Foreigner Rights, Generally Speaking

[Higg-num]

I had to read your OP a few times to get the overall theme to your question. As did I Jake. as I get older (and not necessarily wiser), I'm beginning to take a more chill out posture. Life experience counts for much IF it is tempered with wisdom. : ) These days, it really depends who's got a poker face with ace's up their sleeve. I'm talkingabout a guy I'm publicly insulting is packing a 45 under his belt. Will I or members of my family be ambushed byhis gang of friends upon exiting Jollibee? Will my food be contaminated by the server I just insulted for lousyservice? The list can go on and on. And unfortunately, the answers even for me, needs to be handled on acase by case basis. perhapsgrowing older makes me think of preserving my life a little bit longer. After all, retirement with the ones you lovemust be prolonged with stress free life style. Especially in a strange and foreign land.But then again, if my life or family is in immediate danger then deadly force will be applied with extreme prejudice.Respectfully -- Jake IF it ain't worth killing or dieing over.....I'll choose to let it go. However, In the event my spider man senses go off. ( Lethal threat ) Only one of three things are gonna happen; They kill me, We kill each other or I kill them. Guess which one I train for ? ! ? LoL I do not see it as " Giving up " my rights...so to speak but suspending parts of them. Talk to some folks who have established certain connections or know how to operate as a " Gray " man. ( No, I'm not referring to the war between the states or Southern American confederates. LoL) I mean changing the way we think , blending in and learn the rhythm of the culture and what " Laws " can be bent or broken. How, who and when to manipulate the system to your favor.Not by stealth but thrive by guile ! This may not make sense unless you have done time with guys with special assignments ( Military intelligence, Operations ,SOF etc...) They have no rules & rarely get busted. They take the " using your head " to a whole nother level boys.This is as much as I feel comfortable with stating on a public forum. Disclaimer; Personally I plan on obeying ALL the laws of the P.I. Government in every way, shape and form. Even submitting myself to opinions and obeying those as well. I shall be as gentle as a baby sheep and a pacifist at all costs. There...I'v covered myself.

[Jollygoodfellow]

QuestionFor the average Expat living in the Philippines.Is it a major problem everyday where you find you have no rights? Is it impossible to leave the house because in the back of your mind you may not have any rights? Do you constantly loose sleep worrying about what will happen when you need to visit the supermarket for a re stock of imported Cornflakes?My questions is, is "our rights" a real worry each and every day or do we function 98% of the time with out thinking about it and any adverse consequences.Just wondering and I know its important to understand how the rights system or lack of it works but at the same time in most cases our daily lives will not depend on it. :hystery:

[Jake]

One other thing that has to be mentioned is, how do the rights of a foreigner here compare to other places in Asia?Hmmm, China, Vietnam, Cambo, aaargggg ugly.OK, how about Japan, Korea, etc. etc. A lot more subtle, but you can ever forget becoming a member of their society too.Perhaps Phils aint so bad in comparison to its neighbours...

Thank you Billten for confirming my suspicion about other Asian countries. I would love to think that myhome country was a little bit more conducive for retirement in the Philippines. I'm also curious aboutcentral and southern America (Costa Rica, Panama) as well as some of the European retirement spots.This wonderful forum is turning out to be more informative than any travel guides I've read. Folks likeyou as well as other expat explorers provide no nonsense "boots on the ground" field report with anadded touch of humorous anecdotes. Thank you guys -- Jake

[Curley]

QuestionFor the average Expat living in the Philippines.Is it a major problem everyday where you find you have no rights? Is it impossible to leave the house because in the back of your mind you may not have any rights? Do you constantly loose sleep worrying about what will happen when you need to visit the supermarket for a re stock of imported Cornflakes?My questions is, is "our rights" a real worry each and every day or do we function 98% of the time with out thinking about it and any adverse consequences.Just wondering and I know its important to understand how the rights system or lack of it works but at the same time in most cases our daily lives will not depend on it. :hystery:

Hear, hear. I couldn't agree more.

[MikeB]

You don't miss "rights" until you actually need them eg, when you are arrested. So much misinformation and half-truths are thrown around and repeated until they become "facts". This is from the US Embassy's web site on the subject of US citizens arrested in the Philippines.It documents the basic process and the Embassy's role.

[joeatmanila]

