My expat husband is facing a legal problem

What good will it do? You'll be wasting your time and shooting yourself in the foot. The only thing you'll end up doing is inflaming the already bad relationship between yourselves and your neighbor. Obviously the guy is a loud drunk and he's not going to change. The best thing you can do is avoid all contact with him and ignore him completely. Any other action will be giving him exactly what he wants... just an excuse to pick some kind of fight.

Cheers,
James
expat.com Experts Team

The neighbor has no ground to file a complaint as they claimed it was the visitors who was traumatized; you should have the hitting incident reported and recorded in the police blotter; so next time this will happen again, the drunk neighbor will not be able to twist the story;

Unfortunately your husband has given your nasty neighbor a reason to try to make out that the confrontation is greater than it really is. I think he will try to make a case against your husband because he is a foreigner and the thought of making some easy money, so take legal advice ASAP to protect yourselves. He has proved that he does'nt keep his  word. I would even consider  moving away if he continues to harass your husband.

My 2 cents:

First of all, you are Filipino. You know about Filipino culture. It is your duty to be your foreign national husband's ambassador. You should not have let him confront the neighbors.

Is this partying / karaoke a recurring problem, i.e., is it a weekly recurrence or just during events such as Christmas parties and birthdays? If I were in your situation, what I would have done is explained to my husband that this is how some Filipinos want to celebrate. And I would have done this explaining prior to his intent of confronting the neighbors rather than after.

One sleepless night is not worth getting into a confrontation. If this happened to us, we would just do something constructive. Clean the house. Do some organizing. Take a shower. Do your taxes. Get naughty, etc. And then catch up on some sleep in the morning.

You cannot change the past. But let this be a lesson for a Filipino married to a foreigner when they are confronted with this situation or something similar.

For the Filipino: protect the interest of your spouse.  This is your terrain, not his  Have him keep his calm.

For the foreigner spouse. Let the Filipino spouse do the talking. She's more of the expert on culture than you. There's a language barrier and cultural difference. So, there's a possibility that your words and actions will be construed negatively by some Filipinos. This is their country, not yours. So, understand first before trying to be understood.

About the second incident, you should have filed a police report, as this is assault and battery, and include in the statement that he threatened to kill your husband. You can still do this even though the incident happened a few days ago. But do not sue them, at least not yet, because if you do that, you will now have 2 problems: the neighbor and attorneys draining your savings.  I don't think the neighbor has a strong case for trauma, but you do have a strong case for assault and battery. Don't make the first move. Wait for now.

And besides, I don't think the neighbor's relatives will sue you. Do they look like they have the money for that? And do you think the relatives from England would bother to sue you, and spend time and money for a petty thing as this. I don't think so. They don't want the possibility of coming back here to testify, pay for experts / psychologists to claim trauma, etc. The neighbor might be even embarrassed to bother them. They just want to go back to wherever country they came from and move on with their lives.

In the meantime, make friends with the other neighbors because you need allies. Prepare / buy some leche flan, or fruit salad, or a lucky basket of fruits and give them as gifts for the New Year. But do not make any mention of the other neighbor because you should not make it seem that you are befriending them to have allies against the bad neighbor.

FilAmericanMom wrote:

My 2 cents:

First of all, you are Filipino. You know about Filipino culture. It is your duty to be your foreign national husband's ambassador. You should not have let him confront the neighbors.

Is this partying / karaoke a recurring problem, i.e., is it a weekly recurrence or just during events such as Christmas parties and birthdays? If I were in your situation, what I would have done is explained to my husband that this is how some Filipinos want to celebrate. And I would have done this explaining prior to his intent of confronting the neighbors rather than after.

One sleepless night is not worth getting into a confrontation. If this happened to us, we would just do something constructive. Clean the house. Do some organizing. Take a shower. Do your taxes. Get naughty, etc. And then catch up on some sleep in the morning.

You cannot change the past. But let this be a lesson for a Filipino married to a foreigner when they are confronted with this situation or something similar.

