Free Trade 21: Abolish or Shrink the Bureau of Customs

Trade protectionism serves two main groups and vested interests: the protected domestic business groups or sectors, and the government. The former can raise their prices and local consumers will have no choice but buy from them since competing imported products are either not available or available but priced much higher due to government taxes (import, value added/VAT, documentary stamp/DST, etc.), related fees, and possible bribery paid to corrupt customs officials.

Yesterday and today, the local media and the web were treated to this scandal: a lowly clerk, with official monthly salary of P9 to 12,000, at the Bureau of Customs (BOC) was accused of inflicting physical injury, attempted murder, other cases. A month ago, he and his buddy beat up a student who alighted after a minor traffic altercation. When he went back to his car to get his guns, the student drove away and the Customs clerk shot his car several times.

The focus of possibly 99 percent of public discussion about it was on the arrogance of that supposedly lowly government employee, and the systemic corruption at the BOC. These are valid concerns as there was an attempted murder case. I will not pursue that angle as it is heavily discussed in the web, just google the name of the culprit, "Paulino Elevado" and one will get lots of materials about him and the incident. For instance, here are two stories about the previous complaints filed against him:

(1)   http://business.inquirer.net/24561/consumer-goods-trader-files-extortion-case-vs-customs-aide

Consumer goods trader files extortion case vs Customs aide

By: Ronnel W. Domingo
Philippine Daily Inquirer

7:05 pm | Thursday, October 13th, 2011

5share6963

MANILA, Philippines—An international trader of consumer goods filed before the Office of the Ombudsman charges against an administrative aide at the Bureau of Customs for allegedly asking for as much as P200,000 in bribe to facilitate the release of shipments.

The Department of Finance’s Revenue Integrity Protection Service said in a statement that Flor Tagle, an import and export consultant for Prima Modas Inc., sought help from the DOF’s anti-graft unit to establish the case against Paulino Elevado IV....

(2) http://www.tribuneonline.org/metro/20110223met4.html

DoF execs file graft charges vs 4 BoC officials
By Charlie V. Manalo

02/23/2011

Mid-level officials of the Department of Finance (DoF) have filed graft and administrative charges against four Bureau of Customs (BoC) officials and several others before the Office of the Ombudsman.

Charged were Port of Manila Customs collector Rogel Gatchalian, Gatchalian’s staff lawyer Marlon Agaceta, special assistant Paulino Elevado, spot checker Reffy Gorre and 12 other respondents....

The BOC is the main agency to implement trade protectionism. BOC officials and even junior and low level staff can extort money from importers and brokers. All that these government personnel will do is to delay the processing of papers and release of shipments. Here are some stories of corruption and arbitrary powers exercised by these government personnel, from pinoyexchange.com:

Twitter Notes, July 2011 (d)

Below are my twitter notes from July 15-25, 2011. My tweets related to the Reproductive Health (RH) bill on that period are not included here, I will make a separate discussion paper about them.
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@philoquotes "Fury itself supplies arms ~ Virgil" True. Anger may not need arms. Brute force and irrational mind are enough to cause damage

philo_quotes Philosophers quotes by Noysky
Peace is not an absence of war,it is a virtue,a state of mind,a disposition for benevolence,confidence,justice ~ Spinozahttp://bit.ly/philq

TehminaZaman Tehmina Zaman by Noysky
If you don't like something change it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it. ~Mary Engelbreit

@philoquotes "Silence is a true friend who never betrays ~ Confucius" True. In many cases, silence is golden, and motor mouth is hell.

AncientProverbs Motivational Quotes by Noysky
I ask not for a lighter burden, but for broader shoulders. -Jewish proverb

@GreatestQuotes "What keeps me going is goals - Mahummad Ali". Cool. Forward looking always. Look behind, sides, watch danger, move forward.

@philo_quotes "Each of us bears his own Hell ~ Virgil" True. But each of us can also decide when to shrink or dispose such hell.

"The greatest wealth is to live content with little. ~ Plato". True. Live within our means. Almost all govts live byond their means, hi debt

Zen_Moments Zen Moments by Noysky
The rigid and inflexible will surely fail, while the soft and flowing will prevail. ~ Lao Tzu http://dld.bz/uAv5

@dost_pagasa Since you didnt reply to my question why temp data not available in ur website, I wrote an article about u, bit.ly/o7MwZD

@ruffybiazon Shd govts keep a zoo? Why not leave that to priv firms? Those firms pay taxes anyway, some taxes to feed very poor, not animals

Montberte Steve Cushing by Noysky
capital punishment - 1 income tax 2 what your congressman does to you after he's elected

Zen_Moments Zen Moments by Noysky
Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned. ~ Buddha

Montberte Steve Cushing by Noysky
cold war - the nightly battle between man and wife to secure and hold all the blankets

The US govt should NOT even entertain debt default as an option. It should shrink its size & spending instead, bit.ly/rufjKl

philo_quotes Philosophers quotes by Noysky
He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has. ~ Epictetus http://bit.ly/philq

@Montberte Include also d Pres. or PM, Senators, Governors, Mayors, non-elected bureaucrats. The raise taxes, mandatory fees, spending.

