Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Let's support our OFW's, the new HEROs

A month ago, I was able to read in the newspaper about the appeal of Senator Manny Villar (President of the Nationalista Party) to protect our OFW's from recessionary racism.

Villar: OFWs should be shielded from 'recessionary racism'
DOLE, OWWA, and embassies should be ready to extend help or advice
29 March 2009

Nacionalista Party President Senator Manny Villar expresses concern over reports that there is growing public hostility towards migrants and foreign workers in various countries worldwide and there is increasing incidents of so-called ‘recessionary racism’.

“Protectionism has become a buzz word amidst the ongoing global financial crisis. Although many are against the protectionist policies that some nations want to implement, it is a reality that many now have a tendency towards protecting their own economies and people,” cites Villar.

“The scarcity of job opportunities is causing desperation and anxiety among people. It has also led to growing resentment that foreigners are getting jobs in other nationalities’ home countries. This has given rise to recessionary racism. With millions of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) worldwide, we should ensure that they are protected from this,” further cites Villar. As one of the world's leading sources for skilled and unskilled workers, there are up to nine million Filipinos or about 10 percent of the population, living and working in 140 countries.

In the United Kingdom for instance, a spate of protest rallies have been taking place. The protesters were holding placards that read “British jobs for British people”. Moreover, a poll by Financial Times show that 78 percent of British adults believe that immigrants should be asked to leave the country if they do not have a job.

Even in some Middle East countries, there are reports that local citizens are harboring resentments towards foreign workers who are employed and are still getting employed when many of them are having difficulties landing jobs.

According to Villar, “These resentments and other sentiments against foreign workers are knee-jerk reactions to the economic hardships brought about by the global recession. But it does not mean that it should be tolerated or encouraged.”

Villar adds, “We need to prepare our OFWs about the possibility that they may be subjected to such attitude or treatment that can be described as recessionary racism and those who have experienced such should inform our labor offices. OFWs though should have a healthy attitude and peaceful approach when such incidents occur.”

In 2008 alone, the total global deployment of OFWs surged to more than 1.376 million in more than 190 host destinations worldwide. According to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), a total of 1,376,823 OFWs were deployed worldwide last year, representing a growth of 27.8 percent compared to the 1,077,623 OFWs deployed in 2007. On a daily basis, some 3,772 documented OFWs were deployed globally last year.

(Visit Sen. Manny Villar's Page here)

What is Recessionary Racism?

Recessionary, from the root word recession, meaning:
1. The act or action of receding
2. A departing procession
3. A period of reduced economic activity
(from Merriam Webster)

Racism (don't you all hate this word!)
1. A belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce inherent superiority of a particular race.
2. Racial prejudice or discrimination.
( from Merriam Webster)

If you try to combine both words (in my opinion) that the citizens of a nation are becoming hostile towards migrant workers (I.E. British jobs for British People).

For this action though, I believe this should be applied all over the world and not just for our OFW's but for all migrant workers making a decent living and working themselves out in various countries. (It is not new to hear about migrant workers, being treated worse than animals and deprived of their Human rights." hindi porket ofw o migrant ang isang tao, walang karapatan and ibang tao na nagmula sa ibang nation na maglait and cause harm onto migrant workers. Then they'll be going to such forums and ask why are blah against blah.. ")

As I see it, we can't blame the people who were given a chance to work abroad. For the simple reasons that they applied for that certain job and met the requirements of the company. Is it their fault that they were able to get the job (nope nope nope)? Every one knows that all countries are struggling right now and a lot of jobs are scarce,yet (damn) the people that you are acting "ILL (slang...)" with are giving their best, their 100% on their jobs to help out their beloved back in the Philippines.

Instead of fretting over spilled milk, why don't you get a new glass of milk?

Work Hard, Part Harder.... Sink or Swim?

xoxo

Monday, April 27, 2009

G.I.'s are back



The G.I's are back, that's what runs inside my head whenever I hear the acronym V.F.A. also known as the Visiting Forces Agreement.



Mostly, there are Filipino's who are against the V.F.A have a lot of reasons why they do not want the G.I.s back (I am still clueless about what they are against the VFA, because it promotes prostitution (goodbye america movie), to much WESTERNization (is this a real word?), or because the real ones, who benefit from the said exercise, are the scrupulous impotent money grabbing politicians??).

