A Case of Wrong Timing

The benchmark agendum in the platform of incumbent-President Noynoy Aquino’s government is the noble promise not to impose any new taxes amongst the cash-strapped Filipinos. Taxes are the lifeblood of a government, a huge chunk of their spending power relies on their income from taxes. In the Arroyo era, then-President Gloria Arroyo risked the wrath of the public in order to impose the Value Added Tax (VAT) and  then the Expanded VAT (EVAT).

Though taxes may reduce the amount of income one can spend on his family, we must understand that they are essential. Taxes are vital to improve infrastructure and government services that in turn may define the nation’s economy and the standard of living of the people. However, it is also important for taxes to be reasonable and within the boundaries of affordability. It is true that citizens need to comply with their duties, but governments need to be humane in imposing them as well.

The South Luzon Express Way will be among the toll fee roads affected by the VAT.

At the onset of the recent ‘Saudization’ issue – the limiting of foreign workers by Saudi Arabia in their country – as much as 500,000 Overseas Filipino Workers are set to lose their jobs. Around 50,000 workers have already received their termination papers. This means that the number of Filipinos who are seeking employment, both locally and abroad, has increased. Almost at the same time as this problem, the Aquino administration decided to impose the 12% VAT on toll road fees, a provision never imposed in the original VAT law.

Talk about wrong timing. The tax, although the government argues is based on toll receipts and not on the consumers’ spending, will increase toll fees which in turn will be an added cost to the numerous trucking companies that transport goods to the markets. The increase in costs will be compensated through an increase in the price of the goods affected, which in turn will lead to a domino effect of price increase on all goods interconnected. This will be an added headache, not only to the consumers, but to export markets as well.

Such is the case with cement companies in our country. The industry is struggling to export their goods, since Philippine-made cement is the 2nd most expensive in South East Asia. Among their reasons of setting such high prices is the expensive trucking costs in the country – just think of what the increased toll fees will do. It will make it harder for our local export markets to compete internationally.

Let us not get the Aquino administration wrong, they aim for nothing but to improve government social services. The revenues the government expects to collect amounts to nearly Php2B, a boost to their dry coffers. However, more should be expected from an economics graduate like Noynoy Aquino. Any cash handout given to struggling households will be useless if prices continue to increase. The Aquino administration should instead invest in infrastructure and in new factories that would control or even lower the prices of commodities in the country. Toll roads should be bought and their toll fees erased instead of increasing them. This will be a better, long-term, response to poverty and an appropriate means to alleviate the plight of the unemployed.

On the 30th of June 2010, Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, only son of our nation’s most recognizable figures, vow not to further the misery of the poor by not imposing new taxes.  While it is understandable if PNoy may break this promise, he should also learn to adjust his reforms according to the situation in the country. Adding taxes at a time when OFWs are losing their jobs and unemployment is high is an insult to injury, an insult on the plight of destitute Filipinos. If there is a need for stronger financial support from citizens, the government should at least be considerate of other economic factors in the country as well. If we are to practice good citizenry, the government should also practice proper timing.

Javier Jacutin Mariona: Born for Great Things

This is an article I wrote for PinoyFootball.com

http://pinoyfootball.com/Features/2011Mar07Mon142231

By LOUIE ENCABO
PinoyFootball.com Exclusive

NEW ZEALAND –Some people are born into this world are bound for greatness.

You can tell who they are sometimes when something shows up in the manner of their birth or in their accomplishments as young men and women.

Clark Kent for example had super strength and other extraordinary powers during childhood and then grew up to be Superman.

In real life, there’s Wayne Rooney, who could do overhead bicycle kicks at age nine. He didn’t grow up to be a superhero though, but instead he plays football somewhat like a superhuman.

Thousands of miles away, a potential Super footballer awaits a glorious future.

Javier Jacutin Mariona may seem like your typical six-year old boy: he loves food; he enjoys watching extreme sports on TV (a fan of action sports star Travis Pastrana) and most common of all he’s bursting with energy like most kids his age.

But don’t be fooled, this Filipino-Salvadorian stands out from other kids his age due to his exceptional abilities. I mean, it’s not every day that you can find a six-year old who enjoys the sports: football, tennis, taekwondo, skateboarding and golf (a kid playing golf? No way!).

