Crucial time for immigrants – both legal and illegals

(Note: Today, January 21, 2011, Yahoo! News reported that several states are considering introducing legislation similar to Arizona's immigration law that allows local police authorities to arrest and detain undocumented immigrants, which  U.S. federal judge said was illegal. Below is an article I wrote on March 23, 2006, when the immigration issue was one of the most talked after President George W. Bush proposed a sweeping immigration reform that would allow for illegal immigrants a pathway to citizenship.) 

STARTING Monday, March 27, 2006, the Senate is expected to debate and eventually vote on what might be the most controversial immigration reform bill since the 1986 amnesty that allowed illegal aliens in the U.S. become permanent residents. With both pros and cons battling it out, this week will be a telling event if the Senate chooses to make undocumented immigrants stay here and become legal residents or define them as criminals just like what House members in December of 2005 in their own version.

The action by the House of Representatives is the most severe legislation yet in as far as treatment of both illegals and those “harboring” them is concerned. The bill crafted by Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis, will classify the estimated 12 million undocumented aliens as “criminals,” and would also penalize those hiring them or those extending services to them – a measure described as “inhumane” by the Catholic Church which has vowed to defy it if it becomes law.  In the Senate, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa, in his sponsored bill, went Bush’s way of strengthening border control but at the same time paving the way to make undocumented workers legalized thru a guest worker program good for six years. It also includes a way for earned adjustment that would allow illegal aliens to become permanent residents provided they depart the United States before they can become green card holders.

A decent proposal but still shy of the other bill by offered by (the late) Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Ma and Sen. John McCain (R-Az), which will allow illegals to become permanent residents and may even become citizens without going back to their home countries. A third measure, this one by Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tx) and Sen.  Jon Kyle (R-Az), is harsher in that it provides for the construction of a border fence from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico and denying automatic citizenship to babies born in the U.S. by nonresidents. One more bill, this time by Majority Leader Sen. Bill Frist, also calls for reinforcing border control but doesn’t allow for any relief for illegal aliens.

Many Republicans are against earned adjustment for illegal aliens. They term this as amnesty – “plain and simple.” They say any measure that allows for anyone who has violated the law and may become legal, gets pardoned, is an amnesty.  What’s encouraging however is that Pres. Bush is in favor a guest worker program because he understands that many companies are run by workers whose jobs Americans don’t want to do for themselves. Making them go home will also result in disruption of business which America cannot afford at a time when some businesses are already sending jobs abroad for cheaper labor and compete globally.

It is no secret that many of our kababayans are praying for a comprehensive immigration reform that would allow illegals become legal. We recite the same prayer too.  Along with all other immigrants, we believe that our kababayans are hard workers, intelligent and possess many talents whose economic contributions to our adopted country are enormous. They are not criminals, and those who hire them never intended to violate the law just because no Americans would want to work for them.

While most of the pending bills differ from each other, almost all provide for increasing the number of work visas, which only means that the U.S. needs more workers even if anti-immigrant forces claim that such program impacts salaries, health care and education. Perhaps they should be reminded that health care and education are paid for by taxes – both by these individuals who work here and by the companies that hire them, legally or not. 

We would also like to pacify those in the legal pipeline, who are concerned that such measure would clog the already backlogged immigration quotas, that they should not worry as their jobs are secured because those who are already here perform the jobs that they are “overqualified to do.” And just like you and me, these people work to earn a living, to feed their families. They’re not here to become criminals as some of our congressmen think they have become.(Rhony Laigo)

Does freedom mean leaving the Philippines?

(Note: I first wrote this on June 2, 2006, but for some reason, this article seems to be relevant every single year. You be the judge...)
 
In 2005, when I wrote something about our “Independence Day,” I began with a stanza of a song that I learned from the streets during the martial law days entitled, “Huwad Na Kalayaan.” That paragraph asked if there really was freedom in our country when it continues to suffer from economic hardship, where the people, especially the peasants, are at the mercy of what each day brings to them.

Another year has passed. But instead of reaching the goal of escaping from the bondage of poverty, our nation seems to be going further south. Not to mention that the country continues to deal with corruption that saw charges being filed against some of its leaders, and the unending threats of a coup.

The past year also highlighted the mass exodus of our highly-skilled workers and professionals, including nurses and doctors, and when we learned that the latter were also regressing – for the lack of a better word – to become nurses by undergoing another round of medical studies (say, what?) that will enable them to work in the U.S. We all know that Uncle Sam is the number one destination for nurses, but doesn’t readily accept doctors from abroad unless they undergo a series of residency medical studies, or meet a certain criteria, such as working in remote areas where doctors are scarce. So, Filipino doctors do what to many was unthinkable.

Speaking of doctors, the latest survey said they are the number one breadwinners in the U.S., with salaries as much as $181,000 per year or about $15,000 a month. Compare that to about $300 to $800 wage of government doctors in the Philippines, and perhaps double or even triple that amount for doctors in private hospitals. What lures them to become nurses and work in the U.S.? Well, nurses here earn from $6,000 to as much as $10,000 a month. They may have taken an oath to serve the sick and injured, but charity begins at home – not in their homeland but in their own being. They didn’t become doctors to suffer the same fate as the rest of the other Filipino professionals now face.