Being clueless about such events is not acceptable for me so I burned the search engines of google and wikipedia. So here's what I got so far about the V.F.A.


The RP-US Visiting Forces Agreement is a bilateral agreement(A compromise between the political and cultural relations between two states.) between the Philippines and the United States consisting of two separate agreement documents (VFA - 1 and VFA - 2).

VFA -1

The Effect:

The primary effect of the Agreement is that it allows the U.S. government to retain jurisdiction over U.S. military personnel accused of committing crimes in the Philippines, unless the crimes are of "particular" importance to the Philippines. (This means that for crimes without this significance, the U.S. can refuse to detain or arrest accused personnel, or may instead prosecute them under U.S. jurisdiction.) The Agreement also exempts U.S. military personnel from visa and passport regulations in the Philippines.

The Agreement contains various procedural safeguards which amongst other things establish the right to due process and proscribe double jeopardy. The Agreement also prevents U.S. military personnel from being tried in Filipino religious or military courts[V 11]; requires both governments to waive any claims concerning loss of materials (though it does require that the U.S. honor contractual arrangements and comply with U.S. law regarding payment of just and reasonable compensation in settlement of meritorious claims for damage, loss, personal injury or death, caused by acts or omissions of United States personnel)[VI]; exempts material exported and imported by the military from duties or taxes [VII]; and allows unrestricted movement of U.S. vessels and aircraft in the Philippines [VIII].
VFA - 2

The Effect:

The primary effect of the Agreement is to require the U.S. government;
  • to notify RP authorities when it becomes aware of the apprehension, arrest or detention of any RP personnel visiting the U.S.
  • when so requested by the RP government, to ask the appropriate authorities to waive jurisdiction in favor of RP, except cases of special interest to the U.S. departments of State or Defense.

The Agreement contains various procedural safeguards which amongst other things establish the right to due process and proscribe double jeopardy[VIII 2-6]. The agreement also, among other provisions, exempts RP personnel from visa formalities and guarantees expedited entry and exit processing[IV]; requires the U.S. to accept RP driving licenses[V]; allows RP personnel to carry arms at U.S. military installations while on duty[VI]; provides personal tax exemptions and import/export duty exclusions for RP personnel[X, XI]; requires the U.S. to provide health care to RP personnel[XIV]; and exempts RP vehicles, vessels, and aircraft from landing or ports fees, navigation or overflight charges, road tolls or any other charges for the use of U.S. military installations[XV].

(Click WIKI and ChanRobles for more information)



Here's what I understand so far...

The reason that the VFA was formed is for the desire to strengthen international & regional security in the Pacific Area. More likely helping out our troops in (i.e) rescue missions, anti-terrorism, educating about new advancements in military technology (updated vehicels, different types of weapons, strategies, etc.).

It seems to be that the VFA has it's pro's in regards to the advancement of our military. Aiding our troops with the newest technology against terrorists. More to this, promoting RP - US ties.

The con's?

Let's check this Article V (Between the GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES and the GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Article V

Criminal Jurisdiction


1. Subject to the provisions of this article:

(a) Philippine authorities shall have jurisdiction over United States personnel with respect to offenses committed within the Philippines and punishable under the law of the Philippines.

(b) United States military authorities shall have the right to exercise within the Philippines all criminal and disciplinary jurisdiction conferred on them by the military law of the United States over United States personnel in the Philippines.(In the US Military, they have their own Jurisdiction over criminal acts committed by their personnel. Independent from the government(does this apply here in PI as well???) )

2. (a) Philippine authorities exercise exclusive jurisdiction over United States personnel with respect to offenses, including offenses relating to the security of the Philippines, punishable under the laws of the Philippines, but not under the laws of the United States.

(b) United States authorities exercise exclusive jurisdiction over United States personnel with respect to offenses, including offenses relating to the security of the United States, punishable under the laws of the United States, but not under the laws of the Philippines.

(c) For the purposes of this paragraph and paragraph 3 of this article, an offense relating to security means:

(1) treason;

(2) sabotage, espionage or violation of any law relating to national defense.

3. In cases where the right to exercise jurisdiction is concurrent, the following rules shall apply:

(a) Philippine authorities shall have the primary right to exercise jurisdiction over all offenses committed by United States personnel, except in cases provided for in paragraphs l (b), 2 (b), and 3 (b) of this Article.