Most NGOs and acad research instns are corrupted by foreign aid money. They don't question big & intrusive govt, only "bad" governance.

@ruffybiazon Bigger challenge to both mil & civilian estab, is to respect d rule of law, not rule of men. Both are violators of rule of law

@maria_ressa the bigger d mil. & spying activities, the more attractive to hackers. Pentagon will learn to hire less soldiers, more IT spies

Zen_Moments Zen Moments by Noysky
Though a man go out to battle a thousand times against a thousand men, if he conquers himself he is the greater conqueror. ~ Dhammapada

GreatestQuotes Great Minds Quotes by Noysky
"The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot." - Michael Althsuler

Montberte Steve Cushing by Noysky
Even a fish can escape being caught, if it keeps it's mouth shut. #stevec

philo_quotes Philosophers quotes by Noysky
We do not know what we want and yet we are responsible for what we are - that is the fact. ~ Sartre http://bit.ly/philq

Quotes4Writers Quotes4Writers by Noysky
"Listening to both sides of a story will convince you that there is more to a story than both sides." Frank Tyger

Jimparedes Jim by Noysky
It's a beautiful day.. Why? because I said so. It's great to know you have power and to use it as it should be used.

@ruffybiazon @indayevarona If politicians can politicize educ, commod pricing, fare- and wage-setting, impossible not to politicize soldiers

philo_quotes Philosophers quotes by Noysky
If you are lonely when you're alone, you are in bad company. ~ Sartre http://bit.ly/philq

@ruffybiazon @mitosmagsaysay Military as a pol. instn. is politicized since its creation. Heavier politics since Martial Law in '72.


@TgGuingona "5% of STL proceeds goes to PNP" that may just be "legal" proceeds. If there are llegal proceeds (extortion), could be higher

@TgGuingona "May kakayahan ba COA o PNP na malaman (saan napunta pera)? COA, PNP: We do not know." So many screts, non-transparency in govt

@indayevarona Congress and PNP now "poor" instns that must receive charity fund from PCSO? So many hypocrisies in govt.

@TgGuingona PNP getting monday from annual appro, from PCSO, where else, PAGCOR, LGUs,..? is PNP a poor body that needs charity fund?

WhoIsMikeGordon Mike Gordon by Noysky
If you wish to grow thinner, diminish your dinner. H S Leigh

wansaiful Wan Saiful Wan Jan by Noysky
RT @IDEASMalaysia: We are the 18th best new think tank in the world. Come join us and help make a difference http://bit.ly/iz9O6R

GreatestQuotes Great Minds Quotes by Noysky
"When the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence, it may be that they take better care of it there." - Cecil Selig

philo_quotes Philosophers quotes by Noysky
Princes and governments are far more dangerous than other elements within society. ~ Machiavelli http://bit.ly/philq

@indayevarona Privatize PCSO. Wrong for govt to fool the public they can get rich in sweepstakes & gambling, & get more money from the poor.

@maria_ressa "From bin Laden to Facebook" Terrorism is too private, fb is too public. There is a big "jump" bet the two.

Quotes4Writers Quotes4Writers by Noysky
"When I quote others I do so in order to express my own ideas more clearly." Michel de Montaigne

IPNLondon IPN by Noysky
@ipnlondon competition rules amended - Writers can enter both #Bastiat and #Hoiles Prizes bit.ly/oNLIwl #journalist #tcot #tlot

Zen_Moments Zen Moments by Noysky
There's no reason to be the richest man in the cemetery. You can't do any business from there. ~ Colonel Sanders

@gpph Greenpeace & other warming racket groups refuse to see warming-cooling-warming-cooling cycles in the ocean,wattsupwiththat.com/reference-page…

Quotes4Writers Quotes4Writers by Noysky
My life has no purpose, no direction, no aim, no meaning, and yet I'm happy. I can't figure it out. What am I doing right? —Charles M Schulz

@marykissel Carbon cap & tax in Australia is good reminder that socialism has good entry point at environmentalism. Gillard will pay dearly

@GoYoLarrazabal Plenty of clouds, cool or even rains. Cloudless, hot. Weather or climate is mostly determined by the vol of clouds in d sky

bibekdebroy Bibek Debroy by Noysky
Pondering a question. Why are Ministers who become friends more approachable than friends who become Ministers?

acopatunru Aco Patunru by Noysky
One of the important propositions in trade is Rybczynski Theorem. Hard to spell, yes. But no one changed it for convenience's sake.