While the nurses’ salary may not buy them maid service like what they might enjoy in the Philippines, the environment alone forces them to leave for the U.S. Even my colleagues who were supposed to be having a fun time working in the media (journalists enjoy or used to enjoy what the privileged people are accorded with), they also try to use all the means to go and work abroad, and even stay there permanently if allowed (and this author is one of the many who have left the country...for good).

Can we blame them (us)? Or, those who are on the forefront who are supposed to be the vanguard of truth behind the political, social and economic issues? Those who talk directly to the sources who know what’s the real score, what the economic indices portray, and what these same sources are about to launch in the case of destabilizing the government? Sometimes, they know too much that they end up not in a different country, but six feet under the ground as journalists are being gunned down for speaking or writing too much so politicians can maintain status quo – where the wealth of the nation is in the control of chosen few.  

For someone who saw the transition from a dictatorship and the post Marcos period, many, myself included, had hoped that civil liberties will be restored in the Philippines. Newspapers sprouted, radio columnists grew in number and were bolder, and radio stations expanded and established more stations, hence, more journalists were born overnight.

Then came the reality of a transitory government. There have been more political upheavals that followed suit coupled by natural calamities that at first excited most of us in the media. But then covering news became a difficult chore, even for the objective reporters who had to bear endless events of reporting on people’s suffering. It was news all right, but most of the time at the expense of the poor, the hungry and the uneducated.  Freedom is won, I once read...it’s taken, not to be given on a silver platter. 

The “bloodless uprising” of the 1986 EDSA seemed unbelievable at that time as the Marcos period was characterized as a fascist regime, where summary executions were abound, and detention of political enemies were the order of the day. But I have seen more people getting killed in a single event like in the Honasan-led coup in 1987. Many civilians were shot to death because they were snooping (uzi-sero) to find out what the commotion was all about.

And while we try to celebrate the “spirit of EDSA” every February, albeit in dwindling numbers with some of the role players perennially absent, more EDSAs had come and went. Which EDSA would be historical will only be known in the years to come. Hopefully, that year will not be too far away. Not during the time when most of our nurses, doctors, highly-skilled workers and professionals have already gone.(RFL)

Congressman Tañada and RP’s new breed of leaders

(Note: In November 2010, Deputy House Speaker Erin Tañada visited 11 Filipinos who were supposed to work for Aramark, a Fortune 500 company, but who became victims of human trafficking. He has since delivered a privilege speech in Congress, which has put the human trafficking issue among the most important in Philippine politics).
(July 14, 2006) HIS NAME is as old as Philippine politics.  Thanks to the Grand Old Man, the late Senator Lorenzo Tañada. But Quezon Province Rep. Lorenzo “Erin” Tañada III, son of former Sen.  Wigberto Tañada, is not the traditional politician that has characterized many of our leaders who, despite their age or their political callousness and sometimes their lack of sensibilities, still want to cling to power. 

Being a Tañada, however, carries a tradition that is known for nationalism, patriotism and subservience to the interest of the poor, the peasants and the workers whose struggles span years of feudalism in the countryside and low-paying jobs in the factories.  And although a first-termer, Erin has shown that he now bears the torch of continuing the fight to help these marginalized folks who comprise Philippines’ majority.

Early this week, the congressman from Quezon Province’s 4^th District, met with the Filipino-American media at the Philippine Consulate. He discussed, among others, the issues of charter change, and the possibility of losing the right to vote for registered Filipino-Americans and overseas Filipino workers once the form of government in the country changes from a presidential to a parliamentary system. Personally, I am not in favor of us voting in RP elections because of my philosophy (actually Confucius’) of teaching the people how to fish for themselves. For me, Filipinos should govern themselves.

According to Cong. Tañada, since the Absentee Voting Law allows only for the election of presidents, vice presidents, senators and party-list members, a parliamentary system would make this provision moot and academic. So all that effort, including a Senate hearing conducted by Sen. Edgardo Angara and his committee members at the Philippine Consulate a few years ago, will turn into a complete waste if and when the system of government becomes unicameral. 

I’m all for that, but surely not for the “leaders” who attended and testified at the hearing, and who want to participate in Philippine electoral exercises. By the way, here in the Philippine Consulate in Los Angeles, whose jurisdiction includes that of Texas, New Mexico, the whole of Southland and lower Nevada – home to about a million Filipinos – only about 300 voted in the last presidential elections, who incidentally are supposed to go home to the Philippines after that exercise because of an affidavit they had to sign requiring them to do so. 

Blame Rep. Teddy “Boy” Locsin, who put in that provision because, he said, if you are going to vote for someone, you have to make sure that someone would work for you, meaning you have to become a responsible citizen, and not just a person from outside looking in and meddling in local affairs.  

During our “Kapihan,” Tañada reported on the state of the country, where political activists and journalists are being executed, while those responsible for the killings remain scot-free. He said he believes rightwing elements of the military are the ones perpetrating these crimes, a valid reason since no police nor any military intelligence have been able to make any arrest. 

