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I stand accused

Adjustment, Expats / by

I found out this morning, I am being accused of having committed a crime.  It appears that I will have to go to court on Friday.  Thankfully, it is only Barangay Court, where the Barangay Captain makes the decision, and if found guilty, the consequences should be minor.

Problem is that this is totally false.  In no way did I do anything wrong at all.  At least in my opinion I did not.  I’m going to tell you the story this morning in this article, and of course, I am only giving you my side of what happened, but I believe that I am telling it 100% as it happened.  The accusations being leveled against me are different, though, from what actually happened.

Funny thing is, this whole incident stems back to an article that I wrote here on LiP, back in February.  Do you remember my article about our new neighbors, the call center that moved in at a building adjacent to my house?  The problem was that as a call center, they worked all night, as their customers were abroad in different time zones around the world.  Whenever the staff would have a break, they would all gather out on the balcony and get very noisy.  It woke up my family ever night, usually three times per night, at 1:30 or so, then at 3am and again at 5am.  Sometimes we were only awaken one time, because we could not sleep again, and thus were already awake the next time they went on break.

After a couple of weeks of no sleep, I decided to go over there and talk to them, so at 3am, after they had awakened me, I walked over, and I talked to the manager of the call center, Bernard.  Bernard assured me that he would take care of the problem.  For the rest of the night, they remained quiet, but the next night the noise was bad again, so I went back.  Second time back, I took Feyma and my nephew, and they witnessed the entire event.  I went there, and I was a bit more angry, or upset, so my voice was indeed more forceful.  But, I did not touch anybody, cause any kind of damage or anything like that.  I just let them know in a little more serious fashion that they were causing a problem.  I told them that if they could not fix the problem, I would go talk to the Barangay Captain and we could all go address the situation there.  They assured me that they would take care of it.

Well, after that, the noise was no longer a problem, for about a month.  But, in the past couple of weeks, it has gotten very loud again.  I am not positive, but it seems like they have expanded the operation, because there are a lot more agents out on the balcony when they have break time, and thus the noise has gotten bad again.  So, last week, I again went over there in the middle of the night.  I did not enter the property, I stayed outside the gate, and I told  a lady from the call center that the noise level was a problem again.  I expressed to her that it was very frustrating, because my family was unable to sleep.  She promised me that she would address the situation.

Since that visit last week, the noise has not been a problem, and I thought that things were OK.  This morning, though, the lady who owns the property came to our house very angry.  She told Feyma that she has filed a case against me at the Barangay Hall.  Feyma asked her, “what for?”  The lady said that I always go over there and I have been kicking things, and generally being violent there!  So, Feyma came and talked to me and asked if that was true, and I was shocked.  Feyma even said that the one time that she came with me, she knew that I had done nothing of the sort.

Well, the lady this morning went on to tell us that we would have to appear before the Barangay Captain on Friday.  So far, though, we have received no summons telling us to go there.  My feeling is that no case has been filed, and the lady is only trying to scare us, but I can’t be certain.  I suppose that if a case were indeed filed, we will be hearing something either today or tomorrow, with a summons to appear.

Frankly, I am very saddened by this.  I tried to handle this thing in a way that was peaceful, and would not get anybody in trouble.  I could have called the Barangay Police, but I wanted to keep from causing trouble, and just work out the problem privately.  Now, these people are lying about my actions, and trying to cause trouble for me.

Well, it’s hard for me to even know what more to say.  I have tried to be a good neighbor here in the area where I live.  I have tried to be a good resident of the Philippines.  I have, in my view, done a lot to promote the Philippines in general, and particularly Davao City.  This is what you get for it?  It bothers me.  I don’t like it.  If I should get a summons to go to the Barangay Court on Friday, I will certainly be there and I will tell the truth about what happened.  I hope that the truth will prevail.  I don’t really know what the consequences could be to me if the Barangay Captain believes the lies that are being told, but I don’t think it would be anything serious.  But, no matter the consequences, if the lies are believed about this, I will indeed be very disappointed.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Hi Bob;
    I noticed that you had informed the call center that you would notify the Barangay Kaptain if they persisted. What it sounds like to me is they used a pre-emptive strike against you. Go today and find out if they filed on you, and then counter-file on them. I know you want to be the nice guy and play fair. Sometimes people won’t let you. Good luck and if it’s for real, have faith in the system, and your Kaptain.

