Foreigners Are Welcome To Visit And Do Business In The Philippines But NEVER To Meddle In Its Political Affairs
I still accept the fact that almost everything I enjoy today has foreign influence. The problem that Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra is pointing out is this simple fact -- foreigners are welcome to visit and invest in the country provided that they follow rules. Both visitors and foreign investors are required to act like any visitor is required to act -- to respect territorial rights.
The problem isn't about foreigners in general but foreigners who act like they are experts of the Philippines (or worse, the world). There are Americans who act like that they are experts of the Philippines -- they simply had a short vacation and they think they already know everything they have to know about the Philippines. Organizations like the International Criminal Court and the European Union are constantly meddling in Philippine affairs. The big question that Filipinos need to ask is whether or not these foreign organizations even know the real situation rather than just hear from the biased mainstream media?
It reminds me of why Agnes Callamard's attention deserves to be called. Not only did she lie that shabu as harmless but who gave her the right to meddle in Philippine affairs? It should be something that she decided to intervene with its political affairs. I don't care if Chito Gascon even gave her an invitation -- if Gascon invited her to help destabilize the Duterte administration then the more the former should be fired and the more the government should view giving Callamard persona non-grata as a sworn duty that they must perform. There's nothing wrong with Gascon inviting her but her meddling in political affairs and not hearing both sides of the coin is already partisan politics -- she's clearly violated Philippine sovereignty law. Yet you have Dilawans who continue to praise her stupidity.
Why do I hate those European guys or members of some international groups in this picture with Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel and Ted Villarin? It's simple -- they are stepping beyond their boundaries. If they were visiting the Philippines to do business and provide jobs for Filipinos then by all means they are welcome. If they want to go to the Philippines and enjoy the fine beaches such as Coron, Siargao and Panglao they by all means they are welcome. But if they're here for a "state visit" demanding the release of certain people whose real story they have NO REAL KNOWLEDGE about then that's a totally different issue. With some of them demanding the release of Leila De Lima -- do they even own the Philippines to start with? Worse, they couldn't even fix their own territories which further ruins their credibility. One good example is peace and order is even much worse in their territory than it is in the Philippines, right?
On the other hand, nothing is wrong with asking foreign assistance or donations without conditions (which is in contrast to foreign aid). I think it would be good for President Rodrigo R. Duterte to actually have some Malaysian assistance in trying to create a good federal-parliamentary system because liberating the economy is just the first step. Foreigners are free to express their views but not to pressure any country into submitting to their will. The Philippines has no experience yet in the more effective federal-parliamentary and only experience in the burdensome presidential-unitary. It would be good to get foreign assistance in that area. As said, welcome foreigners who arrive for tourism and investment but not those who go to other countries to meddle in affairs -- all the while they can't even take care of their own problems.
I think the current laws are a bit too paranoid. In fact in democratic countries foreigners can do:
ReplyDelete-Petition to the government or lawmakers
-Exercise the right of free speech
-Take part in pro or anti government rallys
-Take part as guest speaker at political events, including party conventions
What foreigners can't do in democratic countries:
-vote
-run for a political office or a seat as lawmaker
-fund political parties
-take senior positions in government agencies, including police and military.
There are some issues handled differently bu countries:
-Some countries allow long term residents (at least 5 to 8 years) to vote at municipal level or sub municipal level
-Some countries allow membership in political parties or NGO
-Foreign funding of NGO is legal in some countries but illegal in others
But I made some observation with everyday people.
I don't have any problems to discuss American politics with Americans.
I don't have any problems to discuss Thai politics with Thais.
I don't have any problems to discuss South African politics with South Africans.
I don't have any problems to discuss Indonesian politics with Indonesians.
I don't have any problems to discuss British politics with Brits.
I don't have any problems to discuss Russian politics with Russians.
And a few more. I usually do that to learn their point of view, to understand what's going on in the world because I can't rely on media anymore and they can sharpen their own opinion.
But if a foreigner attempts to discuss Philippine politics with Filipinos he/she often gets a rude "IT'S NOT YOUR BUSINESS, F**K YOU"
I think Philippines often don't act very sovereign. They act childish. If the Philippines were a person I would think he/she has very little self-esteem.
How to react at a short term tourist who believes to know better: Attempt to explain him the real situation. After that the tourist is suppose either to be thankful and walk away or he may ask questions to deepen issues. Even a mature dispute should be ok. A childish reaction of the foreigner would be to stubbornly repeat his opinion, claim that the Filipino is clueless etc. Mature reaction would be just to leave him alone.
And if a foreign politician travels to Manila, visits an arrested senator, demands her release and travels back home, a sovereign, mature reaction would be just to ignore it. Tantrum about meddling is childish.
And the ICC? Wasn't it the Philippine "opposition" who demanded investigation by the ICC? Why has nobody been prosecuted for treason?
The immediate withdraw from ICC was another childish reaction. A sovereign reaction by the president would have been simply to do nothing and let the Senate act. The Senate has ratified the ICC statute, so it should be the sole right of the senate to withdraw. It's a legislative, not an executive issue.
Now compare. A person with low self-esteem, permanently going into tantrum when any hardship occurs or a person who reacts maturely, who will have more success in life? The same applies to countries. Who can't the Philippines act like a person with self-esteem? Why always crying and tantrum?