@acopatunru And the Heckscher-Ohlin theorem in trade, also hard to spell. Or did I misspell it too? :-)

@philo_quotes "All wealth is the product of labor ~ John Locke" True. Capital is accumulated surplus of labor w/c improves labor productiv

Oprah_World Oprah Quotes by Noysky
I don't believe in failure. It is not failure if you enjoyed the process. -Oprah

@mitosmagsaysay "Traffic is so bad", MMDA busy catching smokers, coding cars, removing sexy billboards, instead of buildg more interchanges.

@vamush @mitosmagsaysay If people expect free educ, healthcare, housing for all, they're asking for socialism. Govt will get all from us too

@charievilla @AJEnglish Debt crisis by Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, US, UK, etc. Fiscal irresponsib will only lead to debt crisis soon.

@teddycasino @gmanews NEPA not an "economists group", Its a protectionist lobby & non-Econ academcs. PNoy is fr liberal, not socialist party

marykissel Mary Kissel by Noysky
Your taxpayer $ at work: U.N. considers creating climate-change peacekeeping force http://bit.ly/qnxlH9 | Guardian

Karen_DaviLa Karen Davila by Noysky
Over 300 govt agencies & LGUS have not remitted GSIS contributions of their employees. Caloocan Mayor Recom Echeverri not only one.

@Karen_DaviLa Ampatuan overnight at Heart Center, another instance of the rule of men, not rule of law. Courts r disobeyed in simple orders.

@marykissel US, EU, etc that finance big d UN, in deep public debt problems. And d UN wants more tax money for fictitious war on clim change

@Karen_DaviLa Go Harry. Give Ampatuans and lawyers more hell. Disobeying court order of "out-patient only" already ground for Court penalty.

@philoquotes "Freedom is what you do with what's been done to you ~ Sartre" Wrong. That is rule of men and vengeance, not rule of law.

NathanielMccabe Nathaniel Mccabe by Noysky
Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen. - Winston Churchill

@Jimparedes Politics & govt is the art of coercion & often, deception. So, many want socialism & authoritarianism, they can coerce anytime

@raissawriter But Bunye was rewarded with high paying Monetary Board member for shutting his mouth on Gloria-Garci scandal.

@philo_quotes "The greater the difficulty, the greater the glory - Cicero" True. High risk, high returns. Risktaking shd be properly rewardd

@Zen_Moments "Sometimes your only available transportation is a leap of faith ~ M. Shepherd" Cool & true. Faith guided by facts and reason.

@Rochbpu "I found there was only one way to look thin: hang out with fat people" But via osmosis, some fat molecules might move to you :-),

@GreatestQuotes "Anticipate the difficult by managing the easy - Lao Tsu" Cool. Managing d easy can give us insight how to deal w/ difficult

@kristin_09 I think Mla Polo Club, Golf club, want Manny Paquiao in. But they dont like the sight of too many bodyguards roaming around.

@cesdrilon Yes, Heart Center officials shd realize that patient Ampatuan is accused of massacre. He shd be in jail w/ dextrose, not in HC

Montberte Steve Cushing by Noysky
98% of the time I am right. Why worry about the other 3%. #stevec

@philoquotes "The firm, the enduring, the simple, and the modest are near to virtue ~ Confucius" Cool. Humility, simple lives and happiness.

@philoquotes "Freedom is the right to live as we wish ~ Epictetus" True, provided we don't trample on others' freedom or be a burden to them

@Rochbpu "What is the thinnest book in the world? - 'What Men Know About Women'" LOL. May not even a book, maybe a pamphlet, or a flyer :-)

@funnyoneliners "I'm not afraid of hard work. You can tell by the way I fight it." LOL. Simplifying d otherwise complicated hard work itself

@Oprah_World "Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity. -Oprah" Cool. Opportunity also looks for those who are prepared.

@maria_ressa Internet allows more citizen journalism. Many prof'l journalists, media owners jealous. Their control of info flow is broken.

Could Breivik & fellow murderers love d welfare sys but hate migrants to enjoy & be entitled to such system? Welfare sys is very expensive.

Montberte Steve Cushing by Noysky
If your wife wants to learn to drive, don't stand in her way. -- Stan Levenson

Rochbpu Michael Repko by Noysky
The qualities that most attract a woman to a man are usually the same ones she can't stand years later.

Politics have no relation to morals ~ Machiavelli. Possibly explains why many NGO leaders, media pple as corrupt as politicians they attack

@piacayetano I hope PNoy will talk as liberal leader, not as socialist or populist-nationalist leader, bit.ly/oOmQ5V

@Karen_DaviLa NFA, almost all govt corps are milking cow by pols in power & d bureaucracy. Privatize them, pay pub debt, save int. payment

@ruffybiazon "drastically reduce unemployment w/in a year's time" Cut business bureaucracies. From 47 diff taxes & fees per year to only 7.

@cesdrilon More liberal agenda, less govt, less bureaucracy, free market, less subsidies for the lazy

@Karen_DaviLa Educ, health, housing, agri, pub works for d poor on-going, then CCT for d poor, soon condoms & ligation for d poor.

