MANILA, Philippines - There's a saying in journalism which goes, "Bad news is good news." This was proven when I was in Surabaya, Indonesia, recently and my attention was caught by the sensational story published in "The Jakarta Post" about a Filipino father sentenced to 14,400 years in prison after he was convicted of the near-daily rape of his teenage daughter for one year. * * * The daughter's mother worked in Hong Kong as a domestic helper, leaving her three children with their father in Los Baños, Laguna. It's beyond comprehension how a father could do such a bestial act on his own daughter.
However, one contributory factor could be that the couple were physically separated for a long period. It highlights the serious effect on overseas Filipino workers (OFW) whose spouses work abroad. * * * The moral effect can be mutual - not only on the spouse left behind who's vulnerable to infidelity but also on the spouse working abroad due to loneliness and long separation. The father sentenced to 14,400 years imprisonment fit for Ripley's "Believe It Or Not" should not be taken lightly or as a matter of curiosity but of grave concern over broken families and domestic crimes like incest. To paraphrase our Lord: "What does it profit man if he gains all the dollars but loses his family"! * * * CUSTOMER-UNFRIENDLY. I would like to call the attention of the money forwarder, Western Union, about its deplorable services. When I went to a branch office sharing space with DHL on Timog Street, Quezon City, to collect a dollar remittance, I was asked how much it was. "The remitter did not specify," I replied. "In that case, we cannot release the money," the lady at the counter snorted. I was told to return after knowing the exact amount. * * * A couple of days later, I returned and withdrew the money. I was also going to collect another dollar remittance that same morning. When I tried to do it, the lady said, "You have to come back this afternoon because we don't have enough dollars!" That's when I blew my top. "Lady, you told me to come back after verifying the exact amount. Now that I'm withdrawing another amount so I won't return some other time, you tell me to return this afternoon because you're waiting for enough dollars! Do you think I live right next door?" I fumed. * * * "Not having enough dollars is not the customer's look-out; that's your company's!" I added.
To think I was collecting only a little more than $100! So that I won't return a third time - and lose my composure - I just asked for the peso equivalent. Before leaving, however, I told the lady to inform her boss about their customer-unfriendly service. * * * Many customers I've talked to complain of similar stringent requirements. For instance, some say they require as valid IDs a driver's license or a passport. Mama mia, imagine asking such IDs from poor ordinary customers. Then why does Western Union demand that the receiver PERSONALLY appears to claim the remittance? * * * It would be a big help if a representative does it, provided he can present the necessary certification and ID of the addressee as they do in postal offices and banks. There's a saying, "The customer is always right." But in Western Union, it's just the opposite
