BI Reshuffles NAIA Personnel to Prevent Corruption

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Philippine Daily Inquirer

By: Julie M. Aurelio, 

An immigration personnel at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport processes a foreign national who has been barred from the Philippines for violating the conditions of his stay. (AFP file photo)

MANILA — The Bureau of Immigration has revamped its immigration head supervisors at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport to put an end to familiarization and corruption in its frontline units.

Most immigration officers at the BI main office in Intramuros will be reassigned to the airports as a first step in the reshuffle of immigration personnel, according to the BI.

BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said the reassignment would be in line with implementing President Duterte’s marching orders to eradicate familiarization in the agency’s operating units.

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“The revamp is aimed at preventing fraternization among employees, which was pinpointed as a major source of corruption in government agencies,” the immigration chief said on Friday.

The revamp will affect about two-thirds of immigration personnel stationed at the NAIA’s three terminals.

Morente stressed that the reorganization of immigration agents stationed at the airports would be the first in a series of personnel reassignments upon his assumption last July 1.

“In the next days, we will be issuing new orders reassigning to the airports the immigration officers currently stationed at the main office for faster and more efficient service,” he said.

Aside from designating new immigration head supervisors, the BI chief also reassigned immigration officers to head key units at the main office and subports.

BI spokesperson Tonette Mangrobang said the agency would beef up its campaign against illegal aliens as part of the President’s order to law enforcers to crack down on illegal drug syndicates usually run by foreign criminals.

“The restructuring and streamlining of the BI’s intelligence and enforcement units was prioritized to serve notice to illegal aliens and foreign criminals that their days are numbered,” she added.

Earlier, retired police general Charles Calima Jr. was designated to lead the BI intelligence division.  The fugitive search unit is now headed by Jose Carlitos Lucas.

Mangrobang said the FSU reverted to its former status as a unit under the intelligence division.  SFM

Where were you when we fought corruption?

Office of the Senate Majority Leader

Alan Peter S. Cayetano

Rm. 603 GSIS Complex Senate of the Philippines Roxas Blvd Pasay City

         

PRESS RELEASE

11 April 2016

Cayetano to Bongbong: Where were you when we fought corruption?

“Senator Marcos. Nasaan ka kapag korapsyon ang pinag-uusapan?”

Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano said this as he slammed his rival, Senator Bongbong Marcos, on issues about corruption during the PiliPinas 2016 Vice Presidential Debate hosted by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on April 10.

During the first part of the debate, candidates were asked to explain their stand on the issue of corruption and how they intend to solve the problem.

Cayetano, for his part, took a swipe at Marcos for claiming that he and his family had never been involved in any corruption anomaly. He then raised issues about the plunder allegations that the family faced during the Martial Law Era as well as Senator Marcos’ alleged involvement in the infamous pork barrel scandal.

“Tingnan niyo po ang interview ng nanay ni Senator Bongbong, sinabi niya they practically own the Philippines. I-search niyo po sa Google ang PCGG recovered money,” Cayetano stressed. “$1 billion ang pinaglalabanan pa rin ng gobyerno at Marcos family,” he added.

Cayetano also chided Marcos for his lack of sincerity to fight corruption. Cayetano said that, despite being a member of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee, Marcos never took the initiative to attend any of the committee’s hearings involving corruption anomalies.

“Anong hearing sa corruption nakita niyo nag-appear ang isang Bongbong Marcos? Kahit anong isyu sa corruption, wala siya doon,” Cayetano stressed. “Nasaan ka kapag corruption ang pinag-uusapan? Naalala ko noong hearing ni (pork barrel queen Janet-Lim) Napoles, galit si (Sen. Marcos) sa akin dahil pinapalapit ko ang isang Maya Santos, ngayon ko lang nalaman iyon pala ang middleman niya kay Napoles,” he added.

Cayetano, the running mate of presidential candidate Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, runs under a strong anti-corruption platform. During the debate, Cayetano stressed that of all the candidates in the upcoming polls, only he and Duterte have the political will to eradicate corruption in the country.