@RPeconfreedom Yes, the Renewable Energy law is a big racket & energy robbery by the RE firms. One of the man-made warming rackets.

Endure the present, and watch for better things ~ Virgil. Yes, hope, perseverance, ambition, goal. A realistic dream can become reality.

I had therefore to remove knowledge, in order to make room for belief ~ Kant. This describes the man-made warming belief.

Personal beauty is a greater recommendation than any letter of reference ~ Aristotle. Right, but it shd be accompanied by brains too :-)

@Jimparedes Yes, Filipinos shd learn to trust themselves, not politicians and govt. State reliance over self-reliance is formula for disastr

@dollyannec @WilsonLeeFlores SONA at 4pm, rains before that accodg to PAGASA tweet. So people will have SONA bath,bit.ly/oOmQ5V

@hermanncalero @piacayetano April 2011 labor force data: unempl 7.2%, underempl 19.4% or 26.6% of LF either jobless or underempl. Hi figures

AngAlvin Alvin P. Ang by Noysky
Winning 001: Positively contented people are discontented with the status quo, they desire growth for everyone. #quotes
--------

See also Twitter Notes July 2011, Part c,
Part b, and Part a.

Twitter Notes, July 2011 (c)

Here are my tweets and retweets from July 11 up to this morning :-)
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@dost_pagasa Do you have an archive or table of past Phil. temp., say the past week, past month, past year? If No, why? You sell the data?

Montberte Steve Cushing by Noysky
The only advantage to Alzheimer's is that you have new friends and family every day.

GreatestQuotes Great Minds Quotes by Noysky
"People don't resist change. They resist being changed!" - Peter Senge

@ruffybiazon Legislators need to learn to live within their means. It's not just spend-spend, borrow-borrow, tax-tax later.

Zen_Moments Zen Moments by Noysky
Life is but a journey; death is returning home. ~ Chinese Proverb

@Montberte "Get the facts first. You can distort them later" Haha, true. Or you can ignore them, anticipate what d other party will present.

Montberte Steve Cushing by Noysky
A noun and a verb were dating but they broke up because the noun was too possessive. #stevec

WhoIsMikeGordon Mike Gordon by Noysky
One good thing about apathy is you don't have to be an exert yourself to show you are sincere about it.

@WhoIsMikeGordon What is ignorance and apathy? I dont know and I dont care :-)

@charievilla @ABSCBNNews 2.9M unemployed + 7.1M underemployed (April 2011 labor force data), local jobs suddenly highly available? where?

@Howieseverino MMDA cant even remove debris that blog drainage that cause heavy street flooding, turning its eyes on billboards. Petty mind.

@Howieseverino I mean debris that clog (not blog) drainage. Billboards, smoking, car coding, all prohibitions. Govt business is prohibition

AncientProverbs Motivational Quotes by Noysky
If you do not study hard when young you'll end up bewailing your failures as you grow up. -Chinese Proverbs

@tonylavs "Man-made climate change" remains a convenient alibi for various racket. Earth in global cooling period, still calling it warming

@Karen_DaviLa @govph Perhaps part of Saudi protest of RP govt's wrong policy of imposing min wage law on foregn employrsbit.ly/pkV6Ds

@gmanews Business of govt is prohibition. Smoking, sexy billboards, car coding, speed above 60kph. We pay taxes to get lots of prohibitions

@Karen_DaviLa @a_abella MMDA can't clean clogged drainage that cause heavy street flooding, deflects pub attention to billboards, petty mind

@ruffybiazon People will expect too much of politicians if d latter promised too much subsidies during campaign. Deception creates dependenc

@kikopangilinan Yes, Peace by all means. All armed groups, rebels or govt armies, shd realize they contribute zero or little to actual prodn

@JonAtPhRMA @KateAtPhRMA When govt imposes drug price control, or mandatory discounts, affected players (manufactrs or drugstores) shed jobs

@cesdrilon Bakit hindi mga clogged drainage unahin ng MMDA, madalas baha, until Oct or Dec rainy season. Billboards, smoking, atbp kababawan

@Karen_DaviLa How many accidents happened bec of billboards, vs. no. of accidents and damaged cars due to street flooding? MMDA too shallow.

@Karen_DaviLa @tgguingona Charity means voluntary. Leave charity work & gambling to private sec. Govt shd focus enforcing d rule of law.

@Karen_DaviLa @tgguingona Not abolition but privatization - PCSO, PAGCOR, lotto. Govt ofcials too focused on gambling, taxation & corruptn

@Karen_DaviLa @tgguingona If u think PCSO helped many poor patients, send 1 of ur staff, queue as ord folk, ask later if PCSO helped them.