Meanwhile, he also lamented the fact that after a trip to The Netherlands to meet with Jose Ma.  Sison and after convincing the National Democratic Front leaders to forego demanding removal of their “terrorist” tag, the peace talks again were stalled because the House leadership wants a ceasefire first before any negotiations can take place. And so, the communist insurgency drags on. Oh, before I forget, the speaker of the House is Pangasinan Rep. Jose de Venecia, one of RP’s trapos (traditional politician).

Speaking of trapos, Tañada and his contemporaries may be looking at 2010, when the next presidential elections are held, that is of course, if the system remains the same. The Liberal Party, to which he belongs, is looking at Senator Mar Roxas (dubbed as Mr. Palengke who makes sure that commodities are priced right and in proper weights) as its presidential standard bearer, with the possibility of either Cong.  Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino or Sen. Kiko Pangilinan (majority leader) as vice president (Update: the other way around happened of course and Aquino is elected president). All young and vibrant, who are proponents of reforms as in Moving Ahead with Reforms. (One thing that bugs me though, is the thought of having colleague Korina Sanchez as First Lady and Second Lady? Noynoy, help me out, please!)

Since the dismantling of the dictatorship, or so they say, the country has had a housewife, a military man, an actor, and now an economist (who could’ve been another actor if not for alleged poll cheating).  All administrations failed miserably, except perhaps for Mr. Fidel Ramos who led the Philippines in a positive growth despite an Asian contagion that plagued Asia’s tigers in the 90s. Which brings to mind Tañada’s argument, that it’s not a question of a government system, it’s a question of leadership and who can best steer the country to greater heights.(RFL)

Pound for pound, he’s the best

(November 11, 2006) A WEEK before the best night in Philippine boxing 2006, the trainer responsible for making Manny Pacquiao a “killing machine” has said that Erik “El Terible” Morales didn’t know what he was getting into. I wasn’t surprised by Freddie Roach’s bold statement. Not only because he knew how vastly improved Paquiao has become prior to demolishing Morales in the third of their scheduled 12-round bout on Saturday, Nov.  18, but it was because of his experience training many fighters, including Mike Tyson. He has seen it all, until Pacquiao came along, his student who is “very hungry” for boxing knowledge. It was foolish of the Morales camp not to have heeded Roach’s warning. With all due respect, but I only have to blame them.

Now, with all “great” Mexican fighters tasting the canvas in the hands of Pacquiao, they are resigned to the fact that perhaps no Mexican fighter can climb up to the ring and challenge the southpaw from General Santos city (update: but who has moved to Sarangani, which he now 2010 represents in the House of Representatives.)

It is up to Marco Antonio Barrera, who holds the title in the super featherweight division, to face Pacquiao or vacate the post he’s precariously enjoying right now. However, I advise Barrera to train real hard, harder that he had ever trained. But then again, I think he will also be dealt with the same fate as Morales had, the way Pacquiao knocked Barrera out in their first meeting.

Roach told us during the post-fight conference that they want Barrera as the next opponent. He said Pacquiao only needs 3-4 months to prepare, as he warned that Pacquiao is only “gonna get better.”

For all intents and purposes, all the accolades also go to Roach who describes Pacquiao as “like a son to me. He listens and is always willing to learn.”

In the last two years, we have witnessed how Pacquiao morphed into a one-punch knockout artist with his iron-fisted left straight to become a left straight-devastating right-hook combination fighter who can end your professional career in an instant.

Couple this with his lightning speed and what he himself described as a punch powered by the whole Filipino nation, Pacquiao seemed almost surreal.

What makes it worse is that Pacquiao seems to be having fun. Before he climbed onto the ring during the fight, he jogged his way with his own song (though the words were inaudible as far as I was concerned) blaring. His own CD!, from Pacquiao, who this early already has a movie that retold his young life – a true Cinderella Man who once peddled on the streets of General Santos City when he was a young boy – to become a multi-millionaire a Filipino hero.

In Saturday’s fight, I asked Bob Arum how much Pacquiao earned that night. His response: The base pay was $3 million, $1 million more than his previous fight against Morales, not including pay per view orders from HBO, which could be at least 350,000 buys.

So far, I’ve seen all the fights of Pacquiao and Morales and always admired the El Terible’s courage and counter-punching style. Besides beating Pacquiao in their first match, he always had telling blows that obviously hurt Pacquiao, even in the grand finale. But while Morales remained as who he was – fierce, cocky, and at times scary – Pacquiao was a different fighter in all three bouts, always better than the last one. It should be noted that his only loss to Morales was hastily done since he had to go up from 127 lbs. – his former fighting weight – to 130 lbs. because Manuel Marquez suddenly backed out from his anticipated rematch with Pacquiao.