For the Filipino: protect the interest of your spouse.  This is your terrain, not his  Have him keep his calm.

For the foreigner spouse. Let the Filipino spouse do the talking. She's more of the expert on culture than you. There's a language barrier and cultural difference. So, there's a possibility that your words and actions will be construed negatively by some Filipinos. This is their country, not yours. So, understand first before trying to be understood.

About the second incident, you should have filed a police report, as this is assault and battery, and include in the statement that he threatened to kill your husband. You can still do this even though the incident happened a few days ago. But do not sue them, at least not yet, because if you do that, you will now have 2 problems: the neighbor and attorneys draining your savings.  I don't think the neighbor has a strong case for trauma, but you do have a strong case for assault and battery. Don't make the first move. Wait for now.

And besides, I don't think the neighbor's relatives will sue you. Do they look like they have the money for that? And do you think the relatives from England would bother to sue you, and spend time and money for a petty thing as this. I don't think so. They don't want the possibility of coming back here to testify, pay for experts / psychologists to claim trauma, etc. The neighbor might be even embarrassed to bother them. They just want to go back to wherever country they came from and move on with their lives.

In the meantime, make friends with the other neighbors because you need allies. Prepare / buy some leche flan, or fruit salad, or a lucky basket of fruits and give them as gifts for the New Year. But do not make any mention of the other neighbor because you should not make it seem that you are befriending them to have allies against the bad neighbor.

Agreed,

In our case, we thankfully have very very little noise nearby though while building our home and living in Imus we had a neighbor with the worlds loudest stereo who played the worst dance club music non stop from sun up to mid afternoon nearly every day. I stayed out of it and we let the other Filipino neighbors do the complaining, which they all eventually did. My Filipina wife mentioned it to the neighbor when the opportunity presented itself, but in a calm and quiet manner, to no avail. I simply bought a quantity of soft and very effective ear plugs when sitting outside and while inside we simply turned up the volume on the TV. As with all things, it passed when the idiots after months of overdriving their speakers, they simply blew them up and  could not afford to replace the system that was purchased by a very unhappy family member who had paid for the stereo while working overseas and returned home to find his system in ruins.  Karma

Also by confronting the man in front of his friends, he was embarrassed by the foreigner in public and in the Phil, even I know, that is NOT the thing to do.

I totally agree with everyone here esp to FilAmericanMom..ur logical explanation nailed it,tnks so much!
As we are on ceasefire so no legal action has been taken yet..but we already reported the incident to the police,had medical certificates done,I even recorded the barangay hearing just in case worse comes to worst (but hopefully not)..
Next plan would be to seek the legal advice of a lawyer just to know where we stand but as much as possible we want to avoid lawsuits on our sides..
So I will update what happens next bec I think some foreigners undergo the same experience so it wud be nice to get advice and learn from each others experiences.

Tnks,and happy new year to all!

I agree with most posters and would like to add the following:

Going to the Brgy without being informed about the law first is a big error.  Your husband's European views on resolving this type of issues will work well in most countries.  However, culture and perceived entitlements among a few drunk persons will never result in a peaceful outcome in the PI.

What to do?
1.  Take Control - Do not leave your peace of mind in the hands of the offenders. Be prepared to take it (in your writing as the filipina spouse) to Brgy, PNP then to your Mayor. 

2.  Make your statement/affidavit of complaint (use English as the main language) and base it (in part) on the requested compliance with Republic Act No. 386 article 26.  Make sure you have a very clear and obvious CC: To: Swiss Embassy" on the letter head, pay close attention to and use as a basis for your complaint, the fact that RA 386, Article 26 states:

'Every person shall respect the dignity, personality, privacy and peace of mind of his neighbors and other persons'

Understanding this RA is very important before going to the Brgy or PNP for sure. 

3.  Draft and complete your affidavit of complaint (with notarization), then bring it to the Brgy for recording or the "blotter" and get a copy of the blotter showing that your affidavit is an official part of that Brgy.  Advise but do not threat the Brgy with the fact that this is a very serious matter and it is being raised to the Swiss Embassy for "possible terrorist threat" considerations, if not resolved immediately and permanently.