@karadavid My friend donated solar panel + batt to a remote barrio Sierra Madre, P60k all in, lighted a brgy hall, brgy school, few st lyts

philoquotes PhiloQuotes by Noysky
I'm not interested in preserving the status quo; I want to overthrow it. ~ Machiavelli http://bit.ly/philq

@gpph Warming racket and climate stupidity says global cooling is caused by global warming, wattsupwiththat.com/reference-page…

@gpph @guardian "ice-free Arctic", among the endless alarmism by the warming racket and climate rent-seekers,wattsupwiththat.com/reference-page…

See how climate alarmists fight each other over billions of $ climate fund, bit.ly/n60cRn. They want d WB to get out handling d money.

@levenezu P500 per truck per year per LGU is indeed a big racket by some Cavite LGUs. Since done by LGU councils, then it's legal extortion

GreatestQuotes Great Minds Quotes by Noysky
"Respond intelligently even to unintelligent treatment." - Lao Tsu

Nitrates: Cheaper than day rates... I understand math, I just can't do proofs... debut, de part of d body u must park to be seated - SteveC.

Montberte Steve Cushing by Noysky
By believing passionately in something that still does not exist, we create it. #stevec

@Karen_DaviLa @teddycasino So many Bayan Muna activists harassed & killed during GMA's 9 yrs term, BM may soon file murder charges agnst her

@GoYoLarrazabal @charievilla car drivers more accommodating to cyclists than motorcycle drivers. Many of the latter are road jerks.

acopatunru Aco Patunru by Noysky
The List of World's Most Expensive Cities May Surprise You [Lists]http://tinyurl.com/5t6lq5d

@gpph Does Greenpeace, WWF, or other big environmental NGOs want to handle billions of $ of climate money? bit.ly/n60cRn

AncientProverbs Motivational Quotes by Noysky
By nature, men are nearly alike; by practice, they get to be wide apart. -Confucius

GreatestQuotes Great Minds Quotes by Noysky
"Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school." - Albert Einstein.

Montberte Steve Cushing by Noysky
Everyone leaves the world a little better - some by leaving.

MercerMobility MercerMobility by Noysky
Tokyo, Osaka, Singapore, Hong Kong, Nagoya, Seoul, Beijing, & Shanghai among most expensive expat destinations in Asia.bit.ly/qUnQCd

philo_quotes Philosophers quotes by Noysky
To be a real philosopher all that is necessary is to hate some one else's type of thinking. ~ William James http://bit.ly/philq

GroverNorquist Grover Norquist by Noysky
Bar;ak Obama demands higher taxes. He would rather close down the gov than begin to reduce his overspending and bailout spree.

GroverNorquist Grover Norquist by Noysky
Greedy people want money they didn't earn......other people's money. Obama, Reid and Pelosi are very greedy.

philo_quotes Philosophers quotes by Noysky
Man is fully responsible for his nature and his choices. ~ Sartre

GreatestQuotes Great Minds Quotes by Noysky
"You only have to do a very few things right in your life so long as you don't do too many things wrong." - Warren Buffett

@Howieseverino Pajeros as bribe for bishops' silence vs. GMA corruption, bishops double talk too, oppose gambling but accept gambling money

@teddycasino Why do you call her PGMA? You mean P stands for "Putragis"? Im no fan of d left but I support you in filing plunder case vs GMA

@TgGuingona Bishops are called "His Excellency"? maybe His Eminence? If bishops oppose gambling, they shd not accept ANY gambling money.

Montberte Steve Cushing by Noysky
Bacteria - the only culture some people have.

@TgGuingona Why not just privatize PCSO, also PAGCOR? Many govt officials are fixated with gambling, taxation & corruption.

@Karen_DaviLa @profharryroque Rule of law, rule of law, rule of law, not rule of men. When will this be really promulgated in this country?

Inspire_Us Inspirational Quotes by Noysky
One day, you'll be just a memory for some people. Do your best to be a good one.

Montberte Steve Cushing by Noysky
Sign on the lawn at a drug re-hab center 'Keep off the Grass'. #stevec

Zen_Moments Zen Moments by Noysky
Each of my lectures contains one lie. Your job as students is to find the lie. ~ Peter Kai Chang http://www.zenmoments.org/my-favorite-liar

philo_quotes Philosophers quotes by Noysky
The training of children is a profession, where we must know how to waste time in order to save it. ~ Rousseau http://bit.ly/philq

wansaiful Wan Saiful Wan Jan by Noysky
RT @Heritage: Remember when cell phones were GIANT and cost a bundle? Thankfully, capitalism saved the day. http://herit.ag/lNg

Zen_Moments Zen Moments by Noysky
Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake. ~ Napoleon Bonaparte #fb

Montberte Steve Cushing by Noysky
The most interesting information comes from children, for they tell all they know and then stop. Mark Twain

GroverNorquist Grover Norquist by Noysky
"We tax work, savings and investment--and get less of it. Perhaps we should tax politicians." - Grover Norquist... http://fb.me/FV3rnMSs

Twitter notes, July 2011 (b)

My tweets and retweets from July 7 to 11, 2011 :-)
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@DreiToledo Yes, children are parents' source of joy and inspiration. More parental responsibility, not more govt responsib, for our kids.

