Best Posts in Thread: Drug-Related Cases In NegOr

The numbers do not really add up well.

This process of grand standing law enforcement activities reminds me a little of the LTO traffic stops, where there are lots of officer around, legal motorcycle being laboriously inspected, while 50 to a 100 motorcycles park down the road with in viewing distance of the officers,without lights, mirrors, license plates and tags, just waiting for the "show" to be over so they can drive on. There seems to be a significant number of emotional "shows" here to impress people that something is being done.

 

I would agree that 75% of Filipino's know little to nothing about their own government or its laws. A recent ABS poll showed that 73% of Filipino's don't know what type of government they have.
If you run a business or do any kind of thing that involves working with the government you will get a taste of corruption and lack of knowledge about the laws.
Basically the system works on second hand rumors and hearsay about laws ( even from the people who work for the government) and bribes. Government organizations make up stuff as they go with total disregard for what is actual written law.
I good example of this is the DFA. If you have a spouse and want a passport for your spouse you go to the DFA and apply. BUT since the spouse has a foreigner as partner the DFA will refuse to issue the passport until the applicant goes to either Cebu or Manila for a seminar and get a certificate from the CSA to show to the DFA. That is a made up requirement by the DFA and is illegal. Nothing in the Laws of the Philippines gives the DFA that authority. I challenged the Iloilo DFA and reported their behavior to the DFA Manila and the DOJ. I received a letter of apology and my wife's passport was sent via courier to our house. After we moved here I discovered that the Dumaguete DFA still practices this illegal requirement and people still make two and three trips to Cebu to get the CSA stamp and certificate in their spouses passport. You do not need the CSA certificate until you are trying to leave the Philippines with your spouse. The Passport law is very clear and concise. Every Filipino is entitled to a passport unless they are a convicted felon or are under prosecution for a felony. Nothing in that law states an exception if married to a foreigner.

 

Maybe they need to designate an island as a prison and interdict it. Guard it with Cessnas armed with machineguns and radar buoys. Maybe if Jolo were a little more distant from other islands, it would make a good prison, killing two birds with one stone.

 

The wording seem to be a little confusing to me, the "certification from the LTO to allow them to enforce the LTO laws " would be clearer if maybe called; "The right to receive bribes and clan favors from enforcing or not enforcing LTO laws", or "Franchise to collect fees within a certain designated geographic areas". .
The concept of enforcing laws seem to be based on the same concept of owning the "Dunken Donuts" Shop. They are both franchises to increase one's income?
DavyL200

 

They are not calling it an amnesty but that is what it sounds like. To claim the amnesty you have to come in and register. It's not something for nothing. If you turn yourself in and you are caught later doing the same things, I wouldn't expect leniency.

 

Partly because you need to change the laws first. Many people don't ever care to learn much about the Philippines so they don't know about some of the laws, like that if you are being investigated for corruption and you get re-elected you are absolved of wrong doing because evidently you were doing the peoples will and they were ok with what you did. If they did change the law, it would only affect things going forward because if it applied to the past there would be witch hunts and no politician would be safe. To change the laws, you need to get those currently in office to vote against their self interest. How likely is that to happen? In the US, congress exempts themselves from the laws everyone else has to live under. If you wonder about corruption, I would suggest you start at home because they won't kick you out of the US for meddling. The Philippines is what it is. I believe that expats encounter very little corruption...Unless you make yourself a party to it.

I have chimed in about corruption in the Philippines because I see how it affects the Filipino. I don't pay tax except sales tax there, I don't really have a dog in the fight. There are things like the bullet in the baggage scam but generally, if you don't participate in corruption, as an expat you are unlikely to encounter much of it.

 

Actually, if it's your job to suppress illegal drugs and you don't do it, to my mind you are as guilty as if you took money. Actually you did take money, from the people who gave you the position, they should be able to get a refund and possibly take it out of your hide also for doing a bad job and endangering the community. As for your career in politics and your family being ruined? You are a career politician? I'm sure you would be gloating if it happened to a rival of yours.

 

The Philippines system of enforcing laws is a very strange system.
The PNP station in Valencia is on the corner of two very active roads. The roads are traveled by motors bikes that are by any standards in violation of many vehicle laws including lack of proper mufflers. All they would have to do is stand in front of the police station to catch them.
When I asked the Sgt. why they allow this to continue? his reply was that the PNP does not have a certification from the LTO to allow them to enforce the LTO laws. Even now while writing this it still makes me dizzy trying to make sense of how things work here. SO yes there are plenty of laws on the books but no one is allowed to enforce them.

 

Priorities - Probably the reason Duterte has not tackled the dirty politicians is he only has so much power here at one time, so he only has so many "gold coins" to use at a time. He is already getting a push back by the liberal segments of the media regarding his drug policies. NO politicain are protesting his speed at going after corrupt politicians.

The is a emotional system of justice here fueled by emotion, drama, overacting, and clan relationships, but there is not legal system of justice that is operating here without prejudices based on the laws. The laws on the books "look" great modeled after some of the great countries of the world, but there is not impletation... they are just window dressing. .

Then there are money issues too. Recently it was reported that government could not afford cell phone jamming devices for the national prison where the prisoners run their shabu industry. Is it money or lack of motivation, and who is lacking motivation? All the government politicians will tell how they support Duterte's drug program, along with 90% of the voters, BUT, they just do not like the speed and action he is taking. Remember most times when someone is going to be arrested here, it is printed in the media, then the police organize for the arrest, the immigration people get involved opening the back door exits of the country, then no one can find the fellow that the arrest warrant has been written for again.... The politicians are good at their craft... corruption.