Is this part of our culture or it is just the government?

[bender]

I was reading this article in the Inquirer. ‘Expert played with people’s lives’ -- officials

and got the following passages

"OFFICIALS yesterday denounced the antiterrorism expert who said he sneaked bomb components into domestic flights as part of a security test for playing with the lives of people, and warned he could be criminally liable."

In a statement, Cusi also said: “While we are aware that our security measures are subject to periodic audit, which is done randomly and unannounced, the reported ‘security test’ undertaken by the supposed civilian antiterrorism expert was not coordinated with authorized airport officials as prescribed in Annex 4.11.14 of the ICAO Security Manual.”

The Airline Operators Council (AOC) was just as disappointed with the unauthorized security test.

“Malice seemed to have been injected in that test,” Onie Nakpil, AOC chair, told the Inquirer.

Nakpil, an airline security officer, warned of the international repercussions of the incident.

“It would show that the authorities are not in control, that they are doing checks versus their own people,” Nakpil said.

The reported security exercise was “not authorized by any of the agencies under the Anti-Terrorism Task Force,” Undersecretary Ricardo Blancaflor of the Office of the Executive Secretary said in a phone interview.

“As a practice, the government doesn’t employ private consultants to do systems check. These system checks are official and according to procedures,” said Blancaflor, who is executive director of the legal affairs and public information of the task force.

Blancaflor said that the Inquirer should have been “more circumspect of the overall situation.”

“Sometimes we blurt out news without thinking of the ramifications,” Blancaflor said, as he noted that this kind of story could send a wrong message. It also could have an effect on the country’s tourism, he said.

Blancaflor also said airport officials had told him that some airlines had called inquiring if indeed the story was true and “how bad the situation was.

My comments are that if our government officials were doing anything, they would examine the exercise that was done by the counterterrorist expert and see if there were flaws in the way it was conducted. Also, they should also study what were the security lapses that were exposed in this exercise.

The reason why i am suggesting that this situation might be a cultural trait is that it is very hard for the people who are supposed to implement the procedures to enforce them. I had the same situations in my department wherein we would should not be accepting job orders without complete information as specified in the company procedures, yet my staff keeps on accepting job orders that have only one line like "computer damaged" as I handle the IT requirements of my employer.

[bender]

And this was the reaction the next day:


Why do the people concerned have to be called for attention and basically shamed into doing the right thing? Also, is it more important to save face rather than do the right thing?

My beef with people who focus more on saving their reputations is that they just focus on doing that and not on the changes that they should be doing in the first place.

[niky]

As to the article: B.S. on the damn government. They make noises about being "anti-terrorist" and having "beefed up" security measures, and they're proven to patently not work... so? They shoot the messenger. Wonderful.

An anti-terrorism security test must be done in secret, to prevent the security people from changing their daily routine just to counter it. Para bang fire inspection... dapat surprise! :exclaim:

The problem with audited and coordinated tests, even though these are random in nature, you are automatically aware of the test beforehand, and you reinforce the procedures. Being in a company, I'm aware of this, too. Even if the test is randomly conducted, if you're informed beforehand that there will be one, you'll be extra prepared.

[claRkEnt]

It has become a practice now! Do not ever admit lapses. Turn the table and be on the offensive! tsk tsk tsk

Now instead of facing the issues, they are blaming the media for the hype (although this should also be looked into). They are quick on thinking what they could throw back to divert attention.

[uls]

I remember there's this news item where a US embassy official went to some shopping centers and bought pirated DVDs to prove to the Phil. govt that piracy is rampant here. Local law enforcement was pissed at what the US embassy official did.

Like IT security experts hacking into corporate and govt computer systems to prove there are holes in their security... and the incident the thread starter posted---- that's the Western way of doing things... that's the Western thought process in action... but the pinoy mind cant comprehend something like that...

Mashado sensitive pa ang pinoy para sa ganun. The American way is harsh but u dont take it personally. Work is work. Pinoys take thing way too personally.

Its culture.

Anyone who has worked abroad knows how UTAK KANO works.

Pinoys here are not ready for Western thinking.

[Flagg]

...Like IT security experts hacking into corporate and govt computer systems to prove there are holes in their security... and the incident the thread starter posted---- that's the Western way of doing things... that's the Western thought process in action... but the pinoy mind cant comprehend something like that...

Uh-uh sir uls... more like Pinoy government mind...