(b) United States military authorities shall have the primary right to exercise jurisdiction over United States personnel subject to the military law of the United States in relation to:

(1) offenses solely against the property or security of the United States or offenses solely against the property or person of United States personnel; and

(2) offenses arising out of any act or omission done in performance of official duty.

(c) The authorities of either government may request the authorities of the other government to waive their primary right to exercise jurisdiction in a particular case.

(d) Recognizing the responsibility of the United States military authorities to maintain good order and discipline among their forces, Philippine authorities will, upon request by the United States, waive their primary right to exercise jurisdiction except in cases of particular importance to the Philippines. If the Government of the Philippines determines that the case is of particular importance, it shall communicate such determination to the United States authorities within twenty (20) days after the Philippine authorities receive the United States request.

(e) When the United States military commander determines that an offense charged by authorities of the Philippines against United States personnel arises out of an act or omission done in the performance of official duty, the commander will issue a certificate setting forth such determination. This certificate will be transmitted to the appropriate authorities of the Philippines and will constitute sufficient proof of performance of official duty for the purposes of paragraph 3(b)(2) of this article. In those cases where the Government of the Philippines believes the circumstances of the case require a review of the duty certificate, United States military authorities and Philippine authorities shall consult immediately. Philippine authorities at the highest levels may also present any information bearing on its validity. United States military authorities shall take full account of the Philippine position. Where appropriate, United States military authorities will take disciplinary or other action against offenders in official duty cases, and notify the Government of the Philippines of the actions taken.

(f) If the government having the primary right does not exercise jurisdiction, it shall notify the authorities of the other government as soon as possible.

(g) The authorities of the Philippines and the United States shall notify each other of the disposition of all cases in which both the authorities of the Philippines and the United States have the right to exercise jurisdiction.

4. Within the scope of their legal competence, the authorities of the Philippines and the United States shall assist each other in the arrest of United States personnel in the Philippines and in handing them over to authorities who are to exercise jurisdiction in accordance with the provisions of this article.

5. United States military authorities shall promptly notify Philippine authorities of the arrest or detention of United States personnel who are subject to Philippine primary or exclusive jurisdiction. Philippine authorities shall promptly notify United States military authorities of the arrest or detention of any United States personnel.

6. The custody of any United States personnel over whom the Philippines is to exercise jurisdiction shall immediately reside with United States military authorities, if they so request, from the commission of the offense until completion of all judicial proceedings. United States military authorities shall, upon formal notification by the Philippine authorities and without delay, make such personnel available to those authorities in time for any investigative or judicial proceedings relating to the offense with which the person has been charged. In extraordinary cases, the Philippine Government shall present its position to the United States Government regarding custody, which the United States Government shall take into full account. In the event Philippine judicial proceedings are not completed within one year, the United States shall be relieved of any obligations under this paragraph. The one year period will not include the time necessary to appeal. Also, the one year period will not include any time during which scheduled trial procedures are delayed because United States authorities, after timely notification by Philippine authorities to arrange for the presence of the accused, fail to do so.

7. Within the scope of their legal authority, United States and Philippine authorities shall assist each other in the carrying out of all necessary investigations into offenses and shall cooperate in providing for the attendance of witnesses and in the collection and production of evidence, including seizure and, in proper cases, the delivery of objects connected with an offense.

8. When United States personnel have been tried in accordance with the provisions of this article and have been acquitted or have been convicted and are serving, or have served their sentence, or have had their sentence remitted or suspended, or have been pardoned, they may not be tried again for the same offense in the Philippines. Nothing in this paragraph, however, shall prevent United States military authorities from trying United States personnel for any violation of rules of discipline arising from the act or omission which constituted an offense for which they were tried by Philippine authorities.

9. When United States personnel are detained, taken into custody, or prosecuted by Philippine authorities, they shall be accorded all procedural safeguards established by the law of the Philippines. At the minimum, United States personnel shall be entitled:

(a) To a prompt and speedy trial;

(b) To be informed in advance of trial of the specific charge or charges made against them and to have reasonable time to prepare a defense;

(c) To be confronted with witnesses against them and to cross examine such witnesses;

(d) To present evidence in their defense and to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses;

(e) To have free and assisted legal representation of their own choice on the same basis as nationals of the Philippines;

(f) To have the services of a competent interpreter;

(g) To communicate promptly with and to be visited regularly by United States authorities, and to have such authorities present at all judicial proceedings. These proceedings shall be public unless the court, in accordance with Philippine law, excludes persons who have no role in the proceedings.