4.  Make sure you get the Brgy number for their "patrol".

5.  The same day go to PNP and blotter the complaint with a copy of the Brgy stamp furnished to the PNP.  Confirm if the neighbor had a Brgy permit issued for the party and for what hours?  Obtain their emergency contact numbers. 

Note: Tell them you are not requesting a formal PNP investigation yet/at this point, but since a threat to your husband's life has been made, you tell them that you:

"are putting them on notice regarding this incident (along with formal notice to the Swiss Embassy) and expect their support/response promptly should you call for their immediate presence in the future".

Now you/your husband are Plaintiffs and the first to take legal steps.  All parties will be forced to address the clear violations covered under the RA you listed and can't act like they have no legal obligation or recourse to assist you.  Your goal is to make Brgy and PNP responsible for responding to a clear violation of the RA by demonstrating you are very much aware of such a law.  This should get the attention of the BRGY, PNP and the Mayor's office and put them on notice to respond to any of your calls/complaints should this start to get out of control.

6.  Next place is the Mayor's office if the problem continues and make sure your respectful introduction letter to the Mayor includes (as embedded attachments), your Brgy and PNP blotter history/evidence.

Review:

Article 26. Every person shall respect the dignity, personality, privacy and peace of mind of his neighbors and other persons. The following and similar acts, though they may not constitute a criminal offense, shall produce a cause of action for damages, prevention and other relief:

(1) Prying into the privacy of another's residence;

(2) Meddling with or disturbing the private life or family relations of another;

(3) Intriguing to cause another to be alienated from his friends;

(4) Vexing or humiliating another on account of his religious beliefs, lowly station in life, place of birth, physical defect, or other personal condition.

Source:  http://www.ilo.org/dyn/natlex/docs/ELEC … L50160.pdf

Why do this or "what good will it do"?  There are many good laws on the books here…. you/your husband and all expats here just have to make sure that the law enforcers are aware that we are aware and demand their actions and accountability.  You, as the Fil citizen here, must take the lead on this issue.  The very best to you and your husband!

Barangay is created to initiate settlement  (amicable) without going to court; to declogged the courts of ever rising pending cases; it is also a procedural requirement with some exemption before you can go directly to the court; just try to solve problems amicably because the next problem you will face is finding a good lawyer; you might know the law but there are procedures in courts that cannot be found in any website or books; interpretation of a law may differ as well depending who is reading it; hope you get what I mean; Happy New Year!

in philippines a new trend began to earn big money from foreigner.actually they make plan befor to tie the foreigner, i also face and pay to police. munciplity. social welfare. all departments are swindler,about 250000 pesos i pay. reason was my wife and maid fight . according to plan,neighbour text to police. sudden police come . maid also file my name, maid got 100000  pesoe. atorney + welfare office 150000 pesos. it is legal robbery to foreigner, be care in philippines, they make plan to tie the foreigner and make money

Cynthiavilla wrote:

... you might know the law but there are procedures in courts that cannot be found in any website or books; interpretation of a law may differ as well depending who is reading it...

Moving from theory to reality, I am living this reality and making positive advancements in a current court case within Cavite.  Despite local PNP first telling me they could not do more.. I moved past them.

As an expat Plaintiff in a current case, the loud-mouth individual (defendant) that committed the crimes against me is facing the following:

-  Judge Denied defendant's Motion to Dismiss for my alleged Brgy. protocol violations.  Brgy released letter for me to file case in less than 20 minutes & defendant claimed it was improper (I presented the laws to the Brgy so they were 100% legal/lawful in releasing their letter to me).
-  Court ordered bar to defendant's travel out of the PI.
-  PNP admission that they failed to follow their procedures as outlined in the PNP Handbook (I highlighted for them).
-  Court ordered arrest warrant (for defendant) being issued by local court and executed by NBI Manila Director's Office to local NBI office.
-  NBI investigation into how PNP issued a gun license.
-  PNP report of expired permit prior to incident.
-  Detailed report to US FBI at US Embassy (as required by US law with any American expat).

