An arrogant immigration officer

Airport Immigration Officer Theda Grace Gumban took her Jack Russell terrier, a hunting dog, to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) Terminal 2 on her day off on Aug. 30.

She was seeing off her boyfriend who was leaving for Iloilo.

The dog, however, bit a 6year-old girl in the buttocks.

Instead of soothing the girl who became hysterical, Gumban ignored her and her parents who were leaving for Japan where they live.

“It’s just a scratch, there is no blood,” she nonchalantly told the girl’s parents.

The girl’s grandparents, Neri and Rowena Duque, filed an administrative complaint against Gumban with the Bureau of Immigration on Nov. 7 after a spe- cial power of attorney was issued by the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo.

Before filing the administrative complaint, the Duques had been trying to call Gumban on the cell-phone number she gave to the girl’s parents. Their calls, however, were ignored.

“We just wanted her to apologize and pay for the girl’s medicine but she didn’t,” said Neri.

But Annette Tan, deputy chief of the BI administrative division who was handling the complaint against Gumban, took a long time to act on it.

The girl’s grandparents came to the “Isumbong Mo Kay Tulfo” office on Dec. 28 after they saw the futility of waiting.

I had to call Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente on Dec. 29 for Gumban to apologize to the Duques.

Gumban should be suspended for a long time and reassigned from the airport to the main office.

On the other hand, Tan should either be suspended or reprimanded for neglect of duty.

———— One of the best Christmas messages I received in this season of giving is a text message from a friend, Luisa Lamoste. The message goes: “The favors we give away to others and the blessings we share are like boomerangs.

“They come back as favors and blessings some other day, and in some other ways.

“It’s heaven’s way of giving rewards to those who share with unselfish hearts.

“Keep on sharing especially to those who are victims of injustice and discomforts in life.

“Keep on loving this Holiday Season and for the rest of your life.” The message is so true. The good things we do to others come back to us.

Conversely, the wrong we do to others come back to haunt us.

That is the law of the universe; the law is inexorable.

———— If only all people would follow the law of karma—you reap what you sow—nobody would rob or kill another without justification.

There is no need for religion if we obey the law of karma.

As the Dalai Lama said, “This is my simple religion: No need for temples, no need for complicated philosophy. Your mind, your ownheart is the temple. My philosophy is simple kindness. Myreligion is kindness.”

Kindness begets kindness. Evil begets evil.