10. The confinement or detention by Philippine authorities of United States personnel shall be carried out in facilities agreed on by appropriate Philippine and United States authorities. United States personnel serving sentences in the Philippines shall have the right to visits and material assistance.

11. United States personnel shall be subject to trial only in Philippine courts of ordinary jurisdiction, and shall not be subject to the jurisdiction of Philippine military or religious courts.


Smith is already released, Nicole already in the US... hmmmm


After reading and crunching my brains about this article, the only thing that makes me blink thrice is about how our Judicial System is such a suck up in some situtations that makes all of us Filipinos look stupid. Let me give you an example, remember the Subic Rape think going with the Nicole girl? There were 4 US soldiers who were accused of raping Nicole? They were not allowed to be taken into custody by Philippine Authority because of the Agreement.

The incident blew off some government officials and the militant groups. More likely, the agreement seems to be one sided (You can see how Americans defend their citizens from such accusations and the security they can provide for them).

Now I am even more confused....

here's an article from Philstar 03/18/09

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Francis Pangilinan reiterated his call yesterday for the termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) even as he is open to a “new and improved” version of the RP-US agreement.

However, Pangilinan said the VFA in its current form must first be terminated due to its irregularity.

“The current version of the VFA is very one-sided because it is enforceable in the Philippines, but not in the US,” Pangilinan said, adding that “the Philippine Senate has ratified the treaty but the US Senate has not. We should not accept such an arrangement.”

“We must reshape our ties with the United States in light of the reversal of the Bush doctrine and his now rejected war on terror,” Pangilinan added.

Pangilinan, who last month filed Senate Resolution 892 calling for the termination of the VFA, cited the Australian version as a possible benchmark for a revised agreement with the United States.

The SOFA, or Status of Forces Agreement of Each State in the Territory of the Other State, aims to “promote common security interests and enhance defense capabilities” between the Philippines and Australia.

Under the SOFA, “The Authorities of the Receiving State shall have jurisdiction over the members of the Visiting Force and its Civilian Component with respect to offenses committed within the territory of the Receiving State and punishable by the law of the Receiving State.”

Moreover, the agreement states: “The Authorities of the Receiving State shall have the right to exercise exclusive jurisdiction over members of the Visiting Force and its Civilian Component…”

When applied to the case of Lance Corporal Daniel Smith, the American serviceman convicted of raping a Filipina, the SOFA would provide for Smith to be prosecuted and punished according to Philippine criminal laws. This would include involuntary detention in our own penal facilities, such as the New Bilibid Prisons.

“MalacaƱang itself admits that it has learned its lessons from the VFA experience and has applied these to the crafting of the SOFA,” Pangilinan pointed out. “This is a golden opportunity for us to reshape our foreign policy and uphold our sovereign rights.”

However, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri called on groups and individuals seeking the repeal of the VFA to first weigh the pros and cons before seriously challenging the US government to withdraw their forces from the Philippines.

“We have an ongoing peace and order conflict in Mindanao where American troops help our soldiers spot the ICRC kidnap victims,” Zubiri said in an interview with ANC.

Share Your Tots... Time for some Pancit malabon...

xoxo

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

I need a Home..


I need a home.. That's the phrase that runs in my mind whenever I see stray cats and dogs.
Seeing those sad puppy eyes makes me sad. Blame the owners? Probably, owners are responsible for their pet's well being. If their owners treated them as family members, you would know how they would treat other people.



Even thought that they are animals, they have feelings too. I have to agree with some NGO's such as PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) or PAWS (The Progressive Animal Welfare Society)and a real estate company Wilmington NC Real Estate (check out their contacts tab and their site as well for more information).

The said companies are in the move to help out stray animals and try to find a better home for them or release them back to their original habitats (for example PETA is against the use of animal testing for all products (going veggie??? ummm not yet ready... )).

Instead of buying pets, just adopt a pet from animal shelters. They are the ones that need you most. Pet's from animal shelters are as cuddly as the ones in pet stores. I consider them as the ones who were given a chance or new life to live with someone or a family that will give them opportunities that were not granted to them from their previous evil owners.

