The Filipino Friends Blog

Immigration – USCIS + ICE = Cooperation/Coordination

[ad]

As I was researching for articles to post on my blog, I came across an article that was published on LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL, dated July 31 – August 3, 2010.  This article talks about the Immigration processes and of “illegal aliens” vs the criminals that are waiting to be processes and eating our tax dollars while they wait.  This article was written from a lawyer – Atty. Michael Gurfinkel

In his article he stated that ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) issued a memo noting that since they have limited resources, they (ICE) needed to prioritize the use of its removal/deportation resources – “to ensure that the remova?ls the agency does conduct promote the agency’s highest enforcement priorities, namely national security, public safety, and border security”.   Which means that since they have the authority to deport all illegal aliens, they would focus on criminal aliens i.e..(terrorist, convicted of crimes with outstanding criminal warrants, etc..) recent illegal entrants and aliens who are subject to final order removal.  ICE can’t put all their time and resources to go after every illegal aliens.  I do understand that for someone who has overstayed and is “out of status” is subject to removal, but come one people, there are alot of criminals and bad guys who should be the first to be processed out.. and also some of them have been in confinement for years and it’s costing us tax payers at least $125/day because the immigration courts are backlogged with “low” priority removal cases.

So what is it going to be .. keep paying $125/day for those people who are staying in jail cells and feed them while we go after those other cases who really is not any threat to our society.  That’s why ICE sent out a memo to prioritized the removals that way we don’t have to spend so much money of putting a roof over their heads and feeding them!  Why is that logic not clear enough?  Actually to put it bluntly why can’t USCIS and ICE work together and both entities to communicate?  Instead of USCIS issuing all these NTA’s to low priority cases who are not any treat or danger to our national security that is filling our courts and creating extra work for ICE?

I hope that they get those criminals or the other bad people who are here either in detention and instead of deporting/removing every alien whose case is momentarily denied.  Thank you for reading and any comments or opinions is greatly appreciated.  =)

Being Pinoy – Entitlement

[ad]

Well Gel Santos has written another article that gets your juices flowing and your opinions on this subject is appreciated.  Again, I have to thank Gel for as she is a worthy person who sees things as what they are and expresses her opinions and views as she experienced it.  I can understand her views on this and who doesn’t want to be treated special when we’re standing in line…I mean there are other people in this world that are not Filipino but if you know of someone of same race, would you not offer to jump them in front of everyone? Okay it might depend on if you’re working in the media and your face is plastered all around the TV, Newspaper, Online, etc… or just that you look like someone important? Or, maybe they can tell that you’re a GOLD AMEX carrier.. who cares! Everyone wants to be treated like someone special no matter where or what you are! Come on, be honest, its great that you can jump a line to be able to get in front.  Why else do we get all those offers of becoming a VIP in whatever membership you belong to?  You know it makes you feel good… It felt good to me… =) I’m being honest, and am sure some of you would be too.  I have been in many lines waiting for anything and everything…serving in the United States Navy – taught me to how to hurry and wait. So, am not particularly a fan of waiting either…but if someone wants to pull me aside for whatever reason … I’ll gladly take it!  See the article that Gel wrote on the incident that happened to her…

We were at the end of the line for security check at the airport for our flight to Washington DC when a sweet Filipina airport employee approached me and lead me and my family to the “express lane” reserved for passengers traveling first class and business class. Of course I was so happy not to have to wait in line and was grateful to this Kababayan.

After security check, we put on our shoes, grabbed our bags and leisurely walked  to our gate.  My daughter Katrina who was then unusually quiet stopped me to  ask a very serious question, “Mom, why did we get off our line to go to the “Express Lane’—we are not flying first class or business class!”. Then I explained how this sweet Filipina was just being extra nice to us, that she was probably one of the viewers of “Balitang America”.  Katrina looked into my eyes and said, “That is not right, Mommy!”, as she gazed at the rest of the Filipinos patiently waiting in line, most of them flying PAL .

I must confess I was  shaken and disturbed by my daughter’s comment and I found myself groping for words  to justify the situation—after all, I was at the receiving end, enjoying the privilege. Or did I act as though I was entitled to such privilege?  After all, I did not fly first class, nor did I purchase an express security pass—why, then, did I end up getting special treatment? I realized that while I wasn’t guilty of the sin of “commission”in the sense that I did not ask for the VIP treatment, I plead guilty to the sin of “omission” as I did not say NO to the special treatment!

I was humbled, even remorseful,  when I read about the sisters of President Noynoy Aquino —Ballsy Cruz and Pinky Abellada, along with other relatives, who refused VIP treatment and insisted on being treated as ordinary passengers at the airport. They stayed  in line at the departure area even after airport and immigration officials recognized them and offered their assistance.  The two sisters also insisted on removing their shoes at the final security check even though police security personnel manning the X-ray machine told them it was not necessary for them to do so.“We created the rules and we must obey the rules,” they pointed out.

