TRAVEL BOND IN THE PHILIPPINES:

What is a travel bond in the Philippines? As per reading, travel bond is a sum of money, calculated and imposed by government agency, to a certain person who wishes to depart from the Philippines or to travel abroad. In granting one persons request to travel, he will declare the days of travel, including the day he will leave and he will return, in that, the person will not travel before and will not return in the Philippines within the time frame. In addition, his travel will be limited to that certain place, without extensions or changes of destination. Once he comes back in the Philippines, hell present his stamped passport and a xerox copy, depending on the agreement, and then he may file a motion to withdraw his travel bond. Failure to comply in the said agreement will result in the forfeiture of the bond. Why it is being implemented? This is to protect and ensure that the person who will travel will not escape from his obligations. This is to protect the interest of the public, administration, organization, companies, or agencies from any unscrupulous activities. Agree or Disagree In my opinion, having a bond to travel from the Philippines to other country is fine, given that it is only subject for those who are held responsible, like those who are facing a case or an unsolved crime, those who are under scholarship (for example DOST scholarship, who prior signed a contract that they cannot travel outside the country for a certain time horizon), and those who are obliged mandatorily, either by law or certain employers or companies rules, to render service in our country. This is for the objective to protect the interest of the administration, or even the companies or agencies. This are to ensure that people who will travel will not run from their obligations, this is a position of continuous responsibility. In line, owners and employees of travel agencies and consultants accredited with the Bureau of Immigration (BI) are prohibited from doing business with the bureau if they have relatives employed by BI, hence, it is right that there is a amount of bond to be posted by all travel agencies applying for accreditation to transact at the BI, this is to further protect the interest of the public from unscrupulous and fly-by-night travel agents, and to assured all visa applications are approved based on merits and not due to favors extended to selected clients. In addition, any alien under arrest in a deportation proceeding may be released under bond or any conditions he might be subject. In fact, the travel bond, either in cash or in money, which has been posted will eventually, be returned to them after their travel providing they did not violate any of the rules in the agreement. However, ordinary individuals must not be subject to post travel bond whenever they will go in and out of the country, holding the fact that the administration are not after them and they are innocent.

CURRENT EVENTS:
on National Territory Act China-Philippines Standoff: Territorial Tension in the South China Sea Posted on Thursday, May 10, 2012 By Nicholas Clement May 10 The South China Sea (SCS) continues to act as a regional flashpoint in the Asia Pacific, recently exemplified by the ongoing naval standoff between China and the Philippines. The current standoff began at the beginning of April when the Filipino navy intercepted Chinese fishing vessels in Scarborough Shoal, who they claimed were illegally operating inside of its 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Before the fishermen were arrested, however, China sent vessels from its maritime surveillance unit who placed themselves between the Filipino navy and Chinese fishing vessels thus starting the standoff. Scarborough Shoal is an especially troublesome region for China and the Philippines, as unlike other locations within the SCS (such as the Spratly Islands), only they have made claims. Territorial disputes have been a defining point of the SCS for many years now, with China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan all having asserted their claims. China makes claim to sovereignty over almost three-fourths of the SCS (including Scarborough Shoal) based on historic rights, infamously using a nine-dotted line to mark its claim. The Philippines makes its claim based on the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which places Scarborough Shoal within its EEZ. What is important to remember is that the SCS is not only important to China or the Philippines as an extension of its national territory, but also due to its potential as a vast source of natural resources. It has been estimated that the SCS may contain anywhere between 1 to over 17 billion tons of crude oil. Additionally, access to natural gas deposits, fishing zones, as well as its importance as a major shipping lane should not be overlooked. The current standoff is simply another manifestation of the competition to control access to strategically important areas of the SCS.

The ongoing conflict recently intensified when China accused the Philippines of continuous provocation, and warned that it is prepared to act against any escalation. Given that there have been numerous military clashes in the past 40 years in the SCS, it is not unfathomable to speculate that this current standoff could escalate into direct conflict. It is, however, unlikely. Such disputes in the SCS commonly occur, even if the Filipino media has labelled the event a rare provocation from China. If such an event were to occur, the Philippines will likely be outmatched by China. They thus have to rely on their ally, the United States, to balance Chinas territorial aggression. It is no coincidence that this event occurred only a week before scheduled war-games with the United States. The United States, however, has been hesitant to fully insert itself into the standoff. It understands that such skirmishes in the SCS are inevitable, and that unnecessarily provoking China would be a political and economic blunder. China is also aware of the downfalls of U.S. involvement, demonstrating savvy diplomacy by not dispatching any of their warships (relying instead on maritime surveillance vessels). Ultimately what this means is that the situation will likely return to the status-quo. China will still stake its claim over the SCS, but will still go unrecognised by the other claimants. Meanwhile, smaller states such as the Philippines will have to rely on powerful external actors, such as the United States, and a unified ASEAN stance to balance against Chinas assertiveness. U.S. President Obamas recent pivot towards the Asia Pacific may disrupt this status-quo, and Chinas first deep-water oil drill this past week in the SCS could also result in unexpected consequences if not carefully controlled. The economic disadvantages of a prolonged standoff, and the resulting public backlash, should also not be overlooked as a determining factor of the standoff. What remains clear, however, is that until all countries involved are able to come to an agreement about the future of the South China Sea, geopolitics will continue to dominate the region.