To speak kindly does not hurt the tongue... I am not a hard drinker. I actually find it very easy. - Montberte/ Steve Cushing

@RicoHizon @juLiusbabao Usually mga nagre-reklamo ng korupsyon, corrupt din. Like politicians, some media, NGO and church leaders.

Congress is where a man gets up to speak says nothing no one listens and everyone disagrees....Calamity is the test of integrity - Montberte

@GoYoLarrazabal Thus it is impt to encourage entrepreneurship. Employees to become employers someday to pursue their dreams.

@karadavid Pero target talaga nila magnakaw, kaya gusto nila mataas na pwesto sa gobyerno. Mas marami ninakaw, mas mahimbing na tulog.

Blessed are the deaf for they will miss much idle gossip... Computer programmers don't byte, they nibble a bit. - Montberte/ SteveC

People who think they know everything are annoyance to those of us who do... A simple quote that help in any situation: "Have fun" - Unknown

Montberte Steve Cushing by Noysky
Some people think they have art open mind when it is really only their mouth that is open.

Montberte Steve Cushing by Noysky
All I'm gonna do is just go on and do what I feel. Jimi Hendrix

Old economists never die. They just shrink their production possibility frontier... Or their comparative advantage is diminished.

Old economists never die. They just become more scarce... Or their opportunity costs go higher.

Blessed are the deaf for they will miss much idle gossip... Computer programmers don't byte, they nibble a bit. - Montberte/ SteveC

People who think they know everything are annoyance to those of us who do... A simple quote that help in any situation: "Have fun" - Unknown

@charievilla We are now in a global cooling period, bit.ly/rrHkEJ. It could be a long one, similar to the Dalton Minimum..

Warning at a big department store: Do not shoplift or steal. The government hates competition.

Sign at the back of a septic tank truck: CAUTION: this truck is full of political promises.

@ruffybiazon Hi, how many legislative oversight committees are existing? Do we need to create new ones? Can't existing comms improve work?

@ruffybiazon To remove fixers at LTO, they just have to quicken their work so people will not wait too long and look for fixers.

@ruffybiazon Yes, bureaucracies like to slow down things. That way, people will be forced to bribe them so they will just quicken their work

@ruffybiazon If you create a new legislative oversight comm for intelligence, it will investigate intel funds of ALL govt agencies?

@Jimparedes In the Phils., to start a business, 15 diff. procedures, 38 working days, costing 30% of average per capita income.

@Jimparedes Yes, one problem of a nanny state, permit for almost everything. To repair your own kitchen or garage, you stl need govt permit

TaoQuotes LaoTzu by Noysky
It is not wise to rush about. If too much energy is used, exhaustion follows. This is not the way of Tao. Lao Tzu #quotes

@philo_quotes "Democracy passes into despotism ~ Plato" Correct. If majority want free healthcare, free food, etc., society turns socialist

Bureaucracies never die. Once created, they expand themselves. When threatened w/ abolition, main def is big no. of bureaucrats to lose job.

@gpph Challenge govts, but many govts already follow your climate alarmism scare and renewable energy propaganda and racket.

Old economists never die. Their demand curve simply shifts to the left while their supply curve of econ papers become inelastic :-)

In wine there is wisdom, In beer there is freedom, In water there is bacteria. - Ben Franklin

Zen_Moments Zen Moments by Noysky
If you're not using your smile, you're like a man with a million dollars in the bank and no checkbook. ~ Les Giblin

CRU (UK) is now a candidate for publication in the Journal of Irreproducible Results - wattsupwiththat

@philo_quotes "Man is born free, and everywhere he is in shackles ~ Rousseau" Correct somehow. Shackled by various coercion - govt, religion

@JonAtPhRMA @NYTimes "Extremely expensive cancer drugs", but there are also cheaper anti-cancer drugs, off patent. Patients have choices.

There is no truth whatsoever, that Google+ is related, by blood or kinship or affinity, to Nonoy O+.

TehminaZaman Tehmina Zaman by Noysky
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@philoquotes "The hottest love has the coldest end. - Socrates" Like global warming 'causing global cooling' :-)

Having a min wage law at home is bad. Imposing a min wage law for foreign employers hiring Filipinos abroad is worse, bit.ly/pkV6Ds

@Zen_Moments "The golden rule is that there are no golden rules. - George B. Shaw" The golden rule, he who has gold makes the rule - Anonym

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@PhRMA "drug devt process is one of incremental advances" and innovator drug bashing is one of geometric expansion by media and NGOs.

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Old bureaucrats never die. Their body are just wrapped in mountains of paper work.

Old politicians never die. Their political power is simply devolved from authoritarianism to nepotism or democratism.

Old physicists never die. Their matter simply disintegrate into a kinetic motion in spacetime.

Old economists never die. They just evaporate into perfectly competitive souls.

