immigration = corruption

August 8, 2008

Immigration = corruption

 

Corruption is an undeniable occurrence in the Philippines. In fact, it runs from the highest position up to the lowest end you could ever imagine. Corruption in our country knows no bound, it won’t let pass anyone, even his own fellowmen.

 

I myself had experienced the bitter reality of this ill-quality that most of our fellowmen have.

 

I just came from a vacation abroad. Beforehand, I was so excited and anxious about the trip because it was my first international vacation. I have anticipated problems such as luggage excess and weather problems. I have prayed for a safe trip. But lo and behold a dilemma came and it was nothing that I have ever thought of. We were on our way to the immigration, for our passports to be stamped a certain pass for us to be able to go abroad, we were all smiles, and we even greeted the immigration officer. Only to find out that we have to procure another copy of an endorsement letter coming from my mom stating the address that we are staying at. At first, it was fine, because we still have an ample time to do that, I just have to call my mom to fax a letter to the airline (through the airline’s number)  stationed at the airport and address the letter to the immigration officer. Oh, bide away, our flight is at 3:30pm and our boarding time is at 3pm, it was just 2pm then, so we just kept our cool. It took 45minutes for the fax to arrive because the airline’s number was busy, but at last it arrived. So we proceeded to the immigration to get a pass, but we found out that the immigration officer who asked for that requirement was not there anymore so another immigration officer interrogated us, this time he was not contented of the documents that we have shown him, he now asked us to give him a letter from the Philippines’ Consul stating that my mom is indeed working at that place and that we should attach our pictures on that letter (what the heck?!). On such little time? It was 3pm that time and it was our boarding time. What he had asked for was a miracle! We lost our hope of having to arrive on our vacation destination on our target date. Out of desperation, we headed to the airline’s counter and inquired about the payment for rescheduling a flight. The airline officer advised us to try our luck again, to try on a different immigration officer, mind you it was 3:15pm. So we headed to the immigration’s queue again, this time a police officer approached us stating, “anong problema?” We told him our problem and he said, “ah wala akong magagawa dyan pero kung magbabayad kayo magagawan ko yan ng paraan.” I told him, “how much?” He told us,”P3,000.” I asked: “both?” He said: “each.” At first I told him that we didn’t have that much money. But then as we go farther from him I realized that we didn’t have any other way and that if we will reschedule our flight we will still meet the same set of immigration officers and God knows what other requirements they can come up with. We just want to have a VACATION, for CHRIST sake GIVE US A BREAK, it’s MY BIRTHDAY!!! So we settled with that corrupted deal, I cannot imagine that it was happening to me in my own country, in front of the people of the GOVERNMENT and in the hands of the PEOPLE THAT WE LOOK UP TO! He gave us a paper and he asked us to write down our names and to slip in the money. So we did as he said, I was shivering then, my shivers was brought about by anxiety, frustration, anger and disbelief. I WAS CORRUPTED BY MY OWN FELLOWMEN in MY OWN COUNTRY, INFRONT OF OTHER PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT NATIONALITIES ON MY BIRTHDAY!!! What a gift?! So we hurried up to the immigration queue, as we were falling in line with the specific row that we were told about, the policeman was busy communicating with the immigration officer through SMS. During that time, a staff from the airline approached us because they were searching for us because we were the last passengers who weren’t able to get on board, YET. So we cut the line and went ahead of the other passengers (it was a good thing, they were considerate, at least some good souls). This time, this certain immigration officer did not interrogate us or did not even attempt to take a glimpse of our tickets, instead he just took a short glimpse of what seemed to me as if he was reading an SMS and then he stamped our passports and out we go to our aircraft. WHEeeEEWww!

 

On board the aircraft, I can’t still hide my emotions about what just happened. I was still in shock with disbelief. I even cried. This is one of the worst things ever! Curse them! I even grew paranoid that this may happen to us upon arrival on the country that we are destined to go but my paranoia failed, everything went smoothly at the immigration of that country, they greeted us with smiles and without any questions they gave us our 1MONTH VACATION PASS! WHHHhhhhaAAt? I was treated kindly by persons who are not my “KABABAYAN” and I was treated ACCORDINGLY in ANOTHER COUNTRY! AND I SHOULD BE PROUD TO BE A FILIPINO????!!!!

 

As much as I want to relive everything that our FILIPINO HEROES has done, for me to shake-off my hatred towards those frustrating officers, but I just can’t, my colonial mentality is slowly being buoyed up by that horrendous event. The worst thing is that, at that moment, I hated being a FILIPINO, how corrupt, selfish, dishonest, crooked, shady, distorted and shameful we are. I wish I could’ve come from another nationality, one which conserves HONESTY and RESPECT towards their fellowmen. But as I internalized things, it’s not PHILIPPINES’ fault to have been cursed by so many CORRUPTED individuals. Our country has been so unlucky to have delivered such individuals. Then I realized, I should not blame it to my mother land, but I should blame it to those who horrifyingly harm her with their evilness.

 

Lastly, as we went home from our vacation we have to pass by those same ILL immigration officers. Another commotion happened it was between a BALIKBAYAN and a certain IMMIGRATION OFFICER.  Everybody had their eyes on both of them because their argument was slowly filling the room.

 Immigration Officer: “sir! Wla po kayong address dito?”

BALIKBAYAN:”meron”

Immigration officer: “EH! BAKIT HINDI NAKSULAT? (referring to the disembarkation form)”

BALIKBAYAN: “meron po ma’am, ayan po”

Immigration officer: “ANONG ZIPCODE? BAKIT WALANG ZIPCODE DOON SA LUGAR NINYO? WALANG STREET?”

 

Then she immediately disregarded that person, putting him on hold and leaving him hanging. All that poor man wants to do was just to get back to his OWN COUNTRY and he was faced with that CRAP! Those immigration officers think that they are some sort of GODS that everyone has to bow down to them. We’ll I believe in KARMA. What goes around comes around. Love begets love and evil begets evil. God even reminds us that , ”what you have done to the least of my brothers, you have done unto me.” So GOOD LUCK to them. Even if I would want to get even with them because of what they have done, I know someone who is more powerful than us and who is carefully watching our every move will show them the same courteousness as they have shown others. KAYA SA KANILA… GOD BLESS!