 

Sports Excellence in his Genes

Javier’s background includes two sporting greats from two different nations. His father is Rodrigo Mariona, son of El Salvador’s greatest football player, Salvador Mariona who represented his country at the 1970 FIFA World Cup. The tiny Central American nation faced the likes of the Soviet Union, Belgium and Mexico in their group.

Javier’s mom is former Philippine top ranked junior tennis player Marisue Balinado, who represented the country in tournaments abroad like the Federation Cup, World Youth Cup, Wimbledon, Canadian Open, Japan Open, SEA Games and even making it to the elimination round of the Australian Open Juniors. Her highest ITF ranking was at rank 47 for singles and rank 33 for doubles.

Definitely, greatness is in Javier’s genes. The young lad spends his abundant energy playing the sport of his father and grandfather, football. At age six, Javier plays for an Under-8 team in California.

The Mountain View/Los Altos Atomics is for ages 7-8 but young Javier was allowed to train with the team thanks to his superior talent. Javier trains for one and a half hours on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and another session during Saturdays. This may seem much to the ordinary six-year old, but for Javier this is not even enough playing time.

“He could do more football practice, but we don’t allow it because he needs to focus on his education first.” mom Marisue said.

Javier is definitely a talent the Azkals management staff should keep an eye on, he seems like an ideal prospect for the Arsenal scouts or Barcelona’s La Masia Academy.

 

Embracing his Pinoy Roots

However, growing up in a foreign country and having another country of heritage, it would be hard to expect the young boy to have the heart of a Pinoy and to be playing for the national team. People of the same predicament often end up forgetting ‘Pinas and pledging allegiance to a new homeland.

Not Javier, though.

“Javier loves sinigang, nilagang baka, adobo, pancit and he’s a big rice fan!” mom Marisue, said.

“Javier completely understands Spanish and some Visayan, but answers back in English since it is the language commonly spoken at home.”

So all hope is not lost, after all. Javier has the heart (and stomach) of a Pinoy.

There’s more good news, Pinay mom Marisue is encouraging Javier to embrace his Filipino roots even more.

“I think Javier would be honored to play for the Philippines one day. In fact, my husband Rodrigo and I are planning to relocate in the next 5 years or so. We want our kids to study and to eventually speak the language and we believe that the education system in our country is excellent. In addition, he will probably get to play on the Junior Premier League there and he can decide for himself then.”

But at age six, Javier has a long way to go before he can become an Azkal. And with all those years in front of him, it is not certain yet if he will indeed pursue the beautiful game when he grows up.

Mrs. Mariona explains, “Whatever they (Javier and sister) are motivated to do we are in to support them 100%. Both my husband and I are athletes so we know how a sport is more exciting when you are good at it. We will always be behind them to show how to master their skills and ignite their motivation; because again, only when you are good at something that you truly enjoy mastering it. Everything we do as parents builds on the foundation of compassion and love. He will play soccer as long as he’s passionate about it and give it his best.”

And in case Javier the Azkal does not become a reality, what is the alternative?

“Javier the Monster Truck Driver”, the proud mom says with a smile.

 

Words of Wisdom from the Mother

As I finished my final question of our interview, mom Marisue imparted some words of wisdom, “Do Filipinos need to be half this and half that to be great at something? No, we are more than capable of producing world class athletes. Filipinos are naturally talented. There are so many out there, in the streets (best Brazilian football talents are of the streets of Rio de Janeiro), etcetera that have the potential of being great but lack support and proper training.”

She added that she personally think that having international athletes come and represent our country is a blessing. “For me, we would have not enjoyed the game of football today if not for the English guys on the Azkals team. (well they are handsome guys, if I may add) We need that exposure like the Davis Cup tennis team with Fil-Am players; they are on a higher group now. Hence a sport is more recognised and take on by many especially kids.” she said.

Her words could not have been truer. Indeed, the Filipinos are gifted with the potential to succeed, to stand out among the rest. We are among those people who were born for greatness, as I mentioned earlier. However, unfortunate circumstances have stopped us from living our true potential. In the field of sports graft, favouritism and prettense hinder us from excelling. Athletes do not get the proper training they need because of the funds allotted were spent on something else.

As Mrs. Mariona pointed out, the best football players of Brazil are the ones on the streets. Not the ones playing in their leagues, not the ones playing club football in Europe but the ones in the streets. And the same could be true for the Philippines, our best football players could just be lurking around in the parks, the barrios or in the shantytowns of Tondo. These guys just need support.