Please enlighten me, i do not understand the topic!!!!What are we talking about here?Right to own a gun? Get one under your wife's name, keep it home and GOOD LUCK if you ever decide to use it. Or we want to walk around the town like in the wild west cowboy's films with two guns on our waste? I do not get it :(Earn living? Who ever denies you that? make your papers properly and you can work (now do not say it is low salary, this is the country's salaries!!!). Otherwise it sounds to me as if an immigrant to any other country without proper papers to say the same? Unless you feel same as the Mexicans in Arizona....Highly restricted land ownership? I never encoutered it as a problem. I made family here, i have a wife and kid, if wife kicks me out still she cannot sell the communal properties we bought together without getting my share. If i die, my wife and kid would inherit it. What is the problem? Remember if this law was not existing, this country would officialy belong to the united nations with the land prices they have!!!!Free speach? Become a filipino citizen (we all can if we are willing to get rid of our passport and nationality, after some years living here) so you can vote and ofcourse be eligible to rally on the streets with the same privilages and consequences of pinoy portesters. If you talk about compaining in your everyday life for living issues, disputes with neighbors etc...Come to me, i never had the slightest problem, i did sue filipinos and i won, i did took filipinos to the police and made them pay (without paying any bribes). When you have right you get it, just do not be arrogant or expect people to kneel on you due to your "golden" passport.Got to respect all filipinos? No, there are so many people i do not respect here but i do not go to their face telling them scr*w you mother*^%^&....what do we do in our countries when we do not respect someone? I guess the same as we do here.Being respected? Never forget respect is something you arev given through your own attitude. i have never felt disrespected in my 9 years here, i always though respect my self first.Deportation for disrespecting any filipino? i have difficulties to believe that if my neighbor does not like me he/she can deport me that easy!!! In the cases we hear i hold back a bit, there might be more juice in this soup we are served....getting into a car accident and you have to pay because you are a foreigner? LOL!!!! If you are falling into the intimidation practices of all these low rank crocodiles (mmda, local police, barangay tanonds, barangay or municipal police) then...you pay. Only God can intimidate me, i never paid for any accident even if once i intentionaly crushed a taxi at his back and took all his back fender down with a pretty good damage to his piece of sh#t car, mine was minor since i had foresee the angle of "attack". I always got paid for any accident happened to me. So eventually i cannot complain!!!!in 9 years i paid "traffic violation" tickets 4-5 times in my first years, i do not pay them no more since they hardly dare to give me one, no i do not show them any gun but i know how to intimidate them and put them in worries, they always let me go. This is Manila, a heaven of traffic tickets which 90% go directly to their pockets.To be arrested? I always avoid conflicts with law outside my own country, same practice everywhere. why you think that Philippines is more harsh to foreigners than US or any other country? try this, a Norwegian friend of mine goes to the pink pussycat strip club at Miami, he gets drunk as a scump, has spended more than 1000$ in there. He is leaving and on his way out he ACCIDENTALY brakes one stupid big light stand. The bouncers get him asking him 500$, he tells them he will call the police, they say sure no problem. Police arrives, he gets handcuffed and arrested, thrown in the police station jail, next day to the court, costed him 5000$ for a good lawyer to clear him out, otherwise he would go IN jail for no apparent reason other than the bouncers allegations and since he was drunk they could blame him everything. Situations as such happen all over the world, no need to be in Philippines to judge it as a bad thing in the country.If someone jumps on me in the line of jolibee, i act as i might judge but as Jake i wouldn't take it too far. I general i avoid conflicts, fights or so, here and everywhere. If it happens i cannot avoid it then i will fight it. I did here when i had to, nothing complicated happened.Unless we have the expectations to be treated as "budhas" (at least i look a like heheheh) i do not see any major problem by living here.Anyone of you ever tried to live in central or south America to be the extanjero or gringo all the time or even worst in Mexico city? Not to mention the other SE Asia or Asian countries or China where people spit due to you presence...The one and only thing i regret living here is why i did not do it 20 years ago, i guess i did not have the mind and i needed the colors of the world i-ve seen.

[Jim Sibbick]

QuestionFor the average Expat living in the Philippines.Is it a major problem everyday where you find you have no rights? Is it impossible to leave the house because in the back of your mind you may not have any rights? Do you constantly loose sleep worrying about what will happen when you need to visit the supermarket for a re stock of imported Cornflakes?My questions is, is "our rights" a real worry each and every day or do we function 98% of the time with out thinking about it and any adverse consequences.Just wondering and I know its important to understand how the rights system or lack of it works but at the same time in most cases our daily lives will not depend on it. :attention:

Well others have disagreed with me but if you are treating ALL Filipinos with respect ALL of the time, rights shouldn't be an issue.I should add they I never put myself in a position where I am the employer. That is what my girlfriend is for. So no one has to think anything about me at all.I never plan to own my own home. I will just rent. If I don't like the neighbours, I will move. Right now, I have a good bunch of neighbours and have no thoughts of moving.If I do buy my own home in the future, it will be because I have married another Filipina, something I have no plans to do. Then it will be her responsibility to protect the house and file a complaint with the Barangay Captain in need.Regards: Jim

[Old55]

:attention:

[Higg-num]

do not see it as " Giving up " my rights...so to speak but suspending parts of them. Talk to some folks who have established certain connections or know how to operate as a " Gray " man. ( No, I'm not referring to the war between the states or Southern American confederates. LoL) I mean changing the way we think , blending in and learn the rhythm of the culture and what " Laws " can be bent or broken. How, who and when to manipulate the system to your favor. Not by stealth but thrive by guile !

Joeatmanila's Post may explain my own reasoning I was attempting to articulate. Joeatmanila I believe you may receive your " Gray-man " certificate. ; )( Since this keeps coming up like Lazarus ) Perhaps because those of us who where blessed to be " AH-meri-Rick- cans " have a reputation for being rough & rugged independents. Guys...as far as " Guns ". Matters little if one is in their home or out on the street. IF a Bad guy or group of them is within 5 feet or so....It has rarely been an effective tactic from the good guy 's stand point to produce their own concealed firearm. You have a better chance at escape or close & fight. I do NOT state this of my own foolishness but of thousands and thousands of video feeds / personal accounts. Statistics,science, facts & history.

[Jack Peterson]

I believe the right to a speedy trial has also been given up. Seems I have read about people rotting in jail for 5 or more years waiting for their day in court and then perhaps receiving a 5 yr sentence with no credit for time already served while waiting for trial. Correct me if I am wrong.Doug

Well, I would like to think that you were Right BUT! hey, Did the Phillies ever sign up to the Human Rights Issue? Here I think it is a Fundamental Right, that discounted Time should be Given. What about a NOT GUILTY Verdict. Would they be Given compensation. mmmmmmm beggars belief don't you think??Jack P.