    • Hi Paul – Yeah, I was thinking the same thing about the pre-emptive strike. Yesterday afternoon, I got some advice from a Filipino who knows the ins and outs, and she gave me a plan that is similar to what you suggest. I don’t want to say here what the plan is, but rest assured, that I have a plan of action.

  2. Your wrong! Their Right! Case closed, mmmm well for the right number of piso,s. Deportation seems to be the only answer, ya big bully!

  3. Good Morning,

    As we all know you pretty well by now, why would you even bother to start kicking things around and such! I would second the motion such as Paul has mentionned. Being nice has its limits and you have to put your foot down to meant sometimes. I hope it all works out.

  4. Bob
    I kind of think along Paul’s lines, maybe they tried to get a leg up on you. I just hope they are not fabricating some kind of chumped up bullshit story to extort money out of the Big Kano.
    IF you do get porked(I hope you do win)you may have to get in the gutter and play dirty, dirty deeds are truly done dirt cheap there in the RP. The unfortunate thing is that it goes both ways when deciding on that type of Tactic.

    • Hi Neal – a situation like this is generally just a chance to sit down and work things out, with the Barangay Captain sort of officiating the whole thing. I found out more about this yesterday when I met with a Filipino who helped me form a strategy of what to do. I don’t think money will play a role at all in this… although you are right that money always seems to be the deciding factor in the Philippines.

  5. Hello Bob,Sorry to hear about this problem. Hope things work out,but be prepared,because “most” Filipinos will stick together whether right or wrong! All the best!Waiting to hear what happened.

    • Hi Joe – One time, about 7 years ago, Feyma and I got summoned to the Barangay Court on another matter. When the Captain heard both sides of the story, he sided with me instantly. So, I think that if you are in the right – Filipino or Foreigner – you can prevail. We’ll see.

  6. Hi Bob – The Captain will side with you instantly. You’re too well known as a vital part of the community.

  7. Hi Bob – The Captain will side with you immediately! You’re too well known as a vital part of the community.

  10. Hi Bob, Sorry about the hassle. Do you think that the elderly couple who own the building could help vouch for you? You said that last month you spoke with them in a reasonable way about the issue, and they helped at the time…

    • Hi queenie – those elderly people are the ones who are filing charges against me! That is something that really baffles me, because they were so nice when we went and talked to them, and we were very nice to them.

      • Too bad Bob. Probably the call center owner is putting pressure on them, and they’re afraid of losing the monthly rental money from these tenants, so they’re hoping to intimidate you, to keep you quiet about the noise problem. Maybe they’re expecting you to move out if you feel harassed enough, and they think that they’d fare better with different neighbors, especially if they’re considering expanding.
        Well Bob, you’re very articulate and I think that you’ll present your case in a reasonable way. Probably the barangay captain will see through their story. Noise in the night from these call centers are probably a common problem in other residential areas as well, and neighbors getting upset and vocal about the issue is probably common too, (although some people seem to have a higher tolerance for noise than others.} Since there was nothing broken or vandalised, it seems it’s their word against yours, but you’ve been a good tenant in your house and haven’t bothered your other neighbors, so that is in your favor too.
        Good luck Bob.

        • Hi Queenie – Some of the information you have written is more accurate than you may know. I found out some things that I won’t write about right now, I want to save them in case there is a hearing on this. So far, I have not been served any papers, and I am thinking it was only a threat. But, some information I have now will prove useful when talking with the Barangay Captain. After all of this calms down, I will write a follow-up and share it.

  11. Bob: I would also ask your landlord to go with you to the Barangay Captain. This may be one of those cases where the neighbors have “connections”, and since the landlord has a vested interest in you staying there, they may have their own “connections”.