 

Discovering Talent

Who knows how many potentially great Azkals have passed but were just not discovered because of the financial difficulties that hampered the Philippine Football Federation in the past? Who knows how many football greats are out there just waiting to be discovered? Like myself for example, I personally believe I would have grown up to be the next Ronaldo or Zidane if only my mom had enrolled me to a football school when I was young. But that’s another story.

Going back to our promising young talent, the future looks bright for Javier Mariona. And he’s lucky to have tremendous support from his parents. He looks set to fulfill his potential. And what if Javier the Azkal does not become a reality? Well, it’s a pity but there are more kids out there who possess the same ability as him and are just waiting to be discovered (or developed).

As I ended my interview with Mrs. Marisue Mariona, she had this last line to say, “If my son Javier can be an instrument to inspire other kids to take on soccer/football then so be it. It is never to young to enjoy a sport and give them opportunity to shine.” LE

The Pinoy Side of Fred Holtom

This is an article I wrote for Pinoyfootball.com

http://pinoyfootball.com/Features/2011Apr09Sat042953

NEW ZEALAND –England has given us some of our vital national team players; the Younghusband brothers, the Greatwich trio, Rob Gier, Chad Gould and of course the indispensable Neil Etheridge among others.

Being a country where football is the main religion and having such a great number of Filipino immigrants, it’s not hard to explain why a lot of Azkals come from the Old Blighty.

And we may be able to expect another one though, in the person of Solihull-born Fred Holtom; a 17-year old, six feet tall center-half whose mom hails from Tolosa, Leyte. The lad has not been playing professional football for a long time but he already has the experience of playing for clubs like Aston Villa F.C. and Preston North End.

What is intriguing about this Filipino-English prospect is the fact that he is a product of a Premier League side academy. Throughout the Azkals’ history only Mark and Matthew Hartmann, Neil Etheridge and the Younghusband brothers have played for Premier League sides. The latter three turned out to be first-team regulars.

Fred then definitely has the potential to be one as well. At the young age of 14, Fred was scouted by England top-tier club Aston Villa F.C. while playing for a Sunday league team.

Having played football only in youth leagues prior to Aston Villa, Fred struggled but eventually found his rhythm.

 

No time to Waste

“At first it was massive for me as I’d gone from playing football for a regular Sunday league team to going to this massive team and I felt slightly overwhelmed, but everyone there helped me to settle in and it helped me to realise that I didn’t have time to waste not focusing on getting another contract”, he shares.

Unfortunately, after two years Fred failed to win that contract. However, he says that the experience “taught me[him] a lot both as a player and as a person still growing up.”

Did he manage to make friends with any Aston Villa superstar like Ashley Young or Gareth Barry (who was still at the club then)?

“Because of the level of prestige of the club they didn’t let the academy (age groups younger than 16) interact much with the first team”, Fred tells us.

However, he shared an encounter with ex-Aston Villa guy Martin Petrov that made the Bulgarian his role model.

“I remember once that I was in the canteen and Petrov came and sat with me and a team-mate and just read the paper and chatted to us as normal”, Fred recalls.

“This was the day before a massive game for them and he became a role model for me because despite his role in the club and the things that were on his mind he still made time for people that he didn’t even know and still stayed grounded and didn’t act like he should have been treated any different to us!”

Fred did have some good moments playing for the Villains’ Academy side, but he couldn’t deny the fact that he felt scared after being released.

“After being released by Villa I wasn’t quite sure where I would end up, some of the other lads I knew stopped playing all together so I knew if I got a contract anywhere I was still doing well”, he shares.

 

Preston North End

Fred’s prayers were somewhat answered though, as Preston then came knocking at his door.

“Fortunately I was offered a contract by Preston and even though they are a tier down in the first team standings, the youth football still has the same demands. And although the bigger clubs spend a lot more money the smaller clubs like Preston still have a great standard.”

Today, Fred continues to play for Preston North End F.C. in England’s NPower Championship, the second highest league. Although only in the youth team, Holtom still does receive training of high standards.

Preston North End U-18s were in the most recent F.A. Youth Cup with the U-18 sides of Manchester United and Aston Villa in it. Fred played a starring role in most of the matches until Preston were knocked out in the 5th round in a controversial game against Leicester U-18.