This early, many boxing pundits and even the fighters themselves are trying to say that Pacquiao must meet some unknown fighters in the super featherweight and junior lightweight divisions for obvious reasons. They claim to want a piece of Pacquiao and because they are unbeaten. They think that they have worked their way to also earn a shot at a multi-million dollar fight with Pacquiao. Hmmm…

Bob Arum has declared that Pacquiao is so far the best pound-for-pound fighter of today. Not just in his division but in any weight class. Because of the way he demolished Morales and his stellar career, and his past bouts with Marquez and Barrera. And because none has shown as much as what Pacquiao have done in today’s boxing – the continuing development of a champion fighter to a great boxer who has learned the science of delivering devastating blows in his tiny but solid frame. How Pacquiao, whom we used to know had difficulty speaking the language – and now speaks it though sometimes mangled – is able to understand Roach and his instructions and to put into action his trainer’s direction is simply marvelous. It is like a full-length well-edited action movie shown in director’s cut.
Said Roach of Pacquiao, “He’s my pride and joy.” (RFL)

The Philippine Dream

Nais kong sumapit ang gintong panahon sa mahal kong bayan

Nais kong bumukad ang mga bulaklak sa bayang sinilangan

Nais kong masilayan na bughaw ang langit, luntian ang parang

Nais kong manariwa ang yumaong bukal, at sawing kagubatan…

Awit sa Bayan – Ibong Malaya, Volume I,

Tambisan sa Sining

(June 9, 2006) IT WAS probably during my late elementary days when I heard the phrase “American Dream.” During those days, Amerika was more described as the land of milk and honey, not much of an opportunity, as the Philippines was still enjoying a P7-$1 exchange.

Where I grew up, in a small Novaliches barrio, I was one of the more “privileged” ones as I enjoyed playing with “Made in USA” toys, courtesy of my mother, who left us (almost for good) for the United States in search, I guess, of the so-called greener pastures.  My t-shirts were “stateside,” so were some of the canned goods that were proudly displayed in our China cabinet, which was tailor-made by carpenters to match the aesthetics of our two-storey house, along with “imported” chocolate powdered drink, juice, Baby Ruths, etc. 

A set of Hot Wheels cars and a complete three-yard long and two-feet wide race track made me the most popular kid in the subdivision where I used lived, if not in the whole barrio whose parents grew old seeing only rice paddies, cows, carabaos and horses then.

That was in the 70s, when the country was in a “New Society,” back when, in my haste to showcase what we’ve got, I had to wear my Hush Puppies even if they were two sizes bigger than the actual size of my feet. We had pens that had water and things that went up and down, a small gold statue of Liberty, state banners on our walls and, how could I forget, tons of Avon products – from Topaze, Charisma to Jasmine – we had it all. I was only in second grade when without permission, I brought our English Leather perfume, with the wood top cover. I was a show off in class. 

With all these stateside products, you wouldn’t miss your very own mother. American-made toys, chocolates and things to wear from Uncle Sam were enough to bribe our emotions.  As more and more Filipinos left for the U.S., I found out later that more and more kids had things of the same, if not better products. At the University of the East Manila where I finished high school, the students sported Ray-Ban sunglasses, wore Adidas shoes and smoked cigarettes packed in colors I’ve never seen before, and with brands I’ve never heard before. 

The more imported goods I get to see and know, the more I craved for such things, and even requested, if not outright demanded, that I’d get the same things. Colonial mentality had set in, causing a deep gorge into my very young brain, and that all things American tasted better, looked better, made better and envied by everyone.  And we proudly claim to any of our friends that my mom, dad, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, or any relative, was in the U.S. Not only do we get U.S products, we saw the chance of being actually moving to the U.S., courtesy of immigration petitions filed by our relatives on our behalf.   

Young as I was, we were advised not to get married early, lest we lose our petition, our very hope of immigrating to the place where Disneyland was not just a fantasy. Or, should I say, our parent’s wishes.  Moving thirty years later, here I am, reunited with my family, except one sister whose petition is tied up in a very long backlog because she married early (how dare you, sister!). Now all of us are “living” the American Dream. Or, are we, really?

If we gauge things materially, majority, if not all, would say yes, can’t argue with that. Since we like things American, it goes without saying, that hey, what more can you ask for? We are living it.  This Saturday, on June 10, community leaders will gather to celebrate our 108^th Philippine Independence Day at the Westin Bonaventure in downtown Los Angeles, donning Barong Filipino wardrobe and feasting on beef or chicken a la carte and will be hearing the speech of Senate Majority Floor Leader Juan Flavier. I expect that he would be reporting on what the country has achieved or trying to achieve, where the country is heading and what we can do to help.   

Help, the most abused word each time a Filipino congressman, senator, or government official comes for a visit and dialogues with the Filipino-American community. Well, some of us do, while we are always recognized for the dollars we remit to our home country, because if we don’t, the visitors may not have something to talk about except beg.

We give because we toil. We help because we can.  It is all because of the American Dream. If only I could be the guest speaker, then I would tell the Filipino-American community that, today, we will no longer wish of leaving for the United States, we will begin our quest and live the Philippine Dream.(RFL)

For more local, national and international news, visit Balita.com  – your premiere source for Filipino news.

No nukes

(October 5, 2006) EVEN if the Philippines has been able to kick out all American military installations from its shores, the country is still allied with the U.S. and will abide by the latter’s foreign policy.

Like when President Bush launched its “terror war” against Iraq, we initially sent a contingent support group there until we realized that we are not up to the task and subsequently withdrew our troops after  “agreeing” to the ransom that we remove our soldiers when a Filipino worker was kidnapped by Iraqi insurgents.

It was for safety reasons that we evacuated Filipino workers, mostly domestic helpers, from Lebanon meantime, when the country suffered a barrage of bombings from Israel, which also endured rocket attacks from Hezbollah just recently. Although the Filipino families who were relying on dollar remittances from their beloved OFWs must have cringed at the idea, their departure had to occur.