    Sounds like the neighbor may be planning an extension of the business or an extortion gambit. You can’t really tell until this plays out a bit more.

    In any event, in your last experience with the Barangay Captain you seem to have been treated fairly… It’s just the fact that this crap is happening at all that is so frustrating.

    • Hi John – Indeed, it is very frustrating, especially since I have done nothing. I know a little bit more about the situation than I did yesterday, information that is in my favor. I just don’t want to publish it publicly.

  12. Bob: Well, that’s good. Count to 10, have a coffee and some sugary goodness, and let the Captain deal with it. They still have to prove it and, as you said, you’ve done nothing.

  13. Hi Bob,

    I think, you don’t have to worry about it. The only thing I will remind you is that, continue to be nice and courteous at the meeting in barangay hall. That is why they make things go through the barangay in order to avoid lawsuits and I’m sure that will work good for both sides. In the first place, I think the call center is in violation of the zoning law if it is in the residential area. In Davao City, I think it is not likely that they are going to extort money from you, it may happen in other places but I just don’t think in Davao City.
    Also, it would have been nicer if you had that noisy incident recorded on video. I’m amazed because, as high-tech as you are, you have not taken actions technologically. 🙂 It would have been a nice evidence.

    • Hi Lito – Thank you for your good advice. I believe that you and I think alike. Just yesterday I was thinking that I should have taken video of that encounter!

  14. Not to worry Bob. If there is one area of the Philippines that surprises me everytime it is the justice the Barangay doles out in such cases. They always seem to get it right at least in my experience. This is no different than getting rear ended. The other driver is always at fault due to following to closely. Noise complaints are very easy to determine as well and settle in favor of the complaintant all the time I am aware of. Just go in and relax but I would say you need to be angry as well and make a point of just how disturbing this noise is to youand your family.

    • Hi richard – Yes, like you say, my experiences, and things I’ve heard about Barangay Court have always seemed fair. I hope that it continues that way!

  15. Hi Bob – Even in your article, you show self discipline and great respect for others. I would say that those making noise at the call center are NOT neighbors.

    I mention this not because they disturb the neighborhood, but because (most likely) not one of them lives in the neighborhood. If they did, noise levels would be substantially lower.

    You never see anyone drop litter on their own property, but once away from their abode, any place is good enough to serve as a personal waste bin. Similarly, it’s hard to find areas where residents make life more difficult than it already is.

    The Kapitan should straighten things out. Remind him that you are a resident of his barangay and follow his rules. The noise makers, on the other hand, . . . .

    • Hi Paul – Yes, I think this will be straightened out…. actually, I think that I’ve already heard the last of it. So far, no summons or anything, so I am thinking that no case was really filed. We will see, though. But, I have more information now that is helpful to me if I should need to appear, and I’m glad for that!

  16. What about your “Other” Neighbors? Is this a problem to them also? Or is this just a backyard thing with you? I would think you could gather up some additional witnesses on your behalf? Good Luck Buddy….

    • Hi Lenny – There are only two houses that could probably hear the noise, because of the way that the neighborhood is laid out. I will be making some inquiries to see if I can count on the others to speak up too. Thanks for your concern.

  17. Hi Bob! I see that you may have a problem with the Barangay very soon. But I do suggest you do wait for any formal notice from the Barangay.

    Usually at the Barangay level there is no actual hearing yet, not even penalty in a sense of it being the penalty to a crime. It is a form of mediation such that if the matter is settled at that level, it never has to go to the regular courts. Lawyers are not usually allowed at the Barangay level.

    I do think your neighbor is bluffing at this point if you haven’t received a notice yet.

    I had a similar problem before dealing with someone my brother had a problem with. My brother’s car smashed into her car and tree (which was on her property). My brother paid for the repairs on his car, but now he wants her tree replaced/paid for at a price that seemed to us not commensurate to its value. She alleges the tree is of a rare kind, and I said we will be willing to pay only if the assessment is made by a third-party such as a Department of Agriculture assessor or something. She wanted us to take her word for its value, and i said no, we want an independent assessor. She said we should bring the matter to Barangay court, I said no, let her bring us to Barangay court and we will meet her there. I of course plainly told her I am a lawyer, and I am nearest-of-kin so I can be there even if lawyers are not allowed in Barangay court. I was the exception. After that, she never bothered us and she disappeared.