Fred says Preston should have won and that anyone who saw the game would have agreed as well. Despite this, Fred still gives credit to the Preston youth team and says that the level of demand is just the same as in Aston Villa F.C.

With all these experience under his belt despite only 17, Fred should be a shoe-in for the Azkals. And when the Azkals come knocking at his door how should he respond?

 

Would Love to be an Azkal

“I would love represent the Philippines just as much as I would [for] England. At the moment I may be too young to consider my possibilities, but I don’t see why it couldn’t be an option in the future. I personally haven’t been in contact with any members [of the PFF] but I’m not sure whether my Dad has had any contact [with the PFF] or not.”

Fred Holtom may have spent his whole life in England but he is well-aware of his Pinoy roots. Before signing for professional clubs, Fred and his family used to visit the Philippines every other summer to see his mom’s family.

In his own words, Fred has this to say: “Although I’ve lived in England all my life I class myself as mixed and am proud to acknowledge the Pinoy in me.”

Aside from Tolosa, Leyte Fred says he has also seen Manila and Boracay island which he “absolutely loved” visiting.

In his visits, however, Fred didn’t really notice a lot of football going on and thought that the Philippines didn’t have a team. He thought basketball was the only craze in the country.

“I’d never really heard of the Philippines having a national team it was always basketball!”, he says with a chuckle.

“I remember once me and my Dad tried teaching a few of my cousins the basics but it failed quite quickly, was fun though! But it’s great that the sport is starting to be noticed again in such a huge way.”

Now that the Azkals are gaining recognition all over the world, Fred says his dad updates him with the latest scores and results.

“I love the fact the now they have a team and are competing in so many tournaments and doing so well, my Dad is constantly updating me on scores and news so I’m hearing a lot of good things which is always great to hear for a footballer and for a Filipino.”

 

On Foreign Based Players

When asked on his take on the number of foreign-based Filipino players in the team, Fred says that the country definitely should establish its own league system but should welcome the influx of foreign-bred talents.

“Because the team is only starting to get a bit of glory I think that to carry on doing what they’re doing is the obvious way and I think it is proving to be successful, but I think that without a doubt having a Filipino league would be the best possible thing for the sport in a national sense.”

He added that every country wants their team to do as best as possible, but more and more you see players coming in with mixed ethnicity like myself which is great for the team, but seeing a youngster who was born and bred in that country is amazing for the fans. I think a mix would be great for the team and would give the team the best chance of being successful, but that might just be my personal opinion.

Already six-feet tall in his late teens, the physical attributes of Fred Holtom will no doubt improve as he grows older. His game will also mature as he keeps playing which ultimately means that Fred will only get better.

However, this might mean that it would be more difficult to call-up Fred if his other home country goes knocking at his door. But as the young lad said, he is as happy to represent the Philippines as he is for England.

When asked about his ambitions for his career, Fred gives a cheeky grin and says “to be able to play in the World Cup”. And like any other young player, he just wants the best he can possibly achieve and win as many accolades as he can.

He will look for offers from professional clubs next season and hopes to build from there. LE

From Wolf to Azkal

This is an article I wrote for Pinoyfootball.com

NEW ZEALAND — “I want to play for the Azkals, but mom was already a German citizen when I was born”, said Denis Santos Wolf when asked if he would be interested to apply for a Philippine passport and play for the Philippine national football team.

Denis is in doubt if he could play for the Azkals as his Filipina mother, Patricia Santos has already acquired German citizenship when he was born. Thus, the experienced Filipino-German striker is unsure if he still qualifies to get a Filipino passport.

“But I’m not going to give up just yet”, he said.

Denis Santos Wolf was born in the city of Hanover, in Germany . Since the country is football-crazy, it is no surprise that at an early age Denis was already exposed to the beautiful game.

“I started playing football at age 5, for Germania Grasdorf.”, Denis tells us.

 

On German Youth

SV Germania Grasdorf is a football development team for German youth. It was in this club that the young Denis learned the basics of the game. He rose slowly, but steadily, through the ranks of the team until such time that he was able to fulfill a dream. His hometown team, Hannover 96 scouted him when he was 15 and was signed up to join their youth team. That was the start of his rise through the ranks of German football.

“The coaches saw that my football was too mature for the youth team, so they moved me to the Hannover 96 U-23 team which plays in the Oberliga (German 4th Division), ” he said.