This made me fully understand why in President Aquino’s inaugural speech, the line “Walang wangwang, walang counterflow” registered so much in the Filipinos’ consciousness. It would still be one of the most talked about issues until now. The “wang-wang” issue is a reflection of the peoples’ rebellion against the growing  gap between rich and poor — the “naghaharing uri” and the “ordinaryong masang Pilipino.”

These simple acts, though trivial to some, have a big impact on the new administration’s goal to fulfill its campaign promise, especially that of weeding out corruption in the government. Corruption actually stems from some people’s misguided belief that they are better off and are more important than others, and therefore deserve and are entitled to special privileges and treatment.

Some use their money to buy this stature, others use their power and popularity. Sadly, many of these “elite” even think they are so important and special that they can be above the law—whether they  be rules and regulations within the family unit, a city, a government institution, the airport, the country, and yes, even above the laws of God.

This sense of entitlement makes a person believe he can use his position to accept bribes and accord privilege to the person who feels he is entitled to  the favor. This is  a co-dependent relationship that has permeated our  social institutions and has nurtured a culture of corruption in our society as a whole.

What have we embraced as our own ‘wang-wang” in our lives? One that shouts out, “I am entitled?” Do we bribe our way to close juicy deals, or do we get off the hook for a trouble we caused? Do we use connection just so we can get our teens drivers’ license even if they are still below the allowable driving age, and have them bypass the written or road exam?

Do we under-declare our assets and bloat our expenses and liabilities because we feel we are entitled to enjoy the money that is supposed to pay our dues in society? Do we expect to get the best seats in the theater or access to the express lane in everything?

Entitlement works both ways. Tumatanggap ka ba ng lagay dahil isip-isip mo, “kumikita naman sila, bakit hindi ako tatanggap nang ang pamilya ko rin naman ang guminhawa?”. Or some people will ask for freebies—libre sa lahat ng bagay dahil mahirap lang naman daw sila.  Kaya okay lang na kumuha ng school supplies ng mga bata sa opisinang pinagtatrabahuhan, o ang maghakot ng ilang de lata, pagkain o bigas na dapat ay nakalaan sa ibang proyekto.

Are we part of the few people who depend on government welfare without doing enough to get a job and stay employed?  Are we among the few who think the  government and the rich people owe them all these dole outs and subsidies and yet choose to bum around and wait for the checks in the mail? Do we say “I am poor and so I am entitled  to all of these,” and yet not do anything to get us out of our dismal situation?

Do we expect to be served rather than to serve, or at least do things out of our own blood, sweat and tears? Are we the teenagers and the young adults who wait for their parents’ allowance and yet do nothing for the family to earn our keep?  Are we the parents who say it is okay for our children to think and act this way?

During election day, President Aquino fell in line. In fact, he went to the end of the line and let other people cast their votes first. He did not use his name, nor the fact that he could be the next President.  The “walang wang-wang, walang counterflow”  would be another simple, yet dramatic down-to-earth example of how the new administration challenges us all to have a new mindset about how we live our day-to-day lives. Taking cue from the President’s example, more than 20 VIPs, including businessmen, celebrities, politicians, and even the US ambassador, voluntarily surrendered  their wangwangs and blinkers to LTO.

If we all would commit to changing the culture of entitlement and corruption in our lives, then maybe our children will learn from our example  as well. Children learn what we live, one day at a time. When we have lapses, then maybe our own children will help us recalibrate our moral compasses.

When that happens, we know we are heading toward the right direction. We know we are doing our share to fulfill our joint commitment toward positive change in the Philippines. One day at a time.

1ST FILIPINA-AMERICAN JUDGE TO BE APPOINTED

[ad]

I saw this article about a First Asian Filipina-American Judge to be appointed by Governor Schwarzenegger!  It was actually posted first of July 21, 2010 from LA Times written by Maura Dolan in San Francisco.  I was amazed and surprise that it didn’t make the headlines as some of the nominees of other public offices.  Apparently the media thinks it not news worthy or maybe I did miss the announcement, as maybe I was on the road moving to California.  Well, I’ll go ahead and take that excuse, but still we should all be really proud that there are Filipinos being in public offices and making a difference and hopefully they are also motivating all of us to do what we can.  I also hope that they are motivated enough to bring their knowledge back to the islands and help those in need.  I am for helping others, but I particularly prefer to help my birth country to be able to compete with the rest of the 3rd world countries.  The Philippines has alot to offer and we need to encourage the people and stop the corruptions in the government and judicial system that has plagued us for a very long time!  Read the story as first published on July 21, 2010 and the Updated article. I do hope that you read it and any comments is greatly appreciated. We need to support one another and get Philippines to be the best we know it can be!  See story below:

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger nominated 3rd District Court of Appeal Justice Tani Gorre Cantil-Sakauye as the next chief justice Wednesday morning, which would make her the first Asian American to lead the state’s judiciary and give the California Supreme Court a female majority for the first time in its history.