WORLD PEACE.... <3

(pictures from: http://europuppyblog.com/, and PAWS)


xoxo

Monday, April 20, 2009

I think that I am okay

Last week's terror has already come to pass and little by little I am accepting that the material things that I have lost would never be given back to me.

I still have those crazy outbursts in the middle of the night thinking of the meanest things possible to elevate my feelings towards that hum bag of a helper.

I have to agree with what MsPinkBiik said, you can never argue with some one who lacks education or some one who does not know any proper reasoning (It is like arguing with the wall for me).

Forgiven (not yet)? Forgotten? As if!

What troubles me though were the pictures and videos of my niece inside the memory cards (And my pictures with friends grrrr).

Major Diarrhea to her and her witless accomplices..

What's the latest Rant???

Anyways, the latest rant currently in PI is about Ted Failon's wife, Mrs. Trina Failon Etong, committing suicide.

Some authorities think that Ted Failon must have killed his wife and others said that there weren't any foul play regarding the death of his wife..
What puzzles me the most are the following:

* Why did the helpers clean out the crime scene (what I heard was that they don't want the youngest daughter of Ted Failon to see the blood smeared inside the bathroom)?

* One of the officers (I think the head) Mabanag (not sure about the last name) used one of the evidences as a fan and even flaunted it with the media. Evidences should be kept and secured before releasing it to the press.

* The way the police ganged up on the Mrs. Failon's relatives which caused the CHR to investigate the matter. (The family was already pleading if they can continue the investigation with the sister Pamela tom since the victim is already dying) The were dragging the suspects like animals dragging them AROUND.

I am coming to a conclusion right now, that Police officers are becoming quite unfair to people who needs their help.

They are using their authority to scare everyone witless and confess to crimes that some people did not commit (Abuse of authority).

Do the Police here still have morals? Are they aware about the law on HUMAN RIGHTS?(for more info bout the human rights. Click here)

I need some clarity here..

xoxo

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Aggregator?

I was checking out my email last night and found out about open opportunities in my payperpost account.. I was looking for an opportunity that I will be able to talk and share about with other people.

I came across this term BLOG AGGREGATOR... So what is a BLOG AGGREGATOR?

To learn more about this, just go to this link to find out more...blog aggregators

According to wikipedia:

In general internet terms, a news aggregation website is a website where headlines are collected, usually manually, by the website owner. Examples of this sort of website are the Drudge Report and the Huffington Post.


and from rollerwebblogger.org:

"Is a portal like-web application that displays posts from a group of closely related but separately hosted webblogs.. "

As I understand this is a type of application that can make or break you (lol). Why? People here would have the option whether or not they do like your site or not. Beyond that, it will be easier for people to check out blogs that they have in common.

No it's not useless.. I find it quite helpful. I might even be lucky enough to have more friends..

Apparently, I made one for myself in feedcluster.com (my link which is called RANTS ---> http://reezentot.feedcluster.com/). Although I am thinking if there would be people like me who think about such crazy antics, serious and not so serious crazy antics..

I am thinking of creating a new one other than the first one I named called Rants.. Still thinking of the title though..

Let me know what you think...

xoxo

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Faking China...

All through out my sleepless nights and never ending drinking sprees with friends, I always ended up in my room, cuddling my gigantic stuff toy dog, watching documentaries in NGC.

Last night, I was able to watch an episode called "Faking China" (those pots made during the ching Dynasty? not quite sure of the period).

Come to think of it, I asked myself the reasons why would people want to make such replicas that are so similar to the original antiquities that the only way to check it's originality is through science.

So here's what I have thought so far:
They make these replica's because...
* So that people who can't afford to buy the real deal in Sotheby's would be able to afford them.
* they were able to generate few jobs in their community.
* To manipulate people on the difference between the original and the fake.

Just the thought of it makes me sick down to my bowels. I am against fake items (here in the Philippines they sell so much, you just need to be meticulous) like fake gucci bags, clothes and even perfume imitations.

If people continue to support imitations such as what I have said above, it is like committing crime. We are not supporting the people who labored so much to create those wonderful materialistic things then here comes the pirates, promoting piracy and such.

Okay, it is cheap, but notice the wear and tear that it would go through. For an original LV bag, my is still in good condition how ever for the fake ones, the stitches are really horrendous, even the materials used are of low quality and not a good investment (my secret has been divulged! lol).

So know, what would your reason be for buying or not buying fake "stuffs"?

xoxo