Phil Consul General goes amok!

[greatauror28]

This happened yesterday in Sheraton Hotel in Red Deer, Alberta wherein a Passport Renewal Outreach was being done. Basically, the Phil Consulate and staff come to provinces of Canada for Filipinos who want to renew their passports, request NBI clearance, and such. This activity can be done any day though in Vancouver, British Columbia (BC).

Now, I booked an appointment and was scheduled today at 4:05 pm. The outreach is only 4 days and only allows up to 400 renewals. Having said that, many came just to try their luck even though walk-in renewals have little chance of succeeding.

I came with my wife and 3month-old baby all the way from Edmonton, which is almost a 2-hr drive. When I entered the ballroom 3, where the passport renewals were made, I was surprised to see a lot of people. I ask an elderly man who was sitting behind a desk, along with two ladies. I came up to him and asked. Here’s how the conversation went:

Me: Is this where you pass your requirements for passport renewal?
Elderly Man: (grinning slightly) Magdodonate ka ba?
Me: (smelt alcohol in his breath) Uh, I don’t think I’d do it today. Maybe next time.

Then he disregarded me and went to talk to somebody else. One of the lady sitting beside him asked me if I had an appointment booked for today. I said yes at 4:05pm. She then immediately stopped the papers she was processing and preceded to get my requirement papers. Turns out those applications were already for the waiting list, the ones who just walked-in.

After that, I went out and got a pen for my wife just to be ready for other forms to fill-up, but there weren’t any. I was asked to wait for my surname to be called as usual policy of government transactions. The elderly man called my last name finally, and as I stood up, this conversation took place:

Me: I am!
EM: Now are you going to donate? (Serious look on face) Kahit magkano Ok lang.
Me: (getting my coin purse and jokingly) Okay lang ba one dollar? Eto lang nakayanan ko eh (with a smile on my face)
EM: (shouting) ONE DOLLAR? PARA SA PILIPINAS YAN TAPOS ONE DOLLAR LANG IBIBIGAY MO? ANG CHEAP MO NAMAN, PARA SA PINAS YAN!
Me: Wait, I am only joking. You are right?
EM: MUKHA BAKONG NAGJOJOKE? SERYOSO AKO!! ONE DOLLAR LANG IBIBIGAY MO? GUSTO MO BANG KUNIN KO NA LANG PAPEL MO? WAG KA NA PAG RENEW-HIN??
Me: (still calm) Is this some kind of a joke? What’s happening?

All people became silent as others murmur whispers of disapproval and disgust. Many suggest calling the police, some say that what transpired was not right, that I should file a complaint.

A lady and a man came up to me and asked for pardon. The lady told me to just let it pass, cause he’s just tired from working from morning. That everyone should calm down. She asked me to proceed to another room where the picture-taking is being held and to just wait in there. She personally got my paper and pushed it until the last step.

Here I am just wanting my passport renewed and I have to deal with this arrogant, rude and drunk old man! Being berated as cheap by not giving “donation” which God knows what will become of it. Being threatened of not having my passport renewed, which I most certainly know that I didn’t violate any laws to be denied of such. And being shouted at like a little kid in front of a crowd just smacks my morale to the gound.

Now, let me introduce to you who the elderly man is. He is no other than Philippine Consul General Jose Ampeso. Yes, the consul himself. Acting like that in front of Filipinos who work in another country just to have food in their families’ plates. Filipinos, who occupy a big percentile of the Philippines’ GNI yearly by their remittances. Filipinos, like me, who dedicated effort and money on this day just to have passports renewed, but this is what we get.

Calling the Philippine Ambassador to Canada, to act on this matter. Or if we may, we would also appreciate DFA Sec Albert del Rosario’s help in ensuring that Filipinos here in Canada are getting the services of the embassy in a straightforward, proper and decent manner.

Besides, we are paying for the services. Money that we earned using blood and sweat.

P.S. Vid berating another kababayan here

[crazy_boy]

Nakakahiya yung Consulate Genaral. Ang yabang. Dapat malaman ng DFA yan.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

[renzo_d10]

Kulang daw ser yung 1 dollar para pang-inom niya.

Kidding aside, i-complain mo na sir sa DFA. Maybe send an email or call them. The video you posted is enough evidence already na buwang yung consul general. Pwede rin ipa-media mo, GMA 7, TV5 or ABS-CBN will gladly accept your complaint. Lalo na may video pa!

[NightRock]

anak ng tokwa nama kaya nga sinabi donation eh hindi naman saplitan yon...sarap patulan pag ganyan mga gov. official..

