If you think that immigration officer Edgar Padlan is now temporarily relieved of his post at the airport, on “floating” status, as reported, then you are all mistaken.
Edgar Padlan’s copycats are still sitting in one of the many desks of the Bureau of Immigration at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
Who is he?
Edgar Padlan was an immigration officer who allowed a foreigner to jump the line of passengers waiting to be checked in at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in the afternoon of November 02, 2006. He was the man who ignored Evangeline Lourdes “Luli” Arroyo, demanded her to wait while he processes the lane-cutting foreigner’s papers, scolded Ms. Arroyo by saying “Don’t you know how to wait?”! in addition, questioned Ms. Arroyo why she was on the VIP lane. Please see this INQ article.
Another one:
After the “Luli” incident, now comes my story that is almost similar to that of the first daughter’s experience but this time with the thousand OFW’s who arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport yesterday afternoon, November 3, 2006 from Dubai through the Emirates Airlines flight EK332 which unfortunately included me.
We were all falling in line in counters nine and ten when suddenly the family of celebrities, Ruffa Gutierrez, the mother, the father, her child with a maid suddenly came out from nowhere behind the lines, escorted by an immigration officer, went directly to the open counters 9 and 10.
These celebrity family came out of the airport with no hassle, no falling in line, no problem and very much a VIP.
While thousands of us fellow, poor, unknown Overseas Filipino Worker, the so-called faceless modern-day hero (Bagong Bayani) had to endure the long lines and had to wait patiently until our turn to face the immigration officer, these celebrity family were arrogant as if being a celebrity gave them the right to be treated as VIP’s while we normal Filipino people deserve to fall in line.
We could not do anything but watch with awe and anger seeing this injustice accorded us at that time. I and the hundreds and thousands of poor, lowly OFW’s who were not star-struck by these celebrities could not help but be mad by the acts committed by both the immigration officer and these celebrity family.
To the immigration officer who accorded them VIP treatment:
What heroism have these celebrity family done to our country or what notable contribution have they done to the economy to deserve these royalty-type treatment.
To Ruffa Gutierrez, Eddie Gutierrez, and Annabelle Rama:
Who gave you the right to ignore the line and act as if you are different from anyone of us? What heroism has anyone of you done to this country? Have you contributed to the economy more billion dollars than we (OFW’s) have?
What kind of Filipinos are you?
Kung tunay kayong pamilyang Pinoy, dapat marunong kayong gumalang sa karapatan at pagkatao ng kapwa nyo Pinoy. Wag ninyo sasabihin sa akin na ibinigay sa inyo ang pabor na ito at hindi nyo hiniling. Dapat tinanggihan ninyo dahil wala kayong karapatan.
Kung sabagay, iba ang takbo ng isip nyo at isipan ko.
Immigration Commissioner Alipio Fernandez and Mr. Ferdinand Sampol, BI-NAIA head supervisor
Why is this happening? Are you blind?
My take:
Having seen these things happen through my narrow and small eyes, I have come to the realization that:
– A new hero (BAGONG BAYANI) in this country has no match with the non-law abiding and arrogant family of celebrity.
– This country of ours is like a big bad soap opera.
Please check this post of Lani – Serbisyo Publiko at Paumanhin
Many of you would ask and wonder why at the time this incident is happening, why I have not protested? My answer is that I am nobody in the immigration officer’s eye, was very tired from a long trip and was so mad at that time. I am afraid that I would not be able to control myself if my blood started to heat up. However, I promised myself that I would do something about it. Therefore, here is it.
Tags: Edgar Padlan, Philippine immigration officer, myepinoy, Philippines, pinoy
myepinOy's bLOG 
kalalapag mo pa lang sa “Bayang Magiliw” ang BULOK na
sistema na agad ang sasalubong, anong bago???
lalong lumalala kamo!!!
sa humigit-kumulang na 2 buwan ko jan, TSK TSK TSK na lang … itaga mo pa sa BAKYA ko … mabuhay ang mga ALIPIN!!!
and those crooks continue to parade their thick faces in front of the many Filipinos….
sick, this country is..
Welcome back home, Mang Rolly. Alam ko di maganda ang naging salubong sa iyo ng mga buwisit diyan sa NAIA, hay naku, ano pa nga ba ang bago? Pero welcome ka dito sa puso naming mga ordinaryong pinoy. Ewan ko ba diyan sa mga naglilingkod kuno na iyan, kapag nakakita ng foreigners or celebrities, nangangayupapa ang mga tinamaan ng kulog.
Understandable naman na di ka na makakibo noon, aba sa sobrang pagod, inis, at inip na nararamdaman niyo noon e siguradong kayo pa ang lalabas na eskandaloso kapag pinuna niyo ang mga katiwalian doon. Siempre medyo di na maganda ang timpla niyo kaya mahirap ding kontrolin ang emosyon kapag ganoon, nawawala na sa wisyo ang isang taong sobra ang inabot na kabwisitan.
Kakalungkot talaga pero laging nangyayari dito sa bansang ito ang ganyan. Kahit sa sarili nating bansa, discriminated tayo.
Typical palakasan system. Celebrities and politicians always have the pull from the inside and these guys never queue in the line. Ingrained na yata sa cultura natin ang palakasan system.
First of all, I like to comment the first daughter for her attitude of putting her feet on the ground by leading a good example. She indeed doing it, in many ways, on her own free will, meaning without pressures from media, or trying to look good. This incident really tells us that she is a down to earth person even as first daughter. a good example in deed.