    • Hi Claudette – Thanks for the advice from a pro! I appreciate it very much. I also believe that everything you say is spot on. I also think it is a bluff for now… I should know today, or at the very latest tomorrow. Thanks again.

  18. Hi Bob- The problem in the Philippines is that commericial business can be carried out in a residential area unless under the covenant of the developer it is not permitted.
    You would think that the people running the call centre and their Landlady would try not to disturb their neighbours for the sake of harmony within the area.Could I suggest you inform your Landlord about your situation and tell him if the issue of noise in the early hours is not resolved soon you will be forced to look for alternative acommodation that way he may talk to your neighbour and the Barangay Captain and resolve the situation without you becomming more involved than you are.
    Hope all is put to bed soon.
    Regards.
    Jim.

  19. Wouldn’t it be nice if there were zoning laws?

    Bob,
    Though it shouldn’t come to this, may I suggest that you invite your Barangay Captain to read your archived articles, comments, etc., on this site? I believe that your opinions, here, aptly show that you’re very respectful of your neighbours – Filipinos, in general – and that you are quite patient with those whom have differing views to yours. Perhaps, a letter signed by other neighbours, attesting to the noise, would be of value? In the end, it sounds as though you’ll need to move to restore peace of mind to yourself & your family. I would assume that the reasoning behind the alleged filing of such a case has more to do with the money being paid by the call center for the building rental, than anything else. Best of luck with this!
    Mike

  20. Bob, I agree with what others have said in relation to the call center putting pressure on the Landlord. I do think that as long as that call center is there the problems will also be there. I wish you the best in this as I don’t think you want to move. You have however mentioned a move to Cebu-???? Are other neighbors bothered by this noise? If so perhaps you could lodge a joint effort with the Barngay Captain. Whatever you do good luck.

    • Hi Ron – With information that has come to my attention, I can say for sure that the call center is not pressuring the landlord. I will share more when I can, but for now, I want to keep this information out of the public eye. I’ll update, probably next week.

  21. Ya Bob,

    Been there, done that… This battle is IMPOSSIBLE to win. With that attitude you can visit the Captain, in advance of the meeting. The meeting is a required step before filing a real case. You can bet your accuser has already done it.

    Your call center is probably thinking you are “harassing” or “Threatening” them, actionable acts in the PI.

    But here it is far more important to appear right than be right. I suggest, if you have a meeting at all, you listen patently and let your accuser rant… Just say “sorry, I am new here”. She will go for damages, you say “I need to talk to my lawyer who has helped me in the past”, with that the meeting will end. If she is serious, it will be useless to appease her, if she is not she will be satisfied with hauling you into barranguy court.

    Delay, delay, delay… and everything will be forgotten soon enough. Ya, you can file a case about a business in a residential neighborhood, and you can make a lot of locals mad and suggesting “If that foreigner don’t lot like it here he should just leave”.

    Even if you should get the call center shut down by complaining to the captain and then the mayor (no mayors permit, no business). Even during the hours you have lost your sleep (to help them get a clear pictrue of the problem). Or, better, simply having a REAL lawyer send a series of letters to the mayor, DTI, and the Captain, suggesting “dereliction of duties”… retribution seems likely. And that retribution would surely be greater than the loss of the investment of the guy with the call center.

    Portray yourself always as the victim, if you really love the place you live, build a very high fence next to the call center to stop the noise.

      • Bob,

        You are on the short end of the stick because the call center employs many people (Votes) the Captain most likely will side with the call center.