Denis made 20 appearances in the Oberliga, scoring seven goals. In 2003, he eventually broke into the first team of his hometown club. Wolf then became the first Filipino-blooded player to play in the Bundesliga, Germany ’s highest division at age 20.

At this time, Wolf was at the peak of his career. He would make four appearances as a Hannover 96 player, scoring a goal in the process. Then, bad luck struck.

Denis Wolf had an operation in his stomach which took him out of action for a long time. Wolf wasn’t able to see action again until the end of that season. In the summer, he scraped a few chances of training but failed to impress then-Hannover manager Ralf Rangnick. Eventually, the club decided to let him go on loan to Fortuna Dusseldorf in the 2nd Bundesliga , Germany ’s second highest league.

Denis took a drop in terms of level of competition but he eventually found himself back on track. He made a total of 31 appearances, scoring five goals, during this loan spell period. Believing that Fortuna would climb into the Bundesliga and since he was a regular starter, Denis decided to sign a permanent deal with Fortuna Dusseldorf.

“I figured it was best for my career that time”, he explained.

 

More Injury Problems

Sadly, he picked up a number of injuries in his second season with the club and only played 24 games. Denis scored two goals in that season. Then, another bad luck struck as he broke his right foot. It was his worst injury and he had to undergo another operation.

The injury stalled Denis career once again just like when he got injured at his previous club, Hannover 96.

After failing to recover in time for the next season, Fortuna Dusseldorf decided to offload Denis. His next club would be in the third-tier of German football, with the club FC Rotweiss Erfurt . He would make 56 appearances for the first team, scoring 12 goals in total. But then his injuries took its’ toll on him again, and this time Denis was dropped to Erfurt ’s reserve squad. He made a further two appearances and one goal during his brief spell with the reserves. In 2009, after two years with the club, he was released on a free transfer.

If Denis had stayed fit, he would definitely be still in the Bundesliga. Playing in Germany’s highest league at the young age of 20 definitely signals potential, and Denis definitely had this.

Today, he plays for F.C. Magdeburg in the fourth tier of German football. Compared to his golden days the level of his current playing fitness is much lower. But whatever experience he obtained from playing in those leagues can not be taken away. Who knows? Maybe someday the Azkals will benefit from that experience. At six feet, two inches Denis is a striker the Azkals may want to field. And his interest to acquire Filipino citizenship gives us more hope of seeing the German Wolf transform into an Azkal in the future. LE

Ralph Koch: Waiting to Shine

This is an article I wrote for Pinoyfootball.com

The Azkals’ goalkeeping positions are firmly held by four talented individuals.

Fulham’s Neil Etheridge, veteran and probably United Football League’s (UFL) best keeper Eduard Sacapano, promising sixteen-year old Christopher Camcam and Cebuano teenager Paolo Pascual now crowd that position.

This was the pecking order of the team’s goalkeeping position during the past two tournaments and most probably for the ongoing AFC Challenge Cup.

Neil is a solid first-choice; his heroic antics during the Suzuki Cup Qualifiers (Laos, October 2010) and the Suzuki Cup itself (Vietnam-Indonesia, December 2010) are constant reminders of why he should bear this honor.

Eduard, despite being an ageing keeper at 36 years old, is still a reliable second-choice who can step up if ever anything bad (knock on wood) happens to Etheridge. As for Chris Camcam, being a former keeper of the national U-19 team is a sign of his potential. Not to mention; standing at 6 feet three inches tall at the age of only sixteen makes him an asset to keep.

Paolo Pascual is another promising goalie who had to drop out out of University of San Carlos in Cebu to try his luck with the Azkals.

There is indeed a stiff competition for the spot deemed the most unglamorous position in all of football.

And because of this a number of talented Filipino keepers all over the globe are forgotten, bar Paolo Pascual who managed to shine despite all this. Former Azkals Ref Cuaresma (Philippine Navy) and Alvin Montanez (Silliman University F.C.) are no longer on the team’s radar.

Even former national team standout Louie Michael Casas (former San Beda College now with University of St. La Salle in Bacolod) has been forgotten.

 

Foreign-based Keepers

In my opinion however, the best Filipino keeper waiting to shine out there is foreign-based.

No, it’s not Roland Mueller (MSV Duisburg) of Germany who was once tapped to be Neil’s back-up. It’s also not Christian Wallau, another Filipino-German, who once was keeper for an all Euro-based Filipino football team.