Now, we can only surmise if the OFWs were able to come back and work for their Lebanese employers, some of whom got mad at their abandoning workers at a time when they were reeling from hardship caused by the Jewish incursions, which by the way was supported by the U.S. “Israel has the right to defend itself,” President Bush said that.

Now, comes North Korea. There are probably no Filipino contract workers in the communist Korean peninsula. But with Filipinos being able to enter and work even in the most remotest of places on earth, I won’t be surprised if there is at least one or one thousand Filipinos working there. The Philippines has its own communist party, though it may be remote that there are tie-ups between the CPP and the government of North Korea. But, who knows?

With the threat of Kim Jung-Il to test a nuclear weapon despite warnings from the world community that it might upset peace in the region, the Arroyo government cannot help but urge North Korea to stop this impending threat. We may not have a clout in the region, but a vocal opposition would encourage others to do the same. And with a new prime minister in Japan, who critics say, may be leaning towards a military build-up in response to North Korea’s posturing, it would be best if we all just remain calm and have more rationale leaders talk it on the table.

Not only a war in Korea will make it more difficult for the Philippines, we will again see an exodus of OFWs from South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and since Korean missiles can reach far-away shores (perhaps even the U.S.), Filipinos in the Northern Marianas (Saipan) may also have to depart  the U.S. territory. It was, by the way, in the island of Tinian in the Marianas where the atomic bomb that ended World War II with Japan was assembled.

North Korea’s threat was a wrong move. It could use nuclear energy in providing power to all of the communist state, which is shown as a dark spot when a satellite photo was once taken at night time over the peninsula because the country cannot provide power to the homes of its people. Using it as a weapon will only further isolate it from the rest of peace-loving nations. Though nuclear waste is deadly when mishandled, nuclear energy emits no toxic carbon emissions while other fossil fuels hurt the environment more. Be that as it may, it is not advisable to use atomic energy because of its potential of being used as a weapon of mass destruction, particularly by rouge countries such as North Korea, whose people unfortunately, were once featured as more than willing to fight the Americans, and even defended their leader’s willingness to use nuclear weapons if and when they’re invaded.

The North Korean impasse is the biggest test yet for both China and Russia, which have been aiding their communist ally. They have so far failed in convincing Mr. Jung-Il to go back to the negotiating table. We have seen Pyongyang test its missiles,  albeit unsuccessfully for its long range rocket,  and without a whimper from both countries.

We may never see an actual nuclear attack from Nokor because the superpowers will not allow that to happen. However, we would rather not see another invasion in the region, which would definitely involve the Philippines (no thanks to the Visiting Forces Agreement with the U.S., which allows station of U.S. soldiers in RP) and a military buildup of yet another country in Asia that was once our occupiers.(RFL)

For more local, national and international news, visit Balita.com  – your premiere source for Filipino news.

Korean peninsula: It can only get worse

(October 13, 2006) CONGRATULATIONS is in order…not to Pyongyang, but to the people of North Korea who, because of their leader, maybe are looking at a better future ahead of them as countries around the world unite to force Kim Jong-Il to the negotiating table or force him out for good. I have nothing against countries asserting themselves, but the situation in North Korea only worsens the conditions in the region, making everyone fear that another Korean war may erupt – this time, much worse, as it could involve Japan, whose military was once the mightiest in Asia.

Unless Kim stands down, we could expect retaliatory moves that could hurt the North Koreans more, who are already suffering from famine judging from the secret video footages smuggled into China as shown recently by CNN. We have heard of a naval blockade, as intimated by President Bush, who wants that all means of transport going out and into North Korea be inspected. The Bush administration fears that North Korea could proliferate the use of nuclear weapons more by selling the technology to other countries that are against the U.S. foreign policy.

Korea must learn from its main ally China, once a nation detached from the rest of the world, which has become the fastest growing economy after opening its doors to capitalism, foreign investment and global trade. All other countries in the former Soviet Union are also trying their best to strengthen their democracies; they have since been competing with the rest of the world, not in arms race, but in arts, sports, technology, and are promoting cultural exchange. It only has to look at South Korea, the 10th biggest economy in the world, as it competes with Japan in technology and manufacturing.

By keeping itself isolated from the rest of Asia, it deprives itself of the immense human prowess Asians are known for. Surrounded by tigers, North Korea has chosen a path that only results to backwardness, stagnation, disease and ignorance to most of its people. Alas, even Vietnam, which has also suffered the same fate as North Korea, is now a destination for tourists and a target of opportunity by Fortune 500 CEOs, whose end result are jobs and economic advancement.

Why Kim would rather compete in arms race is beyond me. Any normal person would say that

nuclear weapons only annihilate people. It’s a waste of time, energy and effort since it is just a means to destroy the human being, while putting its scientists at risk with the threat of getting exposed to radiation. It only hurts the environment, especially when a leak occurs as what happened in Chernobyl.

