Doomsday Kuwait?

Some Filipinos are seriously concerned with the diplomatic feud that’s going on between Kuwait and the Philippines. Many of the “Worry Warts” are worried about 250,000 OFWs coming home jobless and penniless, while the more considerate ones are worried about many of those who can’t leave, won’t be allowed to leave, or a handful of Pinoys who are now in a Kuwaiti jail.

One of my CEO friends told me over dinner that 250,000 jobless Pinoys coming home is a big deal. But being the eternal optimist and true to the bone Pinoy, I countered by telling him that the one thing we Filipinos can be counted on is that: We take care of our own, we may get stressed but we still manage to move on. If North and South Korea have managed to move on in their decades long feud, so will Filipinos in the face of every threat challenge and adversity. Unlike those who have fought with us or feud with us, we have a deep and abiding faith in GOD and he has never let us down because: “GOD has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self discipline” 2 Timothy 1:7

It did not take long or much of an effort to convince Mr. CEO that we have even more jobless people in the provinces and every barangay, but there is always that one Filipino or Filipina willing to work, generous enough to share and full of compassion enough to care for extended family members or a neighbor. We may not have lots of cash flow but we always have enough “Ulam” to go around. We are not arrogant or so full of pride that we won’t go on our knees to scrub floors, dig trenches, or take on work that other nationalities feel is beneath them. We may not take pride in work or brag about the work we do, but we will work because our responsibility for family is what’s most important.

If the Kuwaiti’s feel justified to expel all 250,000 workers that is within their rights but we should never – never make the mistake of thinking or saying that everything depends on them. Our help does not come from them but from GOD almighty. If the Kuwaiti’s want to humble us, punish us or even do us harm, let me just remind the worry warts out there what the Biblical Joseph in Genesis said to his brothers who sold him into slavery and ended up having to bow down before him as the Prime Minister of the country that enslaved him:

 “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of GOD? You intended to harm me, but GOD intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.” Genesis 50: 19 – 21

In Romans 8:28 St. Paul reminds us: “ And we know that in all things GOD works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

I don’t know about you, but I would not be one bit surprised if God is closing the doors and the borders because many Filipinos, while searching for jobs, or working in the Middle East have ended up abandoning their faith and converting from Christianity to Islam either from pressure or convenience. Many have “abandoned” or left their children behind, and more than a handful of marriages have crumbled because of the separation as OFWs. “When GOD blesses us it does not come with a curse,” the jobs in the Middle East on the other hand has brought so many curses on or people, that GOD has decided to step in.

Maybe, just maybe, God is doing a new thing. A new day, a new way, not the dooms day. If so time for us to go to our quiet places, to the corner, even on our knees to pray and leave room for GOD to step in.

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While the politicians and the PDEA are debating on whether the “Drug List” of barangay officials should be released, it has become clear that Oplan Tokhang, Oplan double barrel only worked or was effective in sowing fear while the bodies were piling up. After a while the pushers and users started to come out of their burrows to take risks and do brisk business.

I fully support President Duterte’s Anti Drug war and for that reason, I have to point out that President Duterte and his team completely missed their goals when they did not push and pushed hard for the reactivation of the death penalty. You can go tough on the makers and sellers like Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia have but if you don’t impose the death penalty same way they do, the risks and penalty of making and selling drugs will never be serious enough and scary enough.

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The last couple of weeks have seriously been sad weeks for the PNP SAF. First their unit in the Visayas was made to perform a drill or terrorist attack simulation on the beaches of Boracay. Netizens quickly tagged it as “Infinity Wars,” the worst marketing video for the new Boracay, or a complete PR nightmare. A more cynical government official labeled it as “a show and tell” for President Duterte because someone was “Nag pa-pa impress.”

A few days or a week after that, a police officer died by drowning while undergoing SAF training. That of course was unfortunate by itself but it also put cold water on the suggestion of the new PNP Chief Albayalde that PNP officers should undergo SAF training.

Ironically, with a SAF contingent on Boracay as part of the 600-man Police force, we found out that blue guards prevented Secretary Roy Cimatu or security guards from entering the property where a giant casino is suppose to be constructed. Cimatu opted to be cool about it, but what happened to the show of force on the beach? Did they get sunburned or heat stroke?

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