UP Ibalon Bicol: foreign travel

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Ambassador Lauro Baja’s abuse cases of Pinay maid

8/30/2009 | Posted by Anonymous | Edit Post

Former Philippine Ambassador Lauro l. Baja remains accused by his domestic helper Marichu S. Baoan. Out of the 15 charges, the accuser and her lawyers rounded them to 12 charges that included forced labor, trafficking, peonage, slavery, and involuntary servitude. Her lawyers filed an amended complaint without the the violation of the racketeer influenced and corrupt organization act (RICO).) Baja is given 20 days from August 18, 2009 to answer the charges.

“Baoanan complained that she worked at the Bajas as domestic helper for three months, her visa facilitated by Labaire International Travel. The Bajas collected fees from her, provided her temporary housing and organized her travel from the Philippines to New York. She was forced to work 18 hours a day, seven days a week with no days off for three months and paid merely $100…

Baoanan is taking action under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act, federal and state labor laws, and common law to recover her lawful minimum and overtime wages, other damages, attorneys’ fees. She is also seeking redress for violations of her basic human and civil rights.”----GMANews.Tv (08/26/09, Lariosa, J.G.)

Charges against the Bajas are pretty serious. If true, they reflect the discordant lifestyle of Filipinos that I mentioned in the blog before. The accusations are cautionary tales for Filipinos who dream of ritzy life-styles in USA cum maids in tow, but don’t have enough money, or a least plan to scrimp, to sustain such luxury. Circumventing the law, particularly by high Philippine officials on foreign assignments adds to the multiple black eyes our country suffer in the international stage.

An embarrassing story like Ambassador Baja’s is reminiscent of Pres. Gloria M. Arroyo’s travels outside the country. Feeling the pinch of a jet-setter’s lifestyle with accusations of abuse and extravagance, the president creates an ugly picture about us Filipinos. It's the whole nation that bears the brunt.

The best policy therefore is still to live within one’s means---any extras, like having a maid in America or eating in a plush restaurant at New York’s Le Cirque restaurant at P1,000,000 a throw can spell trouble. (Photo Credit: filipinoexpress)

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Labels: "I Accuse", Ambassador, Coalition Against the Trafficking of Women, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), foreign travel, Lauro Baja, legal case, maids, OFW

Keeping a tally on extravagance

8/14/2009 | Posted by Anonymous | Edit Post

According to Daily Tribune, the following astounding expenses have emerged in the shameful travel of Pres. Gloria M. Arroyo last July-August 2008 to see Pres. Barack Obama.

The US delegation of Filipinos that included lawmaker(s) who just wanted to have a “photo-op” with the charismatic black US president numbered to about 65, explaining the humongous amount spent to underwrite the trip. Sen. Lito Lapid complained he did no have a chance to have a picture with Obama and rued over the poor ambience and service at Le Cirque Restaurant in NY.

The expenses below are just the tip of the iceberg that boggles the mind of the poor Filipinos back home. What the public doesn’t know may be wildly greater---and more deplorable. Except saying that there are rich congressmen who paid the dinners, Arroyo can't come up with a coherent explanation to justify the outrageous expenses. (Photo Credit: yummyinthetummyblog)

Waldorf Astoria Suite for GMA in NY..........…$3,500/ day (P168,210/day)
Waldorf Astoria Suite for Congressmen.........$950/day (P45,657/day)
(> 60 rooms were occupied)
Bobby Van Steakhouse, Washington, DC..........$15,000 (P750,000)
Le Cirque Restaurant, NY.........................$20,000 (P1,000,000)

"A congressional investigation must be immediately conducted on whether a series of criminal and administrative laws have been violated by the President not only during her recent travel to the US but also on her previous 50 travels since 2001."---- Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Neri Colmenares. Daily Tribune (08/14/09)

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Labels: extravagance, foreign travel, GMA, Le Cirque, Sen. Lito Lapid, Totie Mesia, Waldorf Astoria, Washington DC

A $15,000 dinner tab in Washington DC adds more fire to GMA’s extravagance

8/12/2009 | Posted by Anonymous | Edit Post

It’s really easy to spend money when someone gets cash for a song. No matter how much Malacanang Palace says that not a single centavo come from the Filipino, when When Pres. Gloria M. Arroyo travels on official trips abroad, the expenses fall on the shoulders of taxpayers. She and her entourage don’t have qualms in the amount to spend for they think they are giving the Filipinos a big favor. In foreign land, they think of themselves as public servants who represent the best interest of the country.

With the estimated P8 billion already spent by GMA in her trips, there are ways to hide unbridled abuse and extravagance. Having a patron like Rep. Martin Romualdez to pay for a $20,000 dinner in their pricey splurge in NY’s Le Cirque Restaurant is a good way to confuse and divert attention. Stupefied by the irrational display of pomp and self-indulgence, New York Post can’t resist commenting on the GMA’s controversial meal about the time she declared national mourning for Pres. Cory Aquino.

Now it’s the Washington’s Post turn to tell another story. According to Roxanne Roberts and Amy Argetsinger, writers of the influential newspaper in Capitol Hill, Pres. Arroyo and her delegation dined on "lobster, steak and fine wines" in Washington and spent $15,000 for the meal on July 30, 2009.