With its claim that it has indeed “successfully” tested a nuclear bomb, even if it pales in comparison to the size that obliterated Hiroshima in the Second World War, North Korea boasts of being one of the elite countries that have nuclear weapons in its arsenal. They’re years away on technology as far as arming a warhead and launching it on a missile, U.S. said, but with atomic bomb as a threat, an invasion may not be as likely as what the U.S. did to Iraq that “had weapons of mass destruction.” This leaves the U.S. in a quandary on how to deal with Kim.

Indeed, the latest threat to world peace has put President Bush in a very awkward position, who used the military in bringing down Saddam because he had “ties to terrorists that attacked America, and because he was developing and amassing WMD.” It may not be the same case with North Korea, however. Not only is Bush not using these same reasons as a way to deal with Kim in order to justify another invasion, Pyongyang even issued a warning against the U.S.

Many Americans think the war in Iraq was a mistake. Simply because apparently there were no WMDs after all. More than 2,000 U.S. soldiers have died in Iraq that is now facing a de facto civil war. We cannot afford another conflict– in billions of dollars and human toll. And while North Korea may be on its way to perfecting its nuclear armament, others like Iran could use it as a tool – become another nuclear armed nation – so that the U.S will leave it alone. If that happens, I guess the whole world will become a ticking bomb.(RFL)

For more local, national and international news, visit Balita.com  – your premiere source for Filipino news.

A new beginning

(November 9, 2006) THE people of America have spoken.  Whether they’re democrats, liberals or conservatives who got tired of the Grand Old Party, the elections on Tuesday was a referendum on the leadership of President Bush and the way Congress is being run by the Republican Party.

Clearly, the Americans, or at least those who trooped to the polls and let their voices be heard, are tired of the GOP, which swept to power in 1994.  Those who have been saying that they were always right got it all wrong, including disgraced former house speaker Tom DeLay who said that the Democrats didn’t win. The Republicans lost.  There is probably a good basis for that. However, it should also occur to them that perhaps the Republican base has had enough of corruption, ethical malpractices, and overconfidence on the part of the Bush administration, and because the Americans want to bring the troops home from Iraq.

The results of the elections are also a repudiation on the claim that a victory of the democrats means a win by the terrorists. No stupid American would, democrat or not, would subscribe to that idea. It’s just dumb. Didn’t they know that even if they are liberals, they are still Americans?; that the Constitution must be upheld even to those who want to harm us?; and that they should have been more morally responsible in their conduct whether political or personal?

As of Wednesday, we have learned that the Senate has fallen into the hands of the Democrats. Thus, a House and Senate under the Democrats make Bush a lameduck president, who has already started cleansing his administration with the replacement of Defense Sec. Donald Rumsfeld with former CIA Director Robert Gates as perhaps a sign that he, finally, is starting to listen. The best move the president has done this early, as we should all leave the elections behind and start fresh. 

Here at Diaryo Pilipino and the rest of the Filipino-American community, we hope that with a Democratic leadership in the House of Representatives, an immigration reform will eventually pass.  We expect that undocumented immigrants will be able to come out of the shadows and be legalized.  As for the others, a guest worker program being advanced by President Bush will also be a welcome respite for those who cannot even get an ID, drive a vehicle and open a bank account because they cannot secure a valid social security number. 

Of course, there is much to be done as far as the immigration reform is concerned. Many Americans favored the border fence and they also have reservations in granting amnesty to undocumented immigrants, which is how they translate the immigration reform. They may not have said it in Tuesday’s elections as Iraq seemed to be the primary concern of the voters, but there is clear indication that there are also a lot of Americans who understand that undocumented immigrants are no terror threat.

In addition, many anti-immigrant lawmakers have been reelected, including Colorado Congressman Tom Tancredo and Wisconsin Rep. James Sensenbrener, the latter authored the bill that classified illegal immigrants as criminals. Tancredo has shown that he is angry at these immigrants, especially after holding massive rallies in Chicago and Los Angeles, and was the most influential in the passage of the border fence bill and for blocking President Bush’s immigration reform.

In Arizona, four propositions were approved overwhelmingly, all anti-immigrant measures, even if the people behind them didn’t make any appeals to the voters, let alone a single TV advertisement.  On the other hand, however, the association of American immigration lawyers is more bullish that they think that eventually a comprehensive immigration reform will become a reality sooner than later. They actually “celebrated day and night,” when I asked an immigration lawyer on their reaction to Tuesday’s mid-term elections, specifically on the matter of immigration reform. I guess they know better.

We shouldn’t rejoice just yet. We have to remind our newly-elected lawmakers that the time has come for a real immigration reform.(RFL)

For more local, national and international news, visit Balita.com  – your premiere source for Filipino news.

Massive deportation

(May 5, 2006) THE House of Representative won’t budge. The Senate, despite the House immigration bill criminalizing illegal aliens, will pass its own version, though probably not as harsh as the House’s, that will send home more than a million people who have come here to work.

California Senator Dianne Feinstein tried, but her amendment to make all those who are here without proper documentation become legalized was defeated. In all likelihood, even if deemed as being an inhumane act to families who are only trying to live a more decent way of providing for their children, many might be forced to go back to their home countries. It could probably the biggest deportation of people never seen before in the United States.