I’m talking about Ralph Koch, another German-based Filipino who has played for the reserve teams of FC Twente(Netherlands) and Borussia Dortmund (Germany).

Ralph Nick Joseph Abayon Koch was born in Makati City, to a German father and a Pinay mother. He went to school at Eurocampus International School and started his football playing for the school team. At the age of sixteen, he switched schools and continued his studies at Brent Internation School. Two years after, in 2005, Ralph decided to pursue university in Europe in order to further his studies. He took up Public Administration & Political Science in Germany. This marked the start of the golden age of his football career.

Immediately after moving to Germany, Koch joined German minor league team TuS Niederaden. This would be a stepping stone as his performance for the club got him invites for try-outs to various clubs, including Preussen Munster F.C.

 

Stint with Borussia Dortmund

Problems with his schooling got him free time, which enabled him to look for clubs around Germany. It was because of his free time that he decided to look for a job in his hometown club, Borrusia Dortmund.

He looked for a job, not a try-out. But during the course of his stay at Dortmund (as assistant equipment manager), Ralph experimented playing with the trainees and the first team players at the club. He shined well during these mock games and earned him praise from the coaches that they asked him to train with them until he gets back to school, on a non-contract basis.

Soon after, Ralph found himself as Dortmund’s keeper during closed-door and academy matches against minor league clubs.

Koch’s time at Borussia Dortmund came to an end in less than a year, as he found school in the Netherlands.

However, this gave him further opportunities to hone his football potential as he landed a spot at F.C. Twente’s reserve side. He even managed to play for two full 90 minute games while at Twente in the Netherlands reserve league, against RKC Waalwijk and NEC Nijmegen.

Ralph spent a year and a half at the Netherlands before moving on to another challenge. He then moved back to Germany, in Lunen City specifically, to join German 6th tier club Luner SV. Despite being way back down in the German league system, it was in this club where Ralph was able to find action against several big teams. His old club Borussia Dortmund included, where he managed to stop shots from Lucas Barrios among others.

Ralph Koch clearly has a good pedigree behind him, getting experience from such clubs. And at the age of 23 one could only imagine how far he could go. He takes his studies and his footballing seriously, a sign of a decent young lad.

 

Playing for the Azkals

I asked Ralph if ever he considered playing for the Azkals, he replies: “Of course.”

“I have always considered myself as a Filipino, nothing else”, he adds.

Despite this patriotism, Ralph never got a chance to prove himself. He has contacted the PFF several times, starting from the Des Bulpin era, but he was never contacted back. The closest he got to a try-out was when he met with Mr. Dan Palami in Frankfurt, it was during this meeting that he impressed the Azkals manager with his ability to speak Tagalog fluently.

This bore good results, he is invited to train with the team in June in preparation for an U-23 pool for the SEA games. He will however, face stiff competition again, particularly from the shining keeper from Cebu, Paolo Pascual.

Asked if he is worried about Paolo: “Not at all, in fact I am in contact with him and we give advice to each other.”

“He’s a good guy.”

Today, Ralph can only look at June for a possible step forward for his dream of one day representing the country he calls home. But who knows how far he could go? (LE)

Diplomatic Bullying

It seems that the Philippines is finding itself on the wrong end of a diplomatic bullying.

Philippines and Taiwan: friends until recently.

The island-nation of Taiwan, which calls itself the ‘Republic of China’, is apparently incensed at the Philippine government. This came as a result of the latter’s decision to deport 14 Taiwanese nationals, suspected of fraud, to the People’s Republic of China, Taiwan’s nemesis and communist alter-ego.

The crime was committed on Chinese nationals, who were allegedly swindled of US$20M by the Taiwanese suspects. The latter’s internet protocol addresses were traced back to the Philippines, where local authorities apprehended them. Mainland China asked for custody of the suspects, and so did Taiwan. As we all know now, Malacanang heeded to the former’s request.

It only made sense: the crime happened in China, the evidence was in China; it was only fair to deport the accused to China. But Taiwan doesn’t see it this way, however. Instead the country thinks the Philippines bowed to China — just as it always does. In fact, the Taiwanese government is so furious at the Philippines’ decision that they intend to pull out their entire US$2B aide to the country. In addition to that, there is another plan to suspend hiring of Filipino workers and instead look at Thailand and Indonesia to fill in their labor gaps.

They have already recalled their envoy, Donald Lee, from the Taipei Economic Cultural Office in Manila.