All of this was accomplished because I presented all local agencies with my completed Affidavit of Complaint (including the related Philippine laws) before they could say "we are not sure what laws if any have been violated", "we don't have many copies of laws here in the Brgy office", "we don't know what to do", "we can't do that" or "we can't help".   Now they are aware that both US and UN/international agencies have been copied or CC'd on all events in my case. 

All of this was done without me consulting with or retaining any attorney.  I did not ask local authorities to write my complaint.  I wrote my complaint, referenced the Philippine laws I felt were violated and presented authorities with, "I am here to formally file this in accordance with Philippine and international laws", then I asked "how soon will I get a written confirmation of receipt and an official response?". 

It does make a difference when the law enforcers are aware that the expat is aware of the local laws and presents same to the Prosecutor's Office, as evidenced in the trail of documents (now before the agencies & court).

After receiving the certificate to file action from the Barangay, the next stage is to file a complaint in the prosecutor's office; the complainant's lawyer in a criminal case is the fiscal; as this is a criminal case, the real complainant is the People's of the Philippines;  the investigating fiscal will weigh if there is enough evidence to pursue the case in court because he is the lawyer of the state;  if it appears there is a sufficient proof presented by the private complainant; the fiscal will elevate it to the court in form of information; of course the defendant will file a Motion to Dismiss which is discouraged by the court; then you have plea-bargaining; pre-trial; then in the trial happy moments you will really know who is telling a lie; the length of the trial depends on the number of evidence presented; in the meantime the plaintiff may file a hold departure order in the DOJ;  this is what is called "watch list" only valid for 60 days; hopefully no postponements; no etc; of course the defendant either will have a private lawyer or a PAO; who will encourage amicable settlement is still the best policy;

So the private complainant in a criminal case is not without lawyer; as to the defendant, either he hires a lawyer of his own or he can apply for a public lawyer;

Or if the crime committed falls under "No bail" more happy moments for lawyers especially!

@ Cynthiavilla
To be clear,
- Before going to Brgy I made/executed my own complaint based on the laws I felt were broken.
- Before receiving the certificate to file action from the Barangay, the Brgy was in official receipt of my affidavit and I furnished copies of the laws listed along with fines and jail times.  The Brgy office did not have any copies of the laws I listed in my complaint, did not try to alter my words and were happy to read the listed laws for the first time.
- Before filing the complaint with PNP or doing the PNP Blotter, PNP was in receipt of my affidavit.  However, PNP attempted to have me change my complaint to remove any/all references to the laws I stated.  Once I informed PNP that I have a right to list any laws I felt were violated and I would not change my content, they informed me they could not do any more.  I informed them I was on my way to the Fiscal's office and suddenly they wanted to accompany me there.
- Before filing a complaint in the prosecutor's office; that office was in receipt of my written & executed complaint. 

Once the fiscal read my complaint and interviewed me (about a 15 minute process), the case was accepted and the criminal process started.  Of course the fiscal ordered PNP to provide all documents and their investigation report (a step they had to rush back and complete), prepared the case using the forms, format and wording that office wanted/is required to use.  However, the basis for the official complaint in the court system was my previously executed complaint. 

I never said I did not end up with a prosecutor/lawyer, I said I did all of my initial work and filings without any atty.   Of course as the initial complainant in a criminal case is accepted by the fiscal's office, the eventual complainant in the moving documents is the People's of the Philippines. 

My point here is that expats DO NOT need to rush out and spend big money to get an atty just to understand the laws.  Expats need to research for their situation to get a basic understanding of the law, write their own complaint based on that law and present that executed complaint thru each of the required steps starting with any PNP blotter to Brgy action to NBI request, ect.  We are not obligated to be or to retain a court officer (an atty) to write our own complaint and present it as our facts.  I have seen situations here where the atty's filed lessor charges, charged higher fees to the expat and mislead the expat into thinking they have done the best they can do under the law.