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In a world without walls and fences who needs Windows and Gates?

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Old chemists never die. Their material composition simply undergo chemical changes and reactions.

Old economists never die. Their taste and preference are simply shrank into a budget constraint.

Old biologists never die. Their organisms and cells just evolve into taxonomy.

Old molecular biologists never die. Their genes, DNA and body chemistry just evolve into a biosynthesis.

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New US govt initiatives: Partnership for Growth (PFG) & Trans-Pacific Strategic Econ Partnership (TPP). Is the US running away from APEC?

China Watch 14: More on the SCS/WPS Noise

Last week, I wrote this:

The "war dance" rhetorics over the Spratlys, and the huge lobbying for more tax money to buy more fighter planes, more battle ships, more missiles, and possibly, getting a submarine, is alive and kicking. Just observe these news and opinion titles and the word "war" is clearly emblazoned.

Picture above, Risk of war in the Spratlys by Rommel Banlaoi, Newsbreak, June 29, 2011. 

I told Rommel who is a friend, my observation that his article title is rather shrewd. It was not him who said that "risk of war in the Spratlys", that he simply quoted an analysis by the Lowy Institute in Australia. But he made it as the title of his article, and it was not even in the probing angle asking "Risk of war in the Spratlys?" Rather, it was a sort of affirmative assertion that there IS indeed "risk of war in the spratlys".

Picture below, East Sea disputes could lead to Asian war, Vietnamnet, July 4, 2011. "Asian war", tsk tsk. I have not seen any news report yet from other claimant countries like Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. Do they also call it as possible "Asian war"?

In this news report from the Inquirer, another "Asian war" mongering. Do the local media people really want a war, or at least prolonging the "word war" so they can sell more?

The lower picture is more alarmist, 
Global War on the Spratly Reef, Ground Report, June 23, 2011. Not just Asian war but it's "global war". Really? To involve possibly the Americans, Russians, Asians and Australians? wow.

These are all "war dance" rhetorics, and possibly, some government policies. BIG governments like the communist states of China and Vietnam, are not satisfied pointing guns on the heads of their citizens ("support the single party communist party or else"), they want to extend the guns to their neighboring countries. 

Now many sectors want the Philippine government to join the war dance, through what? MORE TAXES, more government fees, what else. Where will government get the money to buy more fighter planes, battle ships, ammos and missiles? Government is a penniless institution that becomes big and wealthy through endless confiscation of the citizens' money. For what purpose, to "fight poverty" by "developing" some islands and atolls in the Spratlys"?

We will soon spend less for the private education of our children, for the private healthcare of our families, for our simple joys in local or foreign travel, so that the government will have more money, more money to buy jet fighters and if possible, a submarine, to "develop portions of the Spratlys."

BIG government sucks. They fool and steal big time. From the man-made warming scam to the Spratlys war scam.

Meanwhile, here's a good article written by another friend who teaches at the UP College of Law, and specialization is international maritime law, Jay Batongbacal, PH correctly stands its (maritime) ground, Inquirer, June 29, 2011. Jay wrote, 

China posits its claim to sovereignty and jurisdiction over the entire South China Sea, enclosed within the so-called “nine-dashed lines” map, based on ancient Chinese voyages and maps made 2000 years ago.

But claims to sovereignty and jurisdiction merely on the basis of ancient explorations have no credence in modern times. They are inconsistent with the historical record demonstrating that such voyages were never for conquest or territorial acquisition. Instead, they were for trade with the diverse pre-colonial peoples who inhabited the lands around the South China Sea, some of whom later became the first Filipinos.

About a century before Magellan’s arrival, China stopped all its maritime activities and abandoned all its foreign interests. The Chinese lived in Southeast Asia’s coastal communities as traders, not administrators. Local sultans and datus controlled the waters, some even demanding tributes for passage. So if anyone actually controlled any portion of the South China Seas in the past, they were more likely our Southeast Asian ancestors, not the Chinese.

We need more legal research, more diplomacy work, zero additional military spending for the Spratlys. We better get 10 or 50 or more Jay Batongbacal type of legal experts and researchers and wage a strong diplomatic "war" at the UN, various international venue (APEC, ASEAN + 6, etc.). The communist government of China will be ashamed internationally if their claims are exposed as a scam. And we will not need even a single additional fighter jet to achieve that. Do not listen to the AFP-DND-allied bureaucracies' lobbying for more tax money for their spratlys adventure. The corporate military suppliers and their hosts in the war dance noise are salivating at another large scale robbery of Filipino taxpayers' money.