“Buong buhay natin may corruption, unless we change the system. Only a Duterte-Cayetano leadership can bring real change," Cayetano ended. 

Cayetano Dares Escudero to Debate on Duterte's Vow to Solve Crime, Drugs and Corruption

Office of the Senate Majority Leader

Alan Peter S. Cayetano

Rm. 603 GSIS Complex Senate of the Philippines Roxas Blvd Pasay City

         

PRESS RELEASE

5 April 2016

Cayetano dares Escudero to debate on Duterte's vow to solve crime, drugs and corruption in 6 months 

Vice Presidential bet Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano challenged fellow Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero to a one-on-one debate following a statement made by the latter that Davao City Mayor Rodrigo "Rody" Duterte's six-month target to stamp out crime, drugs and corruption is not realistic. Cayetano said that whoever loses in the debate should withdraw.

“To those who lack political will, nothing is possible. But to those who have a clear vision for real change and the strength of character to do what is right, any goal can be accomplished,” Cayetano said as he defended their tandem’s anti-crime and -corruption agenda. 

In an interview, Escudero told reporters that Duterte could not possibly fulfill his pledge of ending crime and corruption in just six months. “It can’t be done. Not within his term... The problems are too serious and deeply rooted that these cannot be easily defeated,” Escudero said. 

Cayetano, however, stressed that Escudero’s cynical attitude is an illustration of his “lack of conviction” to end the country’s pressing problems. 

“With all due respect to Sen. Escudero, I’d like to reiterate what I said before. Failure is guaranteed for those who do not even want to try,” Cayetano noted. “It’s frustrating to see our fellow public servants lack the passion and optimism to change the country. All the while, they continue to offer the same solutions that failed miserably in the past,” he added. 

Cayetano said amid the criticisms, he and Duterte stand firm on their commitment to fight crime and corruption in their first few months in office. “It will not be easy, but Mayor Duterte and I are ready to do it. Through our bold solutions, in six months’ time, we can make our streets safe again and cleanse our government of corrupt officials,” he stressed. 

This was not the first time Cayetano defended their tandem's proposed policies against Escudero’s criticisms. Back in January, Escudero also expressed disapproval of Duterte’s call for federalism. He said it would not work well in the Philippine setup, a statement which Cayetano dubbed as a “classic Manila-centric” attitude. 

"The very essence of Federalism is to ensure that growth and prosperity are spread to every part of the Philippines, not just in Manila. It's a pity that Senators Poe and Escudero are against this. Kawawa naman ang ibang parte ng bansa kung sila ang mamumuno," Cayetano earlier said. #

Cycle of Corruption Hurts Philippines' Tourism Sector

PRESS RELEASE

12 March 2016

Duterte-Cayetano: Cycle of corruption hurts PH tourism sector

If the next leaders intend to create significant improvements in the country's tourism sector, they must first address the systemic corruption in government, Vice presidential bet Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano said on Saturday (March 12).

As part of their “Ronda-Serye” listening tour, Cayetano visited Vigan, Ilocos Sur to conduct an informal dialogue with local tour guides, kalesa drivers, and market vendors in the city. He presented to them the bold solutions that he and his running mate, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, plan to implement to rid government of corruption, which he says hinders the growth of local economies.

Cayetano lamented that while billions worth of money are stolen from the nation's coffers every year, the Philippine tourism industry continues to lag behind its ASEAN counterparts. In 2014, the country only welcomed 4.8 million tourists, while Malaysia recorded 27.43 million tourist arrivals. The administration is also far from reaching its 10-million target for tourist arrivals by the end of Aquino's term, with only 5.3 million tourist arrivals recorded in 2015.

“Sobra na ang paghihirap sa bansa, nauunahan na tayo ng mga karatig bansa pagdating sa pag-unlad, pagtapos ay nanakawan pa ng mga korap na opisyal ang kaban ng bayan. Paano maaayos ang gulo,” Cayetano said.