Mashado sensitive pa ang pinoy para sa ganun. The American way is harsh but u dont take it personally. Work is work. Pinoys take thing way too personally.

Its culture.

Anyone who has worked abroad knows how UTAK KANO works.

Pinoys here are not ready for Western thinking.

No offense sa mga taga-US ha: Sir uls, you may think the above is true... but it's not. In my experience, Kano (especially Caucasians and Afro-Americans) will engage in cover-ups and fingerpointing at any time, even more than other ethnic groups. Lalo na Europeans, just think of the French shitting Bush about Lebanon and then refusing to send soldiers.

It's not that Pinoys are ready for Western thinking. It's just plain old neglect unable to come to grips with an audit procedure. Nothing cultural there, this happens the world over.

Parang Mitsubishi covering up the defective trucks. O Hapon na yan ha.

Btw, would anyone trust the Michelin guide if their reviewers walk into a resto and announce they are ready to give away the coveted stars? :bwahaha: Stupid officials.

[uls]

Dito sa atin, pag may sinita ka, iisipin nung tao na sinita mo may galit ka sa kanya. Ever made sita a subordinate? Easy way to make enemies.

i think it's culture. Pinoys are too sensitive. Pinoys cant seem to separate emotions from logical thinking. Tho we have that "trabaho lang, walang personalan" statement, people tend to take things personally in the work environment.

A law enforcer cant arrest a relative or family member who commited a crime coz he cant separate his job from his personal life/family ties.

A secretary wont type a memo that would suspend his husband who also works in the same company due to violations of company rules.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

About the topic posted by the threadstarter--

It is logical to test security by trying to get thru security.

It will show lapses in security that has to be fixed. The process makes sense.

But instead of getting to work to fix the lapses, we get a classic, very Pinoy, U-HURT-MY-FEELINGS reaction. Watda...

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Whenever there's a news item where some foreign govt/entity/individual says something negative about the Phils., there's gonna be outrage here.

Observe how the Phil. govt reacts whenever the US declares the Phils a security risk and issues a travel advisory for its citizens.

Na-hurt ang feelings.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Remember that Hollywood actress who said Manila "is a ghastly place" ? and Manila city officials reacted like crazy. An official even declared the actress persona non grata. Will the actress lose anything if she will never be allowed to enter Manila again? duh... its not like Manila is on top of her list of I-WOULD-LIKE-TO-GO-BACK-THERE places.

WTF was that crazy reaction? baket? hindi ba totoo? hindi ba totoo maraming slums and ipis dito sa atin?

Truth hurts?

[empy]

di ko gets yung comment "they played with people's lives"... :confused:

how so? did the tester actually assemble the bomb onboard the aircraft?

also, i am not sure if the test results have resulted in heightened security and if the holes that were discovered have been plugged....that's the point of the exercise, right? i guess it's not so bad that these officials are all offended and screaming bloody murder if at the same time they've fixed what's wrong with the system....

[cutedoc]

if youve travelled to states, they somehow discriminate pinoy pasport... weve experience this we were thoroughly checked upon entering and leaving uncle sam, however other nationalities werent thorougly inspected...would that mean pinoy are lesser human???

for me, fairness and equality should be observed, to protect the passengers, all should be inspected to assure adequate protocol, and lessen the changes of bombing, however, in some instances they should not overdo it, and all should be of equal whether you are the president or a regular paying citizen

[Alpha_One]

The problem with audited and coordinated tests, even though these are random in nature, you are automatically aware of the test beforehand, and you reinforce the procedures. Being in a company, I'm aware of this, too. Even if the test is randomly conducted, if you're informed beforehand that there will be one, you'll be extra prepared.

O kaya nakaupo ka lang dun "fire drill lang naman yan eh!"

[van_wilder]

how sure are we na totoo yun sinasabi ng expert na yan... what if claims lang nya yan pero hindi naman totoo...

[van_wilder]

with enough research and time, any theory whatever it is or even contradicting can be proven...

hackers can always prove that there is a loophole, because in reality there is no such perfect system, thus there would always be a hole...

[mikmik316]

oh well as usual... enforcement is a problem here in the Philippines... engraved na sa ating utak ang "pwede na yan" mentality...