[foresterx]

kung ako si TS binato ko sa mukha niya yung $1 tapos alaskahin ko ng todo para suntukin ako, pag sinuntok niya ko since nasa canada siya yare siya.

[yebo]

kung ako si TS binato ko sa mukha niya yung $1 tapos alaskahin ko ng todo para suntukin ako, pag sinuntok niya ko since nasa canada siya yare siya.

diplomatic imunity, bale wala pards. kahit makabaril pa yun dun wa epek. diplomatic passport hawak nyan, di ka uubra kahit bugbugin ka pa na labas ang utak mo di mo madedemanda.

media lang pagasa mo dyan. padala na yang video link sa abs-cbn at gma7.

[jodski]

Kulang daw ser yung 1 dollar para pang-inom niya.

Kidding aside, i-complain mo na sir sa DFA. Maybe send an email or call them. The video you posted is enough evidence already na buwang yung consul general. Pwede rin ipa-media mo, GMA 7, TV5 or ABS-CBN will gladly accept your complaint. Lalo na may video pa!

Matatamaan yan ng stroke on duty makita mo hehehe

[Bin Diesel]

kaya nakakaawa tayong lahat na nagbabayad ng tax e. binawasan na pera mo para pambayad sa mga taong ito tapos sila pa ang aapi sa atin. haay ang saklap naman talaga.

[Monseratto]

Ampeso claims to be the one to have given Ninoy his passport for his fateful trip and is also a member of Upsilon Sigma Phi fraternity... malaki ang kanyang "sponsor".

http://www.rappler.com/nation/27462-...nsul-yout-tube

MANILA, Philippines - He did help Ninoy Aquino secure a passport in the United States in 1983. Would this be enough to keep this consul out of trouble?

A Filipino consul general in Canada who appeared drunk in a video while talking to a passport applicant said the public should not "malign" him based on the recorded clip, which is posted on the popular video-sharing site Youtube.

Philippine consul general to Vancouver Jose Ampeso said the 28-second video, which showed him talking loudly to a Filipino about giving donations, "does not tell the whole story."

Nonetheless, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has already said they will ask Ampeso to come home and explain himself.

In a statement, Ampeso said: "In fact, the video alone is not sufficient to draw any reasonable conclusions from, one way or the other; hence, it is unfair and unjust to use it to malign my character."

Ampeso has personal ties with the family of President Benigno Aquino III. Like the late Ninoy Aquino, Ampeso is a member of the Upsilon Sigma Phi fraternity. Ampeso has also claimed he helped Aquino secure a passport before Aquino returned to Manila in August 1983. Ampeso was then a vice consul based in New Orleans.

Rappler tried to get Malacañang's comment on the issue, but we have yet to get a response from Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda.

An OFW named Proceso Flordeliz Jr said he went to Sheraton Hotel, Red Deer in Alberta on April 19 to have his passport renewed. When he approached Ampeso, the latter allegedly approached him, grinning and reeking of alcohol: "Magdo-donate ka na ba? (Are you going to donate?)"

Flordeliz said no, adding he may do it next time. When he was called by Ampeso again, he was asked one more time if he's going to give money for the benefit of the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC). Flordeliz said he asked jokingly if a dollar is enough, but this irked Ampeso, who allegedly called him "cheap" and threatened not to have his papers renewed.

Ampeso said he acted that way because he felt "insulted" and that he was "poked fun at" for requesting to make a donation to the PNRC. "That’s why I became so agitated while explaining to him that if he had to give anything at all, it has to come from the heart for the typhoon victims. It was purely voluntary."

"And definitely, it was not a requirement for passport application or rendition of any other consular services, contrary to what some allege. Thus, any allegation or insinuation that we were forcing people to give is entirely untrue."

Ampeso apologized, however. "I assure you that I had only the best intentions in reacting in that manner."

The Migrante partylist group asked President Aquino to order a probe on the incident. The group challenged him not to be influenced by personal ties.

This is not the first time that Ampeso found himself in hot water as a foreign service officer. In 1997, he was suspended for 6 months for misconduct.

The DFA investigating committee found out that Ampeso "took advantage" of his position and friendship with a Foreign Service employee based in Jakarta to buy a Range Rover - tax free. - Rappler.com

[vinj]

Siya pala may kasalanan kung bakit napatay si Ninoy. Kung di niya binigay yung passport di hindi siya maka-travel diba?

Resorting to name dropping now eh? (Speaking of personal ties with the President and Upsilon)