"We all know that corruption prevents the inflow of investments and negatively affects economic growth. So if we want our tourism sector to boom, we first need to cleanse our system of dishonest officials who enrich themselves at the expense of our nation's progress," he added.

Cayetano said if elected, he and Duterte will resolve the problem by promoting transparency and accountability in government. Among these are the passage of several important measures such as the Freedom of Information (FOI) and Anti-dummy laws.

The senator also pushed for the creation of a Department of Culture and National Heritage, which will be responsible for the promotion and preservation of historical and heritage sites. The senator explained that the department will help spur region-specific tourism in different provinces and create employment and other livelihood opportunities.

"What we need is a clean and honest government that will end the disorder in the country, lure more investors, create more jobs, and generate more income for our people. With our political will and vision, Mayor Duterte and I will deliver," Cayetano ended. 

Philippines' Protesters

Thousands of people including activists and clergy gathered at the Philippine capital's main park on Monday (Aug 25) in a rally to denounce the "pork barrel" system which they blame for spreading corruption. 

• PHOTOS

 

Anti-corruption protesters march to Malacanang palace on the first year anniversary of anti-graft street protests in Manila, Philippines. (AFP/Noel Celis)

 

Thousands of people including activists and clergy gathered at the Philippine capital's main park on Monday (Aug 25) in a rally to denounce the "pork barrel" system which they blame for spreading corruption. Organisers said almost 20,000 people joined the rally but observers said the crowd was much smaller, with police putting it at about 5,000 at its peak.

 

The crowd, which included nuns, priests and lawyers, was significantly smaller than a similar rally over the same issue last year which observers said drew at least 250,000. That rally, called through a vigorous social media campaign, had captured the outrage following reports of a scam involving tens of millions of dollars from the "pork barrel" funds of congressmen.

Such allocations are supposed to pay for the pet projects of legislators but large amounts were allegedly syphoned off. Three powerful senators have already been jailed over the controversy.

Influential Manila archbishop Cardinal Luis Tagle praised those taking part in the "march against pork" in a statement posted on a church social media site. "I extend my greetings and solidarity. Thank you for making democracy alive and active. Thank you for advancing decency in public life," the senior church leader said.

Peachy Bretana, an official of the Scrap Pork Network which was one of the organisers, told ABS-CBN television the issue was non-partisan. "This is not about parties. This definitely is not anti-administration. This is pro-people," she said.

But many of the protesters at the rally used the issue to attack President Benigno Aquino, whom they accused of abetting the pork barrel system and of seeking a second term despite being limited by law to only one term. "No to pork barrel. No to term extension," the placards read as protesters carried effigies of Aquino.

Aquino, who was elected in 2010 on an anti-corruption platform, has seen his approval ratings dip amid accusations that his allies are among the beneficiaries of the pork barrel system. The president did not directly address his critics. But speaking at an event at the military cemetery, he called on the public "to remain vigilant against those who seek to sow doubt and lies" and spread "baseless accusations".

- AFP/ec

Why is The Filipino Special?

Writer's note: This is an article written by former Senator Ramon Magsaysay Jr., which has been re-posted several times in the past, and several days ago in Mindanao Daily Mirror, where fellow columnist Juan L. Mercado commented: "YOU MAY FIND MUCH TO AGREE WITH IT - OR DISAGREE. ANYWAY READ ON...". I would say the same. As an expatriate, living in the Philippines since 1999 for good, I found Magsaysay's article very interesting... .

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Filipinos are brown. Our color should not be a reason for an inferiority complex. (Some) pine for a fair complexion, white people tan themselves - approximate the Filipino complexion.

Filipinos are a touching people. We create human chains with our perennial AKBAY (putting an arm around another's shoulder, HAWAK (hold), KALABIT (touching with the tip of a finger). We seek inter connections.