PS.  Only a RTC (Regional Trial Court) can process a DHO (Departure hold order) to BI.  Since my case is in the MTC (Municipal Trail Court), the Judge's written order to the defendant/defense atty is the process at this court level.  BI does not get a copy or order from the court but providing such a MTC  Judge's written order to the BI by the plaintiff is not a problem.

if you do not mind telling me what part of cavite you are having these problems we are about to move in May,and I would like to stay far away from this area.
Thanks in  Advance

Mixknight wrote:

if you do not mind telling me what part of cavite you are having these problems we are about to move in May,and I would like to stay far away from this area.
Thanks in  Advance

Thanks for the concern.  Please understand that what happened to me was not region or Brgy based.  This can happen in any location where a racist clown decides to settle.  In my case, being a brown skinned American was a factor for this idiot.  Although he is darker than me, he was very keen on multiple usage of the "N" word (both English and Tagalog versions) with regards to me. 

Please also understand that I really, really like the Cavite area (especially Tagaytay and the areas ranging from Alfonso to Silang) and I feel it is one of the better areas in the PI to settle and have a less polluted life.  My typical experiences with locals have been very positive and 99% of the time with mutual respect.  I will never hold a region or the Philippine people in poor regard due to a few evil persons with a very "black hearts".   I highly recommend that you do come to this area and do not limit your choices due to what has happened to me or a few people with a bad attitude.

However, back to the topic at hand.  The poster's husband does not have a legal problem and my words and shared experiences are to encourage all expats/their families on how to make a real difference in any pursuit of justice here.


Regards

Calif-Native wrote:

Please understand that what happened to me was not region or Brgy based.  This can happen in any location where a racist clown decides to settle.  In my case, being a brown skinned American was a factor for this idiot.  Although he is darker than me, he was very keen on multiple usage of the "N" word (both English and Tagalog versions) with regards to me.

In my time in the Philippines I heard the N word a lot, but, when trying to correct people, the constant answer was that they knew nothing of the use of the word as being overly offensive.  Its a term for a Black person derived from the Tagalog/Spanish word Negro for Black.

They also add that they hear it on TV shows with black Americans, and in rap music etc., by black Americans, so what's wrong?

My answer to my Fiipino G/F, who asked why they use it but others can't; my only answer was basically a loss of words.  I do not know.

To be honest, the word will never go away while still in acceptable use.

I personally can't bring myself to use word, as I know the background to it, but many do not, and get confused when hearing it being acceptable in TV and music. Both very popular avenues of information for Filipinos.

Thanks for your reply,but I find it funny that even you ,use the term "Black Hearted" to describe a negative person. Why not blue,green,white,yellow or tan the connotation implies,if it is bad it is "Black" not good ??  Again thanks so much for your reply. We will be touring that area also. I have lived in Bacoor,Cavite previously  for 2 years and enjoyed the people there. Plus I met someone whom I consider my best friend in the Philippines a Tricycle driver. I have known him and his family for over 4 years and I have nothing but the utmost respect for his work ethics and family values. So much so that I have asked him to be a God Parent to my son (A position of trust that,I do not give lightly) .   Again Salamat I look forward always to reading your informed and insightful postings.

ABCDiamond wrote:

My answer to my Fiipino G/F, who asked why they use it but others can't; my only answer was basically a loss of words.  I do not know.

To be honest, the word will never go away while still in acceptable use.

I personally can't bring myself to use word, as I know the background to it, but many do not, and get confused when hearing it being acceptable in TV and music. Both very popular avenues of information for Filipinos.

First, I want to acknowledge your point about your refusal to use such a word.  This is where it should start for all; refuse to be offensive no matter what.

The intragroup versus intergroup usage of the N word is a very complex topic and I can only give my answer and not "the answer".  I also do not use the word ever but I do understand the mental trap that can be formed when a non-black/brown person is using a word that historically benefitted them while it dehumanizes black/mixed black people.  I think it is the same comparison with the word "monkey" and who is using it. 

