Comrades in our midst

The cool morning mist would still be visible every time Sato-San would show up for work. He was always early, well dressed and always carrying his bucket of garden tools. Yes, Sato-San, the master gardener was truly skilled with plants, especially with creating “Japanese gardens”.

Each morning as he tended the garden, Sato-San would bow in respect whenever his employer, Mr. Guerrero would come to appreciate Sato-San’s handiwork. Through the years, they had almost perfected this ceremonial meet and bow in their common paradise.

Then one morning, the whole world went upside down.

That morning, Sato-San arrived very differently. He no longer wore his gardener’s garb nor did he bring his gardener’s tools, he was also no longer Sato-San. That day he was not going to do the traditional bow of respect to his employer Mr. Guerrero.

Dressed in the uniform of an official of the Japanese Imperial Army, Colonel Sato arrived with knee high boots, a pistol on his right and a samurai on his left. He did not come to tend the garden he came to occupy it, along with the house, the city and the country.

Today, it was Mr. Guerrero’s turn to bow before the “sakang na singkit”. Today it was his turn to address Colonel Sato as “sir”.

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This is my version of stories told by survivors of the Japanese occupation who woke up one day to discover that the people they worked with, lived with and even employed, were actually scouts, spies and advanced parties of the Japanese Imperial Army, sent well in advance of their invasion of the Philippines.

Against this backdrop and in the midst of a brewing controversy about boycotting China made products, I find myself asking the question:

Do we have “comrades” in our midst living as Filipinos but actually promoting the political and economic interests of China? Or do we simply have Chinese-Filipinos who have long benefitted from China made products and are now acting like agents of Mainland China?

When Governor Joey Salceda made the call for Filipinos to boycott China made products, very few imagined that it would create such a stir beyond the realm of political statements. The boycott won’t hurt China but it will cure the Philippines and many Filipinos of social ailments that we have simply lived with.

Thanks to Governor Salceda’s call, people are now saying: “BUY FILIPINO MADE PRODUCTS”.

This would be a more polite version of the boycott and would help resurrect the thousands of businesses that were killed by “cheap China products”, as well returning jobs to the millions of unemployed factory workers who lost their jobs when importing became the “cheaper” alternative.

In line with this comes the issue of establishing pro-business policies and dealing firmly with gangster like unions masquerading as socialists and activists. In the same light, several leftist and activist organizations have now been openly challenged to show their true colors if not their nationalism concerning the rude behavior of China towards the Philippines.

Why can’t the leftists march in front of the Chinese embassy the same way the “communist” in Vietnam have been doing for the last two weeks accusing China of “Peace in speech - Violent in action”.

In reality, we don’t even have to try so hard. Just pressure Customs Commissioner Lito Alvarez to scrutinize and tax all items coming from China instead of the “per container charge” and go after the smugglers of made in China products.

In one of our trips to China, a tourist guide told us not to buy the usual stuff because they were much cheaper in 168 in Divisoria. So it is not the production cost that makes the product cheaper! They all cost the same ex-factory.

China made products are cheaper because: they are smuggled into the country, and they are used as part of the props for illegal aliens to set up shop, take residency or as cover for other businesses.  

Consequently, in order to protect the genuine Chinese Filipino traders, we should call upon Immigration Commissioner Ric David to round up all the illegal Mainland Chinese traders and “salesgirls” who have directly competed or displaced Filipino and Tsinoy traders.

But going back to Sato-San a.k.a Colonel Sato, the deeper and disturbing issue that Joey Salceda has stirred is the question of loyalties.

Tsinoy or Filipino, we are all confronted by the question: Where lies your loyalty?

Who are you? And what are you?

My European wife has live for nearly 25 years in the Philippines, much longer than she has lived anywhere including her own country, Holland. She has expressed as much love and concern as I have for the Philippines. In the same token, many of her expat friends who are similarly situated have come to love, not only spouse and family, but country as well.

For all that time and love, they still pay the price of being a foreigner at stores, at malls, at hotels. Each time they leave the country they pay nearly P5,000 in travel tax and immigration departure taxes and fees. They can’t buy land, own corporations or go into retail. In essence they are still strangers in a strange land.

Compared to that, we so-called Filipinos are now at each other’s throat debating about China, it’s gunboat diplomacy and their dumping practices. Sadly, some of us seem to be more concerned about their money than their country. Sadly some of us seem to have forgotten that they are citizens of the Philippines, IF NOT FILIPINO.

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