What has happened in Sabah Malaysia with the Filipino workers is very revealing. Not that we do not know about the lack of will and resolve of the Government and its agencies to go out their way to help the single sector in the country which is the biggest economic contributor but the sheer inaction when signs of impending catastrophe has been obvious.
The Malaysian government had signed into law the National Immigration Act at the end of first quarter of this year, and we have not done anything. The former had issued “grace” period (if one cannot be disgraceful to the word) for the non-Malaysian citizen and governments but we had closed our eyes and ears to see and hear the unfolding reality that would greatly affect our people. A caring government (strong republic) could have initiated moves to study and consider options for the good if not what is for the betterment of its more than half a million citizens in the area. In fact, it could have reviewed the claim on the territory of Sabah because this could have awakened the Malaysian government from its long slumber of pretensions sleeping over the issue. The logic could be very simple, that is, how could a government deport the citizens of the country who legally and historically owned the territory it has leased since the early 1800’s, and whose citizens are now in the territory for a living without giving the basic courtesy of formally informing the owner-territory? Unless of course, Malaysia does not respect the historical and legal claim of the Philippines over Sabah. But this can not be true because, to date, it is still paying the Sultanate of Jolo an amount stipulated in the document when it leased the territory under the name of the British North Borneo Company. So it is either the Philippine government which calls for becoming a strong republic cooperates with the Malaysian government in fooling itself . Or it cannot simply protect its own territory and its citizen. And the Malaysian government is aware and tries to exploit such situation to its advantage.
Again it should be the last of the abovementioned reasons because, where can one find an official of the host government (Secretary of Justice) being shouted (inside his very own office) by an ambassador of a country which has committed almost the same violation to Philippine laws mentioned earlier? In fact, at present the ambassador (China) is so successful in making our government released their citizen (protecting to the outmost the inherent and welfare of its citizens) after a pro forma acceptance of guilt and for what? For a mooncake!
One cannot help but ask this question, how can we be strong outside if even inside we are weak in the face of insults and wrongdoing of other countries?
Again in the past days and weeks an impending or developing danger is about to come about to its full life in many parts of the world where Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) can be found. In fact a clear trend is at work here, where the most advanced countries would always want to globalize its interest but they would not want a globalized social responsibility. They want to liberalize, deregularize and privatize the lives of the citizens of the weaker countries while they want to protect its own citizens.
They want to clean their country from the “ undesirables” justifying their act of getting rid of potential source similar to those of September 11,2001 bombers. But the “undesirables” from the Philippines happen to be the primemovers of the country’s economy after those advanced countries have dried up its blood and wealth. Its the preemptive strike of the most advance countries to destroy whatever is left with the protection of the weaker countries like ours.
So it leaves us to almost zero options. We do not have other recourse but to strengthen our ranks and people. It is becoming crystal clear that if we depend from those who bleed us dry in effect we are providing them another lifeline. That is more blood to give them strength to exploit us again the next day.
Our people working in other countries in order to give their families back home decent lives and to push up our economy from collapsing have nowhere to go. And what is even worst, is to treat them as National Security risks if they come to their own country.
Is this a right way to becoming a strong republic or a one way ticket to sure perdition?