However, in period or historical films like "Django Unchained", The Hateful Eight, or "12 Years a Slave" I do not have any issues with word selection based on actual historical facts.  These are facts used to depict the racist reality of that time in US history.

Clearly, since words have context, some find that word usage must also be evaluated based on it's context. 

Our parents all have first names, their friends can call them by those first names.  But we, as sons or daughters, traditionally shouldn't/can't call them by those given names in most cultures.  I may call my GF/wife "my sexy lady" but if my friends called her that, it would be wrong/offensive to most.

For me, hearing the N word is offensive, even when it comes from another black/brown person in music/songs, jokes or general usage.

Without a deep Spanish language lesson, most understand the word thesaurus for "Black" as derived in  the Spanish language. Likewise, here in the PI we have an island location named "Negros Oriental/Occidental".  I am sure 99.9% of the people from this country would be very offended if the content was shifted by context with changing the word "Negros" with forms of the N word.

Mixknight wrote:

Thanks for your reply,but I find it funny that even you ,use the term "Black Hearted" to describe a negative person.

This is another very good point and I will try to give a very clear response. 

Historically, colors have had a specific meaning in nearly all cultures since Adam/Eve.  As we look as English language history we see the following:

1.  Long ago in British theater the bad person (bad character) or villain was dressed in black.
2.  The first son of King Edward III was named by the French as the "Black Prince" because of the terror he brought with his military actions against the French.  This was not a name given because his mom had a black lover. 
3.  Based on the above, I never intended for the term "Black Hearted" to be a "black-on-black" or  "black-on-white" or any "_____ on _____" insultracial slur but a point of poor character.
4.  My usage was that of a descriptor for someone's cruelty or mean spiritedness.

Therefore, I was not attempting to add a new meaning or norm within the "politically correct language" police with this expression.  These are not new words, just newer adjustments in some of the regional or international meanings or usage.  Nonetheless, for me as an American, this term is void of a racial slur.  This does not mean that your point needs to be ignored and I thank you for making your concerns noted.

Great answer as always I enjoy the learning process,from those who can teach while understanding all views. Salamat Hope I am blessed to meet you in person one day. I think we have met once via a flight to Manila,but I think you lived in Boracay at that time ?

@gonzrule

I hope what you are offering is not illegal or underhand as it may cause problems later on.

I am from England, The N word is regarded as derogatory in the UK now . When I was a young man in the 1960s a new organization called let's start racism had nothing better to do, so they started racist propaganda and decided that the N word was racist. It wasn't before as it was derived from the Greek word, Negro, meaning black man/ person, but people who are racist decided that they wish to be insulted if you use the word, and that way they could cause racial tension, we now have to rename our family cat, as my mother has just been made a criminal and the Movie about the Dam Busters has become a racist movie because the wig commander has a dog with the now banned name, where before it was about a daring air attack in the second world  war, and freedom of speech has been taken away from the English language.
If we follow this trend it means that Adolf Hitler should be invited to dinner as an honored guest, because he didn't smoke drink alcohol and was a vegetarian is loved by the Arabs for killing Jew, and Winston Churchill should be condemned as a vile man in history, because he smoked, ate meat and drank alcohol, is hated by the Arabs for saving the Jews.
Would you like to be insulted tell me what your favorite insult is, do you eat like a pig and take offence if someone compares you with that lovable creature?

I'm glad i read this

I have noisy neighbors,,, one day they actually had the karaoke on for 3 days,,, yes! 3 days,,, all day all night!!

don't even ask me how this is possible lol

but,, i just see it as,,, this is the Philippines, yea you wouldn't get away with that in the U.K but here, what else do poor people have for entertainment?

but then again? isn't the Philippines noisy anyway? i mean in general? once you get used to dogs barking all night long,, cockerels crowing all night long

who cares about a bit of karaoke lol

if your in a noisy street,, it's time to look for a quiet sub division

That's why you have to inspect wherever you want to live no matter which barangays, it is best he avoids problems and not report it,because that's asking for trouble,he must understand he's in another country,not in Switzerland. I'm A forigners and have easily adjusted ,I went to my place of residence at day and nite time before I decided to settle there,there's a karaoke near by but it doesn't bother me.If it's possible try to move somewhere where you don't have drunk neighboors.Safety should always be first in any country.Good luck.