Taiwan knows they are capable of hurting us, economically speaking. With a foreign reserve amounting to US$400B, indeed they can. But despite that, our country should always stand by what is right no matter what the  consequence is. Some ‘brilliant’ ex-diplomats and lawmakers are now saying the government should have appeased Taiwan to save the OFWs’ jobs. If we did so, just think of what else Taiwan can ask for in the future. Let’s not forget, they have claims for our Batanes Islands in the north.

And of course, let’s not forget how the policy of appeasement caused the deaths of over fifty million people in the 1940′s.

However, if Taiwan were to be trusted, according to them the Manila Economic Cultural Office in Taipei failed to give them updates on the case. They highlighted that it was late when they found out about the Phl government’s decision to send the deportees to China. This angered them.

Clearly, our judicial system has a lot of flaws and our laws are very vague. This has been proven in the past as criminals who were clearly guilty of the crimes they committed managed to be acquitted due to a technicality in the law. Justice Secretary Leila De Lima is right when she says, “We do not wan’t our country to be a haven for international criminals”. The question is, how do we not make our country a haven for international criminals?

We need to reform our laws and be more decisive in executing our policies. We should not hesitate to apprehend criminals just because we are afraid of what their country would say or do. The law is the law, and no one is above it. Not even if you have US$400B of foreign reserves.

To Serve and Protect Themselves

Every year, a fresh batch of about 300 young men and women graduate from Asia’s premier military school — the Philippine Military Academy. The new officers take an oath at the end of their four year course, which is basically summed up by the motto of the Armed Forces of the Philippines — “to serve and protect”. However, with the recent scandals and corruption allegations that rocked the military service of the country a question comes in mind; who do they promise to “serve and protect”?

Future officers of the force

The military is in focus now, several of its high-ranking officers and past officials are now involved in a corruption scandal. One of the accused even committed suicide yesterday, most probably due to the intensity of the hearings. Most military officers are graduates of the PMA, most probably because the curriculum of the academy molds the cadets to become ranked-officers upon graduation. A PMA graduate is commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant immediately after graduation.

This comes as a surprise, it is widely-known that love for the Constitution, discipline and patriotism are among the values instilled in the cadets in the PMA curriculum. Didn’t these officers, who have been caught red-handed of corruption, learn such values while they were in the academy? If they love the Constitution why would they violate one of its laws which forbids plunder? Is conversion of public funds into their own pocket money a sign of discipline? And patriotism means putting your country first, not your employers or your superiors. These high-ranking officials violate such virtues.

Now there are calls to abolish the Philippine Military Academy, which is a shame because the school is one of the country’s source of pride — being the best military institution in the continent. Several honorable individuals are also products of this academy, they include: Representative Rodolfo Biazon, Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita. However, the academy also bore several bad fruits, which include coup plotters and one notable murder suspect now in hiding.

The PMA has already attracted bad publicity in the past, a few years back lawmakers were complaining about the amount of money spent on each cadet: a whooping Php2M on every cadet for the four year course. This translates to a Php514M annual budget for the academy, yet its’ junior officers take part in coups which make the money a bad investment. During PMA Homecomings, notable people in the fields of politics, showbiz and business become ‘honorary members’ for no logical reason whatsoever. These people include former President Gloria Arroyo, former presidential daughter Luli Arroyo and tycoon Tonyboy Cojuangco. All of them did not come from the institution. Speculation is that this is how the future officers, the young graduates, form a ‘friendship’ with these heavyweights. Allowing them to receive ‘favors’ from one another in the future.

Obviously the image of the armed forces is now messed up. The men-in-uniform children are supposed to look up to are now linked with corruption. Something of course has to be done about this, it is a wasted sacrifice fighting for your country wholeheartedly while your superiors, your so-called ‘leaders’, are ruining the glory you are trying to achieve. Depriving the soldier of the respect he deserves.

The reform needs to start at the PMA, it only makes sense, the officers who eventually take charge of the Armed Forces come from this institution after all. Mentors should review their curriculum, make sure they teach the right values to the cadets so as to avoid losing them to opportunistic officers who brainwash them into destabilization pawns. The Php500M+ annual budget should be well-invested to craft the best servicemen available to defend our great nation. Graduating cadets need to make sure they know what they are saying in oath during graduation, they need to know who they serve and protect.