Filipinos are linguists. It is not uncommon for Filipinos to speak at least three: his own dialect, Filipino and English. A lot speak an added language, Chinese, Spanish, or, if he works abroad, thelanguage of his host country.

Filipinos are "groupists". We surround ourselves with people and hover over them. An average Filipino would have and know at least 300 relatives, notes Dr. Patricia Licuanan of Ateneo and Miriam College.

At work, we live BAYANIHAN (mutual help). We want a KALARA (playmate) more than LARUAN (toy). At socials, even guests bring in other guests. When the is no more space in the vehicle, we KALONG KALONG (sit on anoher!). No one suggests splitting.

Filipinos are weavers. Look at our baskets, mats and other crafts. This art is metaphor. We are social weavers. We weave their into ours that we all become parts of another. Thus, we put preium  on PAKIKISAMA (getting along) and PAKIKIPAGKAPWA (relating). WALANG PAKIKI-PAGKAPWA (inability to relate) is one of the worst labels. 

We harmonize with people and include them in our "tribe", our "family". We seek to be included. Thus, we call our friend's mother NANAY. We ca a friend's sister ATE (eldest sister), and so on. We even call strangers TIA/TITA (aunt) or TIO/TITO (uncle).

We have the "KA" - institution - loosely translated as "equal to the same kind" as in KASAMA (of the same company), KAISA (of the same cause), KAPANALIG (of the same believe), etc. In our social fiber, we treat other people as co-equals. 

Filipinos are adventurers. We have a tradition of separation. Our legends speak of heroes and heroines who almost always get separated from loved ones, and move to far-away lands. There, they find wealth and power.

Our Spanish colonial history is filled with separations caused by the reduccion (hamleting), and forced migration to build towns, churches and galleons. American occupation enlarged the space of Filipino wandering, including America. There is documented evidence of Filipino presence in America as far as back as 1587.

Now, Filipinos composed the world's largest population of overseas workers. Today's citizens of the world bring BAGOONG (salty shrimps paste), PANSIT (sauteed noodles), SIOPAO (meat-filled dough), including the TABO (ladle) and TSINELAS  (slippers).

Filipinos recreate their home, or feel at home anywhere. Filipinos have PAKIRAMDAM (deep feeling/discernment). We know how to feel what others feel. Being MANHID (dense) is slur. In our PAKIKI-PAGKAPWA (relating), we get not only to wear another man's shoe but also his heart.

Filipinos are very spiritual. We transcend the physical world. We have a sense of KABA (hunch). A Filipino wife instinctively feels her husband or child is going astray, whether or not tell-tale signs present themselves. Filipinos spiritually makes him invoke divine intervention. Rightly or wrongly, Filipinos are always acknowledging, invoking or driving away spirits into and from their life.

Filipinos are timeless. For nearly half-a-millennium now, the Western clock encroached into our lives. Except for official functions, Filipinos will still measure the time with feeling. Our time is diffused, not framed.

Appointments are defined by UMAGA (morning), TANGHALI (noon), HAPON (afternoon), or GABI (evening). Our most exact time reference is probably KATANGHALIANG-TAPAT (high noon), which allows many minutes of leeway. There is really no defenite time. A Filipino event has no clear-cut beginning nor ending. We have a fiesta, but there is VISPERAS (evening), a day after the fiesta is still considered a good time to visit. The Filipino Christmas is not confined on December 25, it somehow begins months before December and extends up to beyond the first days of January.

Filipinos are spaceless. The Filipino concept of space is not expressed in kilometers but with feelings. We say MALAYO (far) or MALAPIT (near). Indigenous culture did not divide land into private lots but kept it open for all to partake of its abundance.

One's party may expropriate the street! So do SARI SARI - stores! Provincial folks dry PALAYAN (rice grain) on the high ways. Religious groups matter-of-factly commandeer streets for processions and parades. "Filipinos eat, sleep, chat, socialize, quarrel, even urinate ANYWHERE!