Get a lawyer, and watch the lawyer screw you too.  but at least you have a lwayer.

Then, next time, buy loudest speakers you can find and let it rip.  Go out to eat after you turn it on....In fact get a hotel room, and blast the sons of bitches and call it a party!

Now use your head next time!

This person, provides GREAT advice.  I'm wondering if she/he is a lawyer?  If so,  how do we reach you when we need you?

Excellent advice

NO dont file a case.    Your Husband or whatever is a guest in this country and should of minded his own business.   If u try to challenge a Filipino here the expat will end up with more trouble than he can imagine and will never win.     Just like the saying, if u have a traffic accident and are clearly right or think u are  then You best settle it and pay off because the cops will find u at fault no matter what and it will cost you more. 
Tell ur Hubby to shut up and get earplugs or move. He is a guest here with no rights.
It is hard to understand for some of us expats but that is how the crap rolls.

Mike ,
Well put and exactly right.

Thanks Brother, sometimes ya just got to be straight forward and honest in that stuff.

All I can say, is after living in the Philippines for awhile, I have absolutely no confidence in its legal system. Any time a foreigner gets involved with lawyers or the police, something bad is going to happen. I do admire the people here who fought for their limited rights as foreigners, but honestly, if any of these things happened to me, I would move away.

I used to be a pretty brave guy, but living in a third world country, and being at the whim every person who wants to make a peso off you, has taught me to remain under the radar and avoid any confrontation with anyone. Since most foreigners rent, if a problem arises, I sincerely suggest to move away.

extremely well put and correct.

dondee31 wrote:

I used to be a pretty brave guy, but living in a third world country, and being at the whim every person who wants to make a peso off you, has taught me to remain under the radar and avoid any confrontation with anyone.

Ditto! You're not at home, 3rd world countries around the globe deserve same approach.

dondee31 wrote:

…….Any time a foreigner gets involved with lawyers or the police, something bad is going to happen. I do admire the people here who fought for their limited rights as foreigners, but honestly, if any of these things happened to me, I would move away. …….

I can understand such advice and would agree to a point. 

Why I won't just be quiet or lay down with injustice in the PI?
I feel each expat needs to have a clear grip on the amount of tax dollars (in my case US Taxes paid over 49 years of contributions from my earnings) each member's country spends, gifts, or grants in the form of aid or free money to the host country.  I also feel the myth about do's and don'ts in 3rd would countries often turns into a "laissez-faire" or don't rock the boat position when so much of the resources of our home countries are put into our new host countries annually just for the purposes of "global justice and fairness". 

I feel we can never get out of the "capture-bonding" or Stockholm Syndrome of take all the abuse given since we are just a guest and must either stay frozen about correcting basic human rights or just move out to another country, as if the expat has a defacto "Persona non grata" status for wanting or expecting justice. 

Unlike any other asian nation, the US and PI have a very different and mutual bond that must be considered.  If any expat is in doubt, they can research on laws, constitution contents and find very close wording in these areas as adopted from the US. 

This does not mean the US should act or think it owns the PI.  However, if, as an American, I can't expect/get any reasonable measure of justice here in the PI, I feel (as an American) I have a right to question and demand alterations in such aid as depicted below:

Expectations with rejection
"MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang said Tuesday it will verify a New York Times report which claimed that the United States government rejected the supposed $300-million military aid requested by the Aquino administration."

Source - http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2015/ … hilippines

Expectations overdue
"Under the 2009 FVEC Fund signed by President Barack Obama, Filipino war veterans living in the Philippines are eligible for a one-time $9,000 lump sum payment, while those residing in the United States get $15,000."