If approved, the Senate version will, however, allow many of the 12 million undocumented workers to remain in the U.S. and gain access to permanent residency, while some might also become citizens if they get petitioned by sponsors – provisions not present in the House version.  The catch is, whether the Senate proposal will be acceptable to the House of Representatives in the conference committee when both versions are merged, is still up in the air.

Last year, in one of the weekly briefings at the Philippine Consulate, we learned that there were about 70 Filipinos who were being deported each month.  And just like how we saw on a recent CNN special report on immigration, they were shackled  – chained even aboard the airplane – and escorted by U.S. immigration officers all the way to the Philippines.

According to Consulate officials, many of the deported Filipinos actually had green cards, but were still sent back to the Philippines. Why, you might ask?  Because they didn’t pursue U.S. citizenship, and while on a permanent residency status, they committed crimes that netted them jail time. And since they’re not U.S. citizens, their crimes also merited deportation. So as a preventive measure, I urge every single permanent resident to check their status. If you have been staying here for five years (some even less than that can qualify), make sure you apply for U.S. citizenship to enjoy all the benefits of being one.

While I’ve seen deported kababayans during my stint covering Ninoy Aquino International Airport, I’ve never seen more than five, let alone 70 in one flight and processed as deportees. With the current debate, immigration advocates have intimated on Thursday of the ever-growing fear of a massive deportation of Mexicans, other Latin Americans and Asians, including Filipinos.

There are also overstaying Irish, like the ones we saw in rallies in Boston, but I don’t know if their color, unlike the ones I’ve mentioned, may give them more chance of not getting picked up as qickly as I would imagine others. For sure, construction companies, manufacturers and those serving mostly the Latino community will be the first target as they comprise the majority of undocumented workers. 

While some would definitely celebrate when a new immigration law takes effect, that is when the House version had been watered down to pave the way for the legalization of some undocumented workers, it would also be a sad day when we see people being herded to detention centers and then sent home.

The federal government expects many to go underground, and will suddenly no longer be allowed to go back to work as employers will be fined heavily if they continue hiring them unless they show verified legal work permits. This is why the Bush administration has already announced and will start deploying the National Guard to “assist” immigration agents at the border, and in most likelihood, in implementing the new law which will create an atmosphere of confusion and fear, and then break-up of families  – the latter of which will be too tragic, a scene too hard to imagine.

Never also did I see a much polarized Congress, Republicans debating against conservatives, Democrats wanting to seize the opportunity to serve their own interest as the immigration issue heats up, which to many Americans, is as important as the Iraq war and security of the nation. Even the airwaves and TV networks have become so offensive at the way they look at undocumented workers as if they are parasites – claiming that they have been draining public funds from the health and education systems – when in fact they have been contributing to the U.S. economy. Some even file their taxes even if the Social Security numbers that they use don’t exist, creating a fund that have remained unclaimed.

For whatever it’s worth, wouldn’t their taxes and other economic of these undocumented workers more than enough to avail of health care and education? I say they do. I also side with immigration advocates who say that the great majority of these undocumented workers are law-abiding, hardworking, God-fearing and never or have the slightest intention of becoming criminals.

Sadly, the House of Represenatives see them as criminals for violating immigration laws. I just hope that majority of our members of Congress are not what some seem to be  – with cold cash stacked in the freezer, or involved in corruption or shady dealings with lobbyists. [Update: Former Speaker Tom Delay was sentenced to three years because of corruption while serving as a member of Congress]. (RFL)

For more local, national and international news, visit Balita.com  – your premiere source for Filipino news.

Militarizing the border

(May 18, 2006) When it was first proposed by the conservatives, they were saying it is because the federal government was not doing its job of protecting our borders, thus the influx of border crossers coming from Mexico.

It wasn’t because the Border Patrol failed, the staff in this agency is actually overworked as far as trying to look for people crossing the deserts that oftentimes results in a number of deaths. But President Bush, who’s popularity has been sagging because of the immigration issue among other things, has chosen a wilder path to prevent the entry of people from south of the border.  Stationing National Guard in the states of Texas, California and Arizona was an idea far-fetched in the minds of those who think that Mexico is an ally.  Those who cross the border are not even armed, to say the least, or have come to invade and occupy the states mentioned.

Members of the National Guard have been at the headlines for the past several months due to two main reasons – Katrina and the war in Iraq. These are highly-trained soldiers, who if not conducting rescue operations, they are at war – killing the enemies of the state.

Now the question is: Are Mexicans our enemies? Majority would agree, if not the entire nation, that the Mexicans were and have always been our friends, even if there are criminals plying their trade crisscrossing the border. But these are bandits and not invaders.

Thursday’s news seems to be going in this direction, though, after the Senate approved amendments to build fences in critical areas. Most likely, we’ll see the National Guard when we go visit Shamu, or even the elephants at the San Diego Zoo. The last time I read about a militarized border was about two nations of different political ideologies – a communist state and a democratically-elected government.  We all know the reason why Bush chose to deploy the National Guard – 6,000 of them at the border.  He wants to woo back his conservative base which has lost its faith on their conservative president.  They want undocumented workers deemed as criminals as approved in a bill by the House of Representatives sent back to where they had come from, and fenced the border.

