What our airports need

Troops from the United States are barred from going into nightclubs or bars while in the Philippines. Poor guys, how will they enjoy their night life while in the country? Will they go to concerts, or just watch Filipino movies?

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For this they can blame that poor teenaged guy named Robert Scott Pemberton who, just out of high school, joined the marines and was on one of its boats that stopped in Olongapo. The neophyte thought he would get himself a big date and was so innocent he never thought that in this country, as in some other parts of Asia, the girls who approach them are sometimes boys. And so he got involved in this fellow Jeffrey, who was then identified as Jennifer, and he is now facing charges for his/her alleged murder.

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Oh my. The Ombudsman and the Sandiganbayan seem to be on a race nowadays to file the most charges or indict and arraign as many accused officials as they can. So it must be true that both are trying to deal with their backlogs of cases before the 2016 election. But will the fact that some of those who will run for various offices are facing very serious charges influence the voters? Some candidates, like presidential wannabe Jejomar Binay, does not seem at all perturbed by the serious charges against him. He must be relying on the surveys showing him on top – even if his ratings have been plummeting lately.

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I have noticed that among the most common charges being announced in the media are those that involve plunder and malversation, with the latter involving even some officials in the lower levels, like barangay leaders. But I was stunned to hear from a lawyer that respondents must not be complacent if it is malversation that they are facing. It seems that a case of malversation involving a minimum of P22 million is already unbailable.

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Another fearful thing is that, with the present focus on the Courts because of the recent claims of Senator Antonio Trillanes about having evidence that justices of the Court of Appeals can be bought if one wants a temporary restraining order pronto, even those who are not involved or suspected, will be very careful, and maybe stricter when it comes to TROs. So those with charges, or are already due for arraignment or a decision, must be very uneasy these days. Those who have been charged in regular courts are luckier, they can count on a longer period before judgement day comes, but the Ombudsman and the Sandiganbayan are not special courts for nothing.

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Meanwhile, I was happy to see the report about the arrest of some personnel of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport who were caught stealing from the luggage of passengers. I hope they are charged and get convicted because some were really caught with the stolen goods in their lockers. I had been a victims – and some friends and relatives also – of such thievery when my flight from the U.S. was delayed and we had to stay overnight in Manila. When I got home to Bacolod later, I discovered that seven signature shirts that I had bought as pasalubongs for my brothers and nephews, were gone.

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I am very sure that the theft happened when our luggage was stored in Manila, because such a thing had never happened in all of my previous trips that had not been delayed, as we were able to claim our luggage immediately landing. Shortly after my sad experience, there was also a report about such personnel being caught by CCTV. I later realized how the stealing was done: They cut through packing tape at the bottom of the balikbayan box, and then re-tape it after they had taken out the items they want.

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Anyway, talk about airports brought to mind a recent item saying that airport officials have given up trying to control “send-off” parties, especially of Pinoy families who crowd the area when a relative leaves for abroad. Now, I think, they are planning to expand the area where send-off groups can stay, where they will not bother other passengers. I felt a bit shamefaced hearing that because ours is just such a family, where everyone wants to stay goodbye or welcome.

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The first time my brother Pros went to the U.S. such a big group of relatives, some even coming from New York were at the L.A. airport to meet us with placards, leis, and banners of welcome that other passengers were looking daggers at us because we were blocking the entrance, with all the kissing and hugging and cries of “Surprise! Surprise!” I think the Los Angeles airport is another one that should provide a bigger send-off and welcome space especially for Pinoys but I hope they do not charge fees for using them.*

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