should be charged criminally and locked up behind bars until they confess to their crime and identify the other members of the syndicate. I say syndicate, because the group has been operating in the Bureau of Immigration since I can remember. They have been springing out detainees for fat fees, but naturally. The operations of the syndicate slowed down considerably only during the time of former Immigration Commissioner Nonoy Libanan. As far as I could remember, Libanan installed a CCTV camera in Bicutan to monitor who were going and coming. That simple act reduced the number of es- caped prisoners to almost zero. Last I heard though, the CCTV is not functioning. It seems nobody has bothered to repair it. What gives? Only Immigration


OIC Ronaldo Ledesma can tell us. But this I can tell you. The liberty pass, the laxity of the two guards, the treat at the fast-food store and the “escape” smell all the way from Bicutan to Berlin.


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