Too bad that our culture works this way: mas mayabang pa ang psg kesa sa president or alalay ng ibang politiko. Hawe boys mas mayabang pa sa artistang boss nya, mmda trapik enforcer mas mayabang pa sa pulis. Drivers mas astig pa sa amo nya. Kaya pati mga immigration officers mas mayabang pa sa mga big bosses nila. In toto, a lot of people in authority in our country do not know how to handle their powers. They then to forget that the people whom they are supposed to serve are the same people they then to abuse. Garbage collectors nowadays will only collect your thrush if you hand them 20 pesos.
Its an irony but true and the truth hurts. I think we need a drastic reform in the entire country and this as to be soon and it has to start with the leadership of each government agency. I might sound so ideal and desperate. Maybe the question is how? Maybe we can start with traffice which seems to be relentlessly unsolvable. I am sure that our smart and intellegent politians will not agree with me as their “ego” will be on the line and will contest that this is an insult to our ability to resolve our own problems which we can not in reality. For whatever it’s worth, let me suggest this:
“Deploy 200 LAPD in EDSA with same image as they do in US.and let them handle the traffic violations”
RESULTS:
1. Drivers would follow traffic rules as they are afraid to discuss in english with the officers.
2. LAPD enforcers mean business and will be strict in giving them traffic violation tickets or TVRs.
3. They maintain their mean image by not being friendly but rather serious in implementing traffic rules.
4. Their contractual obligations shall be paid through traffic offenders funds or penalties.
The fact that police officers are body guards of politicians and anti-crime enforcers (somtimes involved with it) and can be seen in major traffic roads and the MMDA traffic enforcers, who cannot even distinguish what the broken lines and solid lines mean, should be the baklas plaka boys only. By the way, the Supreme Court must reverse their position and allow this plate confiscation from illigal parkings and unattended cars.
Their are many ideas I have in mind to improve our system of government. However, our concurrent public officials must somehow swallow their pride and also must go with it their “egos”.
I think the reason why people in our gov’t does not want to entertain changes is that the delhensya system will not exist anymore and the more you correct it hoping to fing cans of worms, you will be surpised to discover tons and tons of worms in the beaurucracy.
If this comment reach Luli Arroyo, let me volunteer myself to be part of you geniune vision of a new philippines.
Having come from Manila recently, I saw her ugly sides again. These immigration people are low-lying ants with no dignity at all. What’s with celebrities? Mga unggoy!
sana kumuha ka ng complaint form to file a complaint later on kung pagod ka na. the head of immigration did say (during a news interview), that anyone can file a complaint, and it would be investigated.
i think the more people create ‘noise’ regarding the unfair customer service practices that is so common in the philippines, then the people in the higher managerial positions will not be able to ignore the situation(s), and they will be forced (eventually) to change their practices.
i think almost everyone in the philippines has experienced something similar like this at one point or another.
the female at the front desk at red coconut in boracay was more attentive to the caucasian tourists who arrived after us. they were given complimentary drinks and were constantly reminded that their room was being readied. in the meantime, we were lucky to even get a glance from the front desk staff — and we reserved the largest cabin located at the back, which they charged a high amount in dollars. i took down her name, and filed a complaint with the management after i got back to seattle. i didn’t get any response, but i was able to voice out my opinion.
with the rapid changes in our social system, it is about time that filipino businesses change the way they do things. every person should be alotted equal respect.
nice post dre. i’m actually thinking of featuring this post in my blog sometime soon. reason being i was once a former BI employee. i wasn’t in the front line though. i was in the IT dept.
the padlan incident and that one narrated by milkphish clearly shows that racial discrimination is sometimes more prevalent in our own country. not only racial, but we’re also discrimated at home by virtue of our social/financial status.
Talagang makapal pa rin ang mga buwaya dyan sa ating mga port of entries. I had somehow believed that in this day, wala na ang ganyang mga katiwalian, mga corrupt na port officials—katulad ng mga kotong cops—; subalit nakakalungkot nga na parang garapalan pa rin ang nangyayari dyan.
This only shows that there is something terribly wrong with the Philippine system. Palakasan talaga kahit saan.
And I never liked Ruffa and her family.
Ruffa?! Who is she? … Seriously, this Padlan-copycat and their ilk should be sacked!
I really like your point here. Totoo talaga yang mga sinasabi mo maraming beses na nangyayari yan. Sa palagay ko araw-araw yan na nangyayari sa bulok na sistema ng NAIA. Halos lahat ng immigration officer ay bastos. Higit sa lahat walang disiplina. Parang tingin nila sa lahat ng Pilipino ay mga pobre. HIndi nila alam na sila rin ay mga pobre. Kaya nga halos ayokong magbakasyon sa labas ng bansa o magtrabaho doon dahil sa pag-uugali nila. Halos yata ng kakilala ko na dumaan sa counter ng immigration ay nakakaobserba sa hindi magandang pamamalakad nila. Pwede namang magpakatotoo tayo. Walang pinipili dapat. Pareho lang naman tayo e. Isa pa, ang mga OFW natin, sila ang bumubuhay ng ating ekonomiya. Hindi dahil sa kanila matagal na tayong nalutang sa putikan.
Ako sa saludo sa mga punto mo. Sana matauhan na rin yang mga pesteng mga hayup na nagtatrabaho sa lungga ng NAIA.
Good luck!
Hi! I know this post was a few months back. Its sad to read stories like this one. parang so much in justice in our country. Na parang galit ang pinoy sa kapwa niya pinoy. In H.K. yung residents nila just enter imigration thru thumb print recognition.. I’m not saying that we should do the same… we are not that technologically advance yet, pero dapat naman siguro more VIP lanes for Filipino Citizens only and other lanes for non-citizens… parang give importance to fellow pinoys dahil nasa pilipinas tayo… hay
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