[nerbyoso]

in the US and other countries sneaking in illegal items into airports, ship ports etc are frequently done by security experts ...and most of the time nakakalusot hehehe! as if naman mas magaling pa itong official na ito kaysa counterpart nila sa ibang bansa..parang na-insulto pa balat sibuyas pero kulang sa trabaho.

btw, yung US nga with all their technological advantage, well trained personnel, well equipped drug enforcers daang toneladang drugs parin ang nakakalusot sa borders...pati illegal immigrants...kung terrorist yun at may dalang sakit para manghawa o may germ weapon pasok na yun..kung instead of drugs toneladang explosives yun...hindi imposible.

[Isuzoom]

simple lang......HINDI PWEDE ANG PWEDE NA. mabilis lang naman ito sundin di ba?

[uls]

simple lang......HINDI PWEDE ANG PWEDE NA. mabilis lang naman ito sundin di ba?

Kaya rampant ang mediocrity dito sa atin is coz excellence goes unrewarded.

If a guy is paid to do something, and he does his job in a so-so manner, he gets paid X amount of money. If he puts his heart and soul into it, he still gets paid the same amount.

So the thinking goes "I DONT DO MY BEST COZ I DONT GET PAID MORE IF I DID."

dun pumapasok ang lagay/pangdulas/kickback. magtatrabaho lang ng maayos at mabilis ang tao pag may extra incentive.

its everywhere. in both public and private sectors.

[oldblue]

well, I think they have a point. hindi dapat na-media yan ganyan ka-sensitive na issue. They should have resolved the issue among themselves ... correct what needs to be corrected. security protocols yan eh.

The Inquirer should be investigated. The editors/exec of that newspaper should be tried for economic sabotage.

'cmon guys, even nga yun sa movie na swat eh nagkaron ng ganyan scene. the only difference in our case is walang warning yun security group natin beforehand. but still these tests are conducted naman periodically. and they should. kung nakalusot, correct the problem, find area of improvement and learn from it so that it wont happen again.

haay media people, when will you ever learn? are you helping ba talaga, o talaga gusto mo pahiyain ang Pilipinas nating mahal.

[explorer]

it looks like raul gonzalez is joining the forum

[Flagg]

Hello sir explorer, long time no see.

Sir oldblue, mukhang masama araw natin ngayon a.

[explorer]

Airport experiment irresponsible–Biazon

By Juliet Labog-Javellana
Inquirer
Last updated 01:57am (Mla time) 09/03/2006

SEN. Rodolfo Biazon, chair of the Senate committee on national defense, said yesterday the security experiment involving the smuggling of bomb components onto two domestic flights was an “irresponsible” operation that Malacañang must explain to the public.

“What if an accident occurred?” said Biazon. He said if the bomb had accidentally exploded, it could have blown up the plane and killed all its passengers.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson said the operation served the security officials right and that they should be thankful they had such a wake-up call.

Lacson said the experiment did not pose any danger to passengers because the expert merely showed he could bring bomb components on the flight and he could assemble them.

Biazon said if the operation was not a hoax, then Malacañang must investigate why such a delicate security test was not made known to top officials, including the heads of the Armed Forces, the police, airport security and others in charge of anti-terrorism.

Unheard of

Biazon said he had never heard of any similar experiment before.

“This is a very surprising activity because if it is true that none of the officials knew about it, then the official who ordered it must be higher than all of them,” Biazon said in an interview.

That is why the issue lies squarely on Malacañang, Biazon said.

He said even if the intention was good, the act of bringing and assembling explosives on the plane could no be justified.

‘An irresponsible act’

“I will leave it to Malacañang to provide a credible explanation of this to the public because this is an irresponsible act,” Biazon said in a phone interview.

Biazon said the person who smuggled the explosives on a flight from Manila to Davao and back should be held criminally liable for bringing explosives that could have killed many innocent people.

But he said the official who ordered such an operation must bear the “heavier responsibility.”

“It is his responsibility to come forward and explain this whole thing,” Biazon said.

“... This kind of operation cannot be done in such an irresponsible manner,” Biazon said.

Washing of hands

He said that because the incident was embarrassing to everyone, he expected a “washing of hands.”

Lacson said the test exposed the vulnerability of the country’s transport industry to acts of terror.

“Before these officials start blaming (the expert and his boss), they should first look at themselves. They should be thankful someone did it and showed how vulnerable we are,” Lacson said.

For good purpose

Lacson said that after the trans-Atlantic terror plot to blow up airplanes was uncovered in Britain, Philippine airport security measures were concentrated on detecting liquid explosives at the risk of overlooking conventional explosives.

Lacson said the expert who carried out the experiment “could really be charged because he had explosives. But his purpose was good.”