Source - http://globalnation.inquirer.net/80563/ … s-benefits

Continued drain
"The United States will nearly triple its military funding for the Philippines this year, the Philippine foreign ministry said on Thursday, as tensions rise with China over disputed islands and Washington bolsters its alliance with Manila."

Source - http://www.reuters.com/article/us-phili … IU20120503

"Kicking off five days in Asia by visiting the home port of the 378-foot ship, now known as the BRP Gregorio del Pilar, Mr. Obama announced that the United States would spend an additional $250 million over the next two years to help ensure maritime security for countries in Southeast Asia."

Source - http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/18/world … .html?_r=0

"Visiting officials from US Defense Department and State Department, who were in Manila this week for a bilateral dialogue with their Filipino counterparts, said the US will be providing $40 million in military financing to the Philippines in 2015."

Source - http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2015/ … hilippines

"Through the Partnership for Growth (PFG), a White House initiative implemented in only four countries worldwide,the United States and the Philippines collaborate to address the country's most serious constraints to lasting equitable growth.

With an overall goal of supporting a more prosperous, stable and well-governed nation, USAID's programs in the Philippines focus on accelerating and sustaining inclusive economic growth through Partnership for Growth activities in the areas of governance, economic growth, and health and education, and through activities that enhance the country's environmental resilience and foster peace and stability in six conflict-affected areas of Mindanao."

Source - https://www.usaid.gov/philippines

Either the United States is "undeniably the Philippines' closest ally in the world" or not??? 

Should citizens of one's closest ally country be treated with destain, reports of biased legal proceedings and a lack of proper respect? I think not!!  If any American expat thinks or feels the justice system in the PI is beyond them or should never be utilized in pursuit of justice, I invite them to read the following:

"Judicial reform and the promotion of human rights enjoy broad donor support. The World Bank currently has a $21‐million loan to the Supreme Court to help implement the court's Action Program for Judicial Reform. Under the Governance in Justice Sector Reform Program, the ADB is making available $300 million in loans to the Government of the Philippines to improve the performance of justice sector agencies, which includes the judiciary, Department of Justice, Department of Interior and Local Government and law enforcement agencies. Other international donors like AusAID, the European Commission and the United Nations Development Program also support a variety of judicial reform and human rights programs. Coordination among these donors, including USAID, is primarily handled through the Project Management Office (PMO) of the Supreme Court."

Source - https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/fil … FY2016.pdf  (page 63)

"Friend of the Court"
Does anyone think an "Amicus Currie" from an individual friend/third party or an "Amici Curiae" from a third party group of concerned persons (containing a legal opinion, legal testimony or learned treatise on the case) to the court systems with copies to the World Bank & the Philippine Supreme Court will not get proper & immediate attention?  Nonetheless, this "friend of the court" brief can never be filed if the expat never starts a case.  I do not suggest that most expats can do this alone (myself included).  Still, one can learn more on this here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zs59jfNWBsk

However, at a local level it is partially our fault if we allow such poor treatment to prosper without even a written report to the local brgy.

There is a speech written by a Filipino composer and musical performer/politician/former Foreign Minister named Raul S. Manglapus, “Land of Bondage, Land of the Free” — were he said: “Build a wall around your home. Build it high! Build it strong! Place a guard on every corner of your house. For one day I, who have been silent for 300 years will come to you in the night while you are feasting, with my cry and bolo at your door. And may God have mercy on your soul!” 

My "cry" is my search for justice, my "bolo" is my written words.

Sorry for such a "short" post but this topic hits a certain nerve with me.  Best wishes to all.

It was interesting reading.

So you're saying that any person who migrates to a new country has no rights. Anyone for example that moves from say Australia to the USA would have no rights....is that what you're saying.

More like limited rights rather than none. In my travels I have found that many countries are biased in favor of their countrymen rather than expats.

If you guys just renting the house much better to move, so less problem