Offloading and the Right to Travel: Unmasking the Foreigners for Justice group

These bogus group Foreigners for Justice which is as fictitious as Pinnocchio, and was made specifically by human traffickers, allege that the Bureau of Immigration is implementing gestapo methods through "offloading". According to the group, more than 40 people are being offloaded every day at the NAIA.

Let us resolve this issue once and for all--is "offloading" a violation of a citizen's right to travel?

I don't need to state here the exact provisions of section 6, of Article 3 of the 1987 Constitution except to say that the right to travel, though described by Senator Loi Ejercito in Senate Bill no. 174, as being ranked as the one of the highest in term of its value to a Filipino, is unfortunately not absolute.

The right to travel can be impaired by a law in pursuit of national security, public safety and public health. According to Senator Ejercito, the "exceptions" to this right or a person can "only be restricted upon a clear showing of reasonable and compelling reasons that the proposed travel is plainly harmful conduct to national security, public safety and public health."

Now, if a person is asked to momentarily suspend his travel abroad because his proposed travel is "plainly harmful conduct to national security, public safety and public health", is that a violation of his right? No, obviously because, again, the right to travel is not absolute.

People who were offloaded are not being denied their right to travel, oh no. These people can travel again, provide that the next time they present themselves before the Immigration personnel, they present clear pieces of evidence which point to their legitimacy of their travel. Meaning, those offloaded can very well, travel outside the country again, provided that they present documents and true reasons why they want to leave the country.

Now, who are the "people" behind the Foreigners for Justice group? Are they legitimate NGO? Answer--NO. 

This is a bogus group, a creation of some people inside the Bureau of Immigration who now suffer from "financial distress". Why? Because they are not anymore earning from fixing visas and other things from foreigners whom they fool with their promises. 

These people have lost their "monthly tara" or "take" the day the Bureau of Immigration chief Siegfred Mison swept the fixers out of the bureau.

Foremost of these people are two mothers, one is called "Betty Boop" and the other "Anna". These bigtime fixers allow the smuggling of Chinese mainlanders to the Philippines. 

They are very close to an insider at the bureau. They likewise give monies to a Manila city government official.

The thing is, the monies these two "ladies" give, came from the Chinese triad, who pay these ladies millions so that this Manila city government official maintains his lavish lifestyle and for some people inside the bureau to cast their gaze away from the illicit acts of these ladies and this fine City government official whose son was involved in a big-time syndicated crime.

to these people---your time is up! Everyone knows what you are doing and it will be a matter of time before the claws of justice reach you!!

to those unpatriotic elements within the bureau who miss those heady days of theirs profitting from allowing pedophiles, criminals, drug lords, smuggling lords, and serial killers to enter this country, this is your last warning--BEWARE. You have been unmasked!!!

The Filipino People will not allow you and your group to forever demean our country. You have been forewarned. 

What this group wants is for the Bureau of Immigration to go back to its corrupt ways and bring back personnel who will again, escort willing or unwilling victims of human trafficking and illegal recruitment, allow foreigners to violate our laws and escape justice and to smuggle as many Chinese mainlanders into the country and deprive Filipinos of their rights to trade in Divisoria.

What is so bad with preventing human trafficking and illegal recruitment from skyrocketing? I mean, why would other Filipinos especially the middle class militate against this thing being undertaken by the Bureau of Immigration when they themselves are not being offloaded?

Some allege that the BI is being arbitrary in their decision to offload Filipinos. The Bureau of Immigration has already explained that what they follow are guidelines as set forth by the IACAT or the inter-agency council on trafficking which is a creation of law.

To avoid being "offloaded", then the person who wishes to travel abroad must secure authentic documents and complete them to satisfy the inquiry of the immigration personnel. Period. Is that hard?

We all must contribute towards making sure that the inroads we have now gained from the fight against human trafficking would be preserved.

Let us not make a mountain out of an asp's hill. Do not allow yourself to be a party of populist yet stupid, non-sensical and idiotic arguments using the Constitution and the Right. These people who use the Constitution have nothing but air in them. They are simply trying to fan the flames of dissent when there is nothing to argue or militate against!

Instead of helping human trafficking groups, why not help the Bureau fight against these criminal syndicates?

Gloria Arroyo flight scene at NAIA part of destabilization plot? Former General seen visiting Arroyo

"Hon, bukong buko na tayo. Balik nakong St Luke's"

Seems like the true reason behind that melodrama at NAIA is beginning to unravel. Former defense chief and close Arroyo associate, General Hermogenes Esperon Jr. and several other generals close to Arroyo were seen visiting the former president at St Luke's Medical Center. I thought Arroyo suffered from high blood pressure and is at this time, edgy, according to her own spokesperson Elena Bautista-Horn?

What was the purpose of the visit of these generals, now retired? Is it possible that what Gloria and her group did at NAIA was part of a BIGGER PLAN, that is, to DESTABILIZE THE PRESENT AQUINO ADMINISTRATION?

Curiously, this incident happened during the visit of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. It's very surprising that this thing happened in just one day---the grant of an TRO inspite of the lack of oral arguments preceding to the grant and the immediate attempt by the Arroyo camp to leave this country in extreme haste. The SC, it seemed was in an unusual haste when it issued the TRO, as if, this TRO is being timed for a bigger reason.

If you notice the statements given by the Arroyo camp, there was a usual pattern, that is, the Arroyos tried to rouse public anger against the administration by linking Arroyo's condition with that of the ordinary Filipino.

The Arroyos tried to garner public support but, it backfired. Based on a TV Patrol survey of 10,000 Filipinos, nearly 8 out of 10 Filipinos supported the decision of the Department of Justice not to allow the Arroyos to leave this country.

Meaning,their melodrama was seen as a ruse, another prevarication or lie given by Arroyo. Arroyo had been seen as a villain in this case, instead of someone whose rights are being violated by the government.

Look at what the Arroyos tried to accomplish:

1. They tried to divide the govermment by creating a pseudo constitutional crisis. Many of Arroyo's allies wanted to create a situation, which is a constitutional crisis, in order to further fuel a political crisis.

This constitutional crisis is just in the minds of those who want to destabilize this administration.

2. They tried to muster public support behind their so called "advocacy" but it fell flat and in fact, exploded before their very faces.

3. They tried to hide their true intention by using the legal argument. Many people do not believe that they are fighting for Right--what the people see is a selfish motive by people behind Arroyo to again, fool the Filipino People into believing that they are being oppressed themselves, when, in truth and in fact, it is only the Arroyos who are getting the brunt end of the bargain.

4. The presence of former generals visiting Arroyo at St Luke's Medical Center.

This talk of destabilization has been going on since what? last year?

I think that it is time for these groups to just do what they want to do, and get it on. Let's see if they have the strength and the moral standi, so to speak, to launch whatever they want to launch.

It is certain, and it is quite obvious, that they will surely fail because the support of the masses is not with them.

Fact is, the masses are laughing at them.