We're in the 21st century already and governments are still in the "let's go to war" mentality. Private enterprises like google, facebook, yahoo, youtube, wordpress, etc. are creating endless connections, friendly connections, among people from all countries, except those countries dominated by notorious communists like the China government.
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Today, I got engaged in a twitter debate this morning with Ruffy Biazon, a former Congressman. After I replied to him and Ces Drilon, a broadcaster from ABS-CBN News, our debate started. Below.

cesdrilon Cecilia Orena-Drilon
Pag asa Island in the West Philippine Sea as seen from the air. http://lockerz.com/s/119051391

ruffybiazon Ruffy Biazon
@cesdrilon That airstrip should be installed w/ anti-aricraft defense -- SAM, AA guns and radar.

Noysky Nonoy Oplas
@ruffybiazon @cesdrilon "airstrip should be installed w/ anti-aricraft defense" Really, u want more & higher taxes to finance war in Sprat?

@Noysky It's not financing a war. It is investing in defense.

@ruffybiazon "investing in defense" or investing in offense, the same. We cant even develop Sulu, Tawi-tawi, we want war to develop Sprat?

@Noysky Assertion over SPratlys in not just about owning real estate. It's about harnessing the natural resources there.

@Noysky Pagasa could serve as a forward defense post for our Malampaya fields, presently generating revenue for the Philippines

@ruffybiazon Palawan, Sulu, have nat resources too, we cant develop them even if we dont buy new jetfighters. Now we "develop" Sprat.

@Noysky Spratlys is within our claimed Exclusive Economic Zone. It will not become exclusive if we are unable to defend it.

@ruffybiazon agree that certain islands in the Sprat are w/in our EEZ. Let's hire 50, 100 top notch marItime lawyers, expose China at the UN

@Noysky NO we don't need jet fighters to develop SUlu and Tawi2. Problems there are local peace and order, not foreign intrusion.

@Noysky And I also dont agree that we need jet fighters now. We might afford to buy them, but we cannot afford to operate dem. AT dis time.

cesdrilon Cecilia Orena-Drilon
@Noysky @ruffybiazon there are anti aircraft weapons. Some are rusting, others are said to be working, though no test firing has been done.

@ruffybiazon Spend on top notch maritime lawyers & diplomats, not jetfighters. China can demolish all mil def but not legal battle at d UN.

@Noysky Diplomacy shouldn't be abandoned. But neither will it work by itself. We must be able to maintain our present hold in KIG.

@Noysky Our advantage is proximity and present occupation. We need to defend that advantage.

@ruffybiazon Atty Jay Batongbacal of UP Law wrote a good piece that can shame China over KIG, other islands. We need more minds like him.

@Noysky NO debate about diplomatic track in addressing Spratlys issue. But I stick to backing it up with an improved defense capability.

@ruffybiazon I like your Dad's position. The "battlefield" over Spratlys is at the UN, other intl. fora, not at the WPS or SCS.

@Noysky Then your understanding of his position is incomplete. Because we have the same position---use diplomacy, defend your property.

@ruffybiazon Basilan has 2x land area than Sing, but Sing GDP is larger than entire RP GDP. Devt has little to do with more EEZ, more mil.

@Noysky Basilan cannot be compared with Singapore. Apples and Oranges.

@ruffybiazon It's comparing RP & Sing. Use of Basilan only to highlight how small Sing's land area. Sulu archip abt 5x Sing land area too

@Noysky Even if its SG vs. PH. I have always been averse to comparing the two. Different factors contribute to situation of the two...

@Noysky .....Geographic location, strategic importance to neighboring countries, history, population...

@ruffybiazon By avoiding comparison, we refuse to learn what makes Sing, HK, etc. richer. Rule of law, dynamic capitalism, things we lack

@Noysky It's not a refusal to learn. But we should always pick the best, not swallow the rest. There's no fixed template.

@ruffybiazon Ok, cheers Ruffy. But I won't agree to more taxes to buy more jetfighters for Spratlys.

@ruffybiazon My pilot friend thinks air def over Sprat is almost useless, bit.ly/l5Iwmb. My last paper over Sprat, bit.ly/mhjdtC

@Noysky The PH Air Force /AFP/DND thinks its necessary to defend it. That's why they're planning to get jets. I agree w/ defense, not jets

@ruffybiazon I think AFP/DND just want more racket. They can't even eradicate NPAs, Abu bandits, rogue MIs, they want to take on China?

@Noysky I wouldn't resort to such cynicism abt AFP/DN.D Their mandate is to defend the country. We must give them the wherewithal to d

@ruffybiazon AFP/DND are instns with lots of corruption baggage, like Congress. NPAs since '69 despite tens of billions/year for AFP+PNP

@Noysky The entire government suffers from instances of corruption. But our fear of corruption shouldn't hinder govt from functioning.

@ruffybiazon Govt keeps expanding spending, doesnt mind huge public debt approaching almost P5T, int payment alone in 2011 P357 B already.

@ruffybiazon Endless corruption baggage, high int payment baggage, Govt shd slow down spending, live w/in its means, esp the military.
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See also:
China Watch 12: The Spratlys and SCS Conflict, June 08, 2011
China Watch 13: More on the Spratlys/SCS Conflict, June 25, 2011