on Travel Bond in the Philippines Abalos reiterates plea to travel MALAYA BUSINESS INSIGHT PUBLISHED ON TUESDAY, 20 NOVEMBER 2012 FORMER Comelec chair Benjamin Abalos Sr. has asked a Pasay city court hearing the electoral sabotage charges against him to reconsider its decision to junk his request to travel to Taiwan to talk to investors and procure milkfish (bangus) fingerlings for his aquaculture business. In filing his motion for reconsideration before Presiding Judge Jesus Mupas of Regional Trial Court Branch 112, Abalos argued there is an urgency for him to leave for Taiwan on Nov. 23 to 27 as he cannot delegate the business transaction to any of his children or staff.

Mupas, on Nov. 8, dismissed Abalos motion saying his arguments were insufficient for the court to allow him to leave the country. The court also found Abalos claims that there is a scarcity of fingerlings in the country as his reason for going to Taiwan as wanting. Abalos lawyer Abraham Espejo assured his client is not a flight risk. He has already proven it when he voluntarily surrendered himself to the court upon learning that a warrant of arrest has been issued after the filing of the electoral sabotage charges last December 2011, the lawyer said. He also told Mupas that the 4th Division of the Sandiganbayan in an order dated November 12 reversed its October 29 decision and has allowed Abalos to travel on condition that he post a travel bond amounting to P90,000, that he shall not leave the country earlier than November 27 and that his itinerary shall only be Taiwan and not any other place. Espejo also said the anti-graft court also directed Abalos to personally present himself to the Division clerk of court together with his passport and photocopies of pages indicating the stamps of his departure and entry to the country within five days after his return. Abalos is facing 14 counts of electoral sabotage charges in connection with alleged fraud in the 2007 senatorial elections. He has denied the accusation. NBN-ZTE witness Lozada posts travel bond By Tetch Torres INQUIRER.net 9:24 am | Wednesday, October 31st, 2012 MANILA, Philippines Witness Rodolfo Jun Lozada Jr. posted a P180,000 travel bond before the Sandiganbayan 4th Division so that he and his family could take a three-day trip to HongKong and Macau. The Sandiganbayan on Wednesday confirmed that Lozada posted the travel bond as part of the anti-graft courts condition before he could leave the country. Lozada is facing a case for violation of the Anti-Graft Law for allegedly awarding the leasehold right of a 6,599-hectare land to his brother Jose Orlando Lozada without undergoing the application process. Lozada, who testified against the government in its allegedly anomalous telecommunications transaction with a Chinese firm (NBN-ZTE scandal), pleaded not guilty to the allegation. He sought the Sandiganbayans permission to travel abroad from Nov. 1 to 4. He, his wife Ma. Violeta and his children will be staying at the Venetian Hotel in Macau for a day and will stay for two nights at Disneyland Hotel in HongKong. In granting his request, among the conditions set by the anti-graft court are his arraignment, posting of P180,000 bond, leaving not earlier than November 1 and returning not later than November 4. Also, within 5 days after his return, Lozada has to appear

personally before the anti-graft courts Clerk of Court to present his stamped passport and a xerox copy. The anti-graft court said Lozada may then file a motion to withdraw his travel bond. Mikey Arroyos wife, kids allowed to travel to bond By Jeannette I. Andrade Philippine Daily Inquirer 2:59 am | Sunday, October 7th, 2012 MANILA, PhilippinesState prosecutors in the tax evasion cases filed against Ang Galing party-list Rep. Juan Miguel Mikey Arroyo and his wife Angela last week did not contest the latters petition to travel to Singapore with her children at the end of October. The prosecutors, headed by senior assistant state prosecutor Lagrimas Agaran, said in their comment on Angela Arroyos Sept. 19 motion for leave to travel filed in Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 100 that they would not object to the request provided that Angela Arroyo post a bond of P420,000 for the seven counts of tax evasion and abide by the conditions set by the court. The prosecutors further said that the familys planned trip from Oct. 28 to Nov. 2 should be limited to Singapore, without extensions or changes of destination. They also said that Arroyo should be required to submit proof of her travel within 72 hours from her return to the country. Failure to submit, according to the state prosecutors, would result in the forfeiture of the bond. In her motion seeking leave to travel to Singapore, Arroyo said her childrens break from school would present for the family an invaluable opportunity to bond privately. Lawyer Art Ryan Seachon argued that Arroyo had been previously given leave to travel to Bangkok, Thailand, in July. He also said she was not a flight risk, arguing that she would be traveling without her husband, former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyos son, and she obviously will not abandon him. He said that Arroyo was ready, willing and able to comply with the conditions set by the court for her travel. The couple is charged with seven counts of tax evasion for allegedly failing to file income tax returns for several years, allegedly depriving the government of P73.85 million in income taxes.