In the column “The Reliable Source” they said an "unidentified woman opened a handbag stuffed with cash" and paid for the tab plus the sizeable tips for Arroyo and its bloated entourage of 65 people at Bobby Van's Steakhouse on 15th Street.

Surely these spectacular dinners are just the tip of the ice-berg. Many agree they are scandalous and deplorable when a third of Filipinos are languishing in poverty. So what more is there to say of corruption and abuse in the Pearl of the Orient Seas? (Photo Credit: Oustgloria) =0=

RELATED BLOGS: New York City's dining lesson for GMA: Le Cirque versus Elvie’s Turo-Turo Posted by mesiamd at 8/11/2009; GMA’s NY dinner and the discordant ritzy lifestyle of Filipinos Posted by mesiamd at 8/10/2009

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Labels: budget, Corruption, Corruption in Government, dinner, extravagance, foreign travel, GMA, Totie Mesia, travel, Washington DC

GMA’s NY dinner and the discordant ritzy lifestyle of Filipinos

8/10/2009 | Posted by Anonymous | Edit Post

It was estimated the Philippines spent at least P8 billion in some 71 official travels President Gloria M. Arroyo made since she took office. Sen. Francis Escudero said the president went to trips local and abroad lasting for at least 130 days since 2001. Her meeting with Pres. Barack Obama last week that coincided with the death of ex-president Cory Aquino was her 16th US visit during her term.

Accusations of abuse, spending and extravagance are expected. It’s because the benefit derived from such official foreign travels cannot be accounted for with certainty. The public looks at them with suspicion and derision for they can’t see how these presidential jet-settings, numbering at least 16 in US alone, trickle down to benefit the country.

Filipinos had known how public officials and Malacanang friends scrambled to join GMA’s trips. Undoubtedly many people believed her companions were unneeded, but nonetheless became part of the entourage that combined business and pleasure. Who could forget the 56 congressmen asking to join a US delegation for an official visit but many openly wanted to watch Manny Pacquiao fight in a Las Vegas boxing match? Their shameful unprofessional behavior wasn’t far from what Imelda Marcos did during her time.

That’s why there is controversy about a supposed article regarding the July-August 2009 US visit of Arroyo by New York Post’s Richard Johnson. In the newspaper’s “Eat and Drink” section on August 7, 2009, it was written:

“The economic downturn hasn’t persuaded everyone to pinch pennies. Philippines President Maria Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was at Le Cirque the other night with a large entourage enjoying the good life, even though the former comptroller of her country’s armed services, Carlos Garcia, was found guilty earlier this year of perjury and two of his sons were arrested in the US on bulk cash-smuggling charges. Macapagal-Arroyo ordered several bottles of very expensive wine, pushing the dinner tab up to $20,000.”

So alas! A flag to put our leaders in attention! Even foreign observers are critical of how we spend government money. This doesn’t come as a surprise for they know of our penchant to borrow cash and use them that is incongruent to our means.

It is a simple lesson in arithmetic and corruption. The world sees how some of us live beyond our capacities. Isn’t it that our spending habits aren't compatible with our salaries and the lifestyle we live? Don’t we try to hide it by acting like those with less than a dollar to spend each day? Surely, one can argue, the Philippine president on her offical functions can't be tavelling like a pauper. She must keep the standards of foreign affairs to keep Filipino pride. But how come she goes abroad too often?

Back home however, palatial houses valued in millions are owned by our influential government officials and top military men in plush villages in Manila and the provinces. In their privacies, lavish parties are thrown by the noveau riche Filipinos. They ride in big cars which are difficult to maintain if they only bank on their honest incomes. And many go for vacations to America, Europe and Caribbean tagging along their maids and children for their usual rest and recreation.

So if no single taxpayers’ money is spent in travels of government officials abroad, where do they get their funds? How did they suddenly get so rich? The discordance of lifestyle breeds suspicion---The only way to disprove doubts is to be straightforwardly honest. Why is there only denials from the government and no disclosures of spending?

Even on tight budget, New Yorkers will say (including myself) it’s an expensive place to visit. Eating out in Manhattan with a hungry entourage using our currency back home is truly costly unless we dine at Elvie's Turo-Turo in Eastside somewhere in 12th Street and First Avenue. Without public accounting, many of us are convinced somebody sheds blood money to keep the jet-setting Joneses splurging in Waldorf Astoria or Times Square. (Photo Credit: Yummyinthetummyblog) =0=

RELATED BLOGS: Pres. Gloria Arroyo’s foreign travels questioned Posted by mesiamd at 6/28/2009; Another US trip for Pres. Gloria Arroyo Posted by mesiamd at 7/29/2009; Arroyo-Obama meeting: beholding the face of "god" & the desire to have a photo-op Posted by mesiamd at 8/01/2009

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Labels: Elvie's Turo-Turo, Foreign Affairs, foreign travel, GMA, Le Cirque, life, New York, politics, Sen. Francis Escudero, Totie Mesia, travel, USA, Visit

UP Ibalon Bicol

Ambassador Lauro Baja’s abuse cases of Pinay maid

Keeping a tally on extravagance

A $15,000 dinner tab in Washington DC adds more fire to GMA’s extravagance

GMA’s NY dinner and the discordant ritzy lifestyle of Filipinos

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