Cantil-Sakauye, 50, a Sacramento native who rose through the trial courts, served as deputy legislative secretary and deputy legal affairs secretary under former Gov. George Deukmejian. He plucked her from the Sacramento district attorney’s office and later appointed her to the Sacramento Municipal Court.

Former Gov. Pete Wilson named Cantil-Sakauye to the Sacramento County Superior Court, and Schwarzenegger elevated her to the Court of Appeal in Sacramento.

In a statement issued Wednesday morning, Schwarzenegger praised Cantil-Sakauye’s “distinguished history of public service.”

“She is a living example of the American dream and when she is confirmed by the voters in November, Judge Cantil-Sakauye will become California’s first Filipina chief justice, adding to our high court’s already rich diversity,” Schwarzenegger said.

A graduate of the UC Davis School of Law, Cantil-Sakauye was a surprise nominee who is relatively unknown outside judicial circles. She has served two years on the state Judicial Council, the policy-making arm of the courts, and if approved by voters in November, will be responsible for the state’s entire court system.

According to several biographies, Cantil-Sakauye comes from humble roots. Her Filipina mother was a farmworker, and her Filipino-Portuguese father, born in Hawaii, worked in sugar cane and pineapple plantations before moving to Sacramento. She is a Republican, is married to a Sacramento police lieutenant and has two children.

Cantil-Sakauye said in a statement that it is a “privilege and a tremendous honor” to be asked to serve as chief justice.

“I have had the distinct pleasure of being a municipal court judge, a superior court judge and an appellate court justice,” she said. “As a jurist, woman and a Filipina, I am extremely grateful for the trust Gov. Schwarzenegger has placed in me. I hope to show young people what they can achieve if they follow their dreams and reach for their full potential.”

One California Supreme Court justice who has worked with her on the Judicial Council praised the selection.

“I am very impressed with her, the manner in which she gets to the meat of the coconut on issues” said Justice Marvin Baxter, a conservative member of the state high court. “She knows when to listen and when to talk. She has been very, very effective for a relatively new member of the council.”

He said her judicial rulings reveal her to be “a very independent thinker.”

In one case, Cantil-Sakauye dissented in a ruling that said the city of Sacramento was not liable for an alleged sexual assault by two city firefighters. The alleged assault occurred at a costume ball attended by two firefighters who drove their fire trucks to the event, where the plaintiff said they drank and flirted.

Cantil-Sakauye contended the assault may have been foreseeable.

“[T]here is at least a triable issue of fact whether the assault was fairly attributable to the work conditions under which, allegedly, firefighters were permitted to take trucks to bars, drink and pick up women,” she wrote.

Santa Clara University Law Professor Gerald Uelmen, who examined her appellate rulings, said there was “nothing of consequence that would tell us much about her orientation.” He said she probably was chosen for her administrative and lobbying skills, not her judicial writings.

“I really see Ron George’s hand in this … ,” Uelmen said. “I don’t think it’s her reputation as a legal scholar that got her the appointment, but rather her experience in dealing with court administration issues on the Judicial Council and her experience in dealing with the legislature and the governor.”

[Updated at 10:50 a.m.: Court of Appeal Justice J. Anthony Kline, a Jerry Brown appointee who serves in San Francisco, praised the selection of Cantil-Sakauye. He said she is considered highly organized, congenial and a fast learner who understands the need for judicial independence.

“My guess is that her values and judicial opinions will be similar to those of Ron George,” said Kline, a liberal Democrat. “I see her as a moderate.”

UC Davis Law School Dean Kevin Johnson said she has “devoted an incredible amount of time” to a campus  program that encourages socially disadvantaged students from low income families to go to law school.

“She is very self made, a hard worker, but I never get the sense of an edge—that I did it, everybody else should be able to do it,” Johnson said. “It is more that she wants to inspire.”

Johnson called her “a careful, thoughtful, very moderate, mainstream jurist” who is “fair but perhaps somewhat conservative” on law and order issues. He predicted she would build coalitions on the seven-member court, which has three justices who are considered conservative and three who are more liberal.]

In addition to her administrative work on the Judicial Council, Cantil-Sakauye has served as president of the Anthony M. Kennedy American Inn of Court, which is dedicated to promoting civility, ethics and professionalism in the law.

Chief Justice Ronald M. George, who is retiring in January, recently appointed Cantil-Sakauye to head a Judicial Council committee charged with overseeing the operations of the Administrative Office of the Courts, which runs the court system.

Her nomination must be affirmed by a three-member panel headed by George and then by voters in November. Such nominations are usually routinely approved.