I will echo here some concerns by those at the border, who have private ranches and, despite bearing the brunt of seeing people destroying their fences, are wary of militarizing these zones. In their subtle comments, they say that soldiers are trained to fight, not to conduct police work where more humanitarian treatment is incorporated, and whose minds and hearts have been molded to engage an enemy. To say it bluntly, as I would, these soldiers are trained to kill. I’m not saying that this is their only job, as we saw them rescue and help several flood victims in New Orleans, but they first went to boot camp to harden their resolve, including their toughness, the military way. They may be the National Guard, but they are still soldiers, clad in military uniform, armed to the teeth, ready to do battle anytime when called.

Battle. That’s another strong word. The battle must only be in the halls of Congress – how to address illegal immigration, how to deal with undocumented workers, how to make legal immigration easier and faster, while considering the economic contributions of the undocumented who are here to work and just want to have a better life.

Well, I guess, now they are not only going to make ends meet, they should now get ready for the actual battle of their life and the future of their children.  We’ve heard the president say that in his immigration speech, which includes his wish of implementing a guest worker program.

The Church has already stated its position, although we would like to hear more on the proposed militarization at the border. We’ve also seen many rallies from immigrants and undocumented alike, and may continue to make their presence felt come election time.

The President said the National Guard will only assist the Border Patrol in manning our side to apprehend those who crosses the border, and will use their high-tech equipment in performing this task.  We’re praying that these equipment will not include bullets and other ammo, since we know that some coyotes use vehicles in smuggling illegal aliens, which might be construed as “deadly weapons” when pursued if they lose control of their vehicle while fleeing.

It could turn very ugly. The less weapons we see at the border, the better. These folks – men and women, some very young – are no criminals, they are not our enemies. They only come here to work.(RFL)

For more local, national and international news, visit Balita.com  – your premiere source for Filipino news.

Are you getting tired of Iraq war?

(October 16, 2006) WITH less than three weeks to go before the midterm elections, it seems that President Bush and the GOP are facing their biggest challenge yet and if votes don’t go their way we may see a change in both houses of Congress as Republican lawmakers keep shooting themselves in the foot. As of this week, the religious conservatives have been declaring that they are abandoning the GOP because of the many debacles it’s been doing to itself that some have accepted a defeat of the party this November,  if not for both houses, at least the House of Representatives.

To make matters worse, President Bush has likened the Iraq war being waged by al-Qaeda as the same as that of the Tet Invasion during the Vietnam War, which bred insurgency. (Sounds familiar? Yes, Sen. Ted Kennedy, the senior Democrat senator from Massachusetts said that.) This, after the President recognized the Baker commission’s suggestion that the “stay the course” policy must be revised and that a gradual withdrawal of troops would be the next step. The civil strife in Iraq continues to worsen and the President has intimated that he is not patient enough to see the unabated growing unrest that has already resulted in the almost 3,000 deaths of U.S. troops.

As I have been saying all along, it’s difficult to impose democracy on a nation that follows their religious tenets first before even thinking of governance,  especially in countries ruled by imams.

The people of Iraq, it seems, do not understand or how a U.S.-style democracy can be implemented on their country. Even in Britain, the Muslims are finding it hard to follow suggestions that the single women take out their veils when “required” by officials, and where Britons find veiled women  “intimidating” even if they were born there and speak with a British accent.

Last Tuesday night though, in a media dinner night held by the Extraordinary Asia Media Dinner in downtown Los Angeles, I couldn’t help but notice Malaysia, also a Muslim country, which doesn’t have any problems it being an Islamic nation. In fact, there has been a growing number of American tourists visiting Malaysia, which has the more radical Indonesia – where terrorist attacks against “white” visitors have occurred in the recent past – as a neighbor. Ironically I can’t help but observed that when the Malaysian Los Angeles tourism official presented a video on Malaysia, it showed Malaysian women dressed like us, their faces are not covered at all, and very hospitable

to tourists, which I might add, must be cited as a model, along with Turkey, Abu Dabi and Bahrain, where women can act and dress like all others without being discriminated at. Of course, some of the Muslim nations are more liberal in a sense, but Malaysians can show that practicing the Islamic faith doesn’t have to be as intimidating and can make use of tourism as a way to economic heights. Malaysia is literally showing it with its Petronas Towers and other buildings being erected in Kuala Lumpur to accommodate its unstoppable progress.

Despite the fall of Saddam Hussein, there was never really a victory as had been declared by President Bush on board a navy ship immediately after the invasion of Iraq, and many Americans from both sides of the political spectrum are getting tired of hearing the news of American troops getting killed or injured, or seeing their loved ones being overextended in their combat duty. Reports Wednesday said, October is turning out to be the deadliest month for the American soldiers with 70 dead in the period alone, mostly killed by car bombings perpetrated by increasing number of Islamic militants. This, in addition to the tribal conflict in which the Sunnis and the Shiites are

trying to wipe each other.

“I think it was a mistake,” was the response I got from a San Diego republican about the Iraq invasion. Of course, we all know that there were no weapons of mass destruction there. Couple that with insurgency, civil war, deaths and an al-Qaeda that didn’t much exist there before because they and Saddam hated each other then, now we have

a recipe for a November 7 disaster for the GOP. I can’t wait for the results of the mid-term polls.(RFL)