So what makes the Filipino special? Brown, spiritual, timeless, spaceless, linguists, groupists, weavers, adventures? Filipinos should contribute their traits to the world-wide-community of men. But first, they should know, like and love themselves...!

+++

Again: this is an article, written by former Senator Ramon Magsaysay, Jr. - Comments are very much welcome here.

Infancy

Re-post of Editorial "Mindanao Daily Mirror" from February 15, 2012 with friendly permission by publisher and editor-in-chief Marietta Siongco.

"In ten days the country will celebrate the 26th anniversary of the first People Power uprising in EDSA, the one that booted out a dictator and restored democracy to a people deprived of freedom for two decades. The Marcos administration ha been characterized by corruption and brutality, and by the time the conjugal dictatorship was toppled it had brought the country nearly to its knees. It was from this humiliating position that the Philippines has had to rise up, and it has been a slow ascent - and in many ways it has not even been achieved yet.

For here we are, more than a quarter of a century and five presidents later, and we are still marked by bad government. One would think that 26 years wold have been enough for the country to recover; after all, it took less time for us to rise up from the ashes  of World War II to become a force to reckon with in Asia. But what we see all around us are evidences of failure on the part of the government  and the people to capitalize on the gains of People Power; instead, we are still struggling to get by, and our government is still marked by corruption. Just look at who is being fried at the Senate now: our very own Supreme Court chief justice, accused of various acts that allegedly disqualify him from further serving in his post.

One could say, however, that the impeachment process is proof that things are changing under the current administration, that at last something is being done to correct a bad system. We truly want to believe that, but forgive usfor not holding our breath. We must remember that we went through an impeachment once before, one which the senator-judges failed to bring to completion but was  preempted by a second People Power uprising. It is as we. as a people, are not willing to respect our own system and therefore take matters into our own heads.

What it all boils down to is this: 26 years after the first EDSA revolt, we are still in our infancy, unable and unwilling to follow the legal processes and insisting on taking shortcuts. And when we stop and think about it, that tis the definition of corruption."

Stamp Out Corruption at Its Root

While the brouhaha brought on by the Arroyo arrest drama continues, it will be well for us if we stopped for a while and pulled back a little to see the big picture in all this. While it is true that Malacanang is currently focused on former President Gloria Arroyo who has been charged with electoral sabotage, she is but a part of the grand whole, that is, an entire system of corruption that has allowed her and her ilk to take the entire country down the road of decay and disarray. After all, Arroyo did not invent cheating at the polls - it was there long before she came to power, and if we are not careful, it can be still part of our collective lives long after she is gone.

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One of the biggest mistakes our people have made in the years after the 1986 People Power uprising was the continued dependence on personalities to lead us instead of putting up a cohesive system that would guide us no matter who is at the helm. Each president that has arisen since martial law has made a sort of cult around himself and herself, such that their respective administrations had risen or fallen on their strenghts alone. This has been especially true of Presidents Joseph Estrada and Gloria Arroyo, who ruled with own brand of iron fists that ultimately led to heir downfall. With personalities playing too strong a role in politics , it was inevitable that the democratic system itself would become weakened - too weakened to respond when it is abused.

It is thus incumbent upon the current president to disabuse the minds of the people that he and he alone holds the answer to every problem we are facing. To his credit he has done that, but he must be careful also to see to it that the system is strenghened and not just used to prosecute past sins. We understand President Aquino's fervor in running after Mrs. Arroyo; after all, that is a campaign promise that he intends to keep. But if all he does is drive his predecessor to prison, then he shall have missed out on the chance, to institute real change in Filipino politics and society. Corruption is not a one-man or one-woman operation, and singling out specific individuals can only go so far. What government must do is run after the core of problem and stamp it out at the very root. Otherwise we will be doomed to live the same spectacle we are currently experiencing over and over again.

 

(Today's - December 8, 2011 Editorial "Mindanao Daily Mirror" published also here with friendly permission of my publisher and Editor-in-Chief "Tita" Marietta Siongco).