        You also made a mistake by not taking a witness with you when you went to complain so it’s your word against the word of everyone that works there

        Even your wife asked you if you acted that way when you went over there so do not believe the barangay court is going to believe anything but what the complainant says

        To bad you did not have a tape recorder with you to record the noise and what you said to the manager about it then you would have proof of your actions maybe do this next rime

        But you could make a recording now if it gets noisy again and take it to court with you to show them what you are experiencing

        I have been in the barangay court at least 7 times in the last 10 years most are complaints about our business, trucks coming in 24 hours a day etc. I had a petition one time with 27 people wanting us to close the mill only problem is we employee over 125 people directly and another 300 indirectly at least the Captain knows who has more votes come election time so far I’m 7 for 7 but will keep my fingers crossed

        If I were you I would call the owner of the house you rent and tell him you are going to have to terminate the lease because of the noise from the call center have him go to the meeting with you at least you will have one Filipino on your side

        The barangay court is not final you can always hire an attorney if you think the decision is biased and take it to the circuit court if they said you insulated a Filipino then it could-be serious so watch your self

        I honestly would be looking for a new place to live maybe a house in the middle of 5 hectares

        Good luck to you

        Tom / Roxas City

        • Hi Tom,

          Thanks for sharing your experience and wisdom on this. At this point, I do not think that any complaint has been filed, I think it was all scare tactics. We’ll see, but so far I have received nothing in the way of a summons or any papers or anything. Based on some extra information I have received, I am confident, though, that I will prevail on this case, should it materialize.

  22. Hi Bob,

    I’m sure there are zoning laws in urban areas of the country. Let’s hope you’re not in a mixed zone. Based on your post it is the landlord that is accusing you not the call center people. And the landlord wasn’t exactly there during those nights.

    If this ends up with the baranggay captain, then the only defense (in my view, since it will be he says/she says thing) is that the person (landlord) making the accusations wasn’t there. Maybe ask the baranggay captain to invite the people you talked to those nights and present their version to the baranggay captain. That will turn the table on the landlord.

    Since he is your landlord as well, and seemed to have gotten along fine before, the personality change may indicate something sinister. In short I tend to agree its a bluff or scare tactic from the landlord. Alex

  23. Bob, your problem with the call center is exactly what I meant by an on-going “Philippine culture” forum where we could present problems and receive answers from various members of the site. As for your problem, my diagnosis is VERY much different from yours. As well, I am trying to speak to the reasons/rationale of why the call center/house owners went after you.

    In what follows, please do not read “Filipinos are” or “westerners are” as each and every one, without exceptions are. Rather, read, ”on average, more or less, with many individual exceptions.” It’s rather cumbersome to write this, however, each time I make a generalization about one culture or another.
    You and I (and westerners in general) live in a “guilt society”. This is a technical term used by sociologists and psychologists. Here guilt means individual transgression of a set of rules or norms. In your description of what happened, you say, this is “my side” of the problem, but you admit there may be another side. In presenting “your side”, however, you deal with facts: they did this; I did that in response. You expect the owner to response with facts as well, although possibly facts from her side. Then you expect all these facts to be judged against a set of laws, regulations, and societal norms by the Captain. As far as you can judge the facts as you see them, the call center is “guilty” of disturbing the sleep of you and your family – repeatedly. And, besides possibly talking a bit too loudly, you can see nothing that you did that makes you guilty in turn.
    The Philippines, however, is not a guilt society. It is a “shame society.” By going over to the owner’s house and publically telling them that 1) they were wrong and 2) you Mindanao Bob were tell them to change their ways, you have shamed the owner, the manager, and the workers. They have not heard the guilt statement, “your actions violate these regulations [e.g., disturbing the peace] to say nothing of common courtesy and hence please stop them.” They have heard, “You are wrong; I am telling you that you are wrong. I am telling you to change your ways. Therefore I am superior to you and you are low class and stupid and you should be ashamed of yourself.” This is what they are “heard”, honest.
    So now the owner wants to bring shame on you to reestablish her position. She has said and will say (if she goes forward with the Captain) that you are a loud, disrespectful, violent foreigner who has insulted her and trashed her place. What she says will not necessarily have anything to do with what actually happened (as recorded by a mythical video camera). You are dealing with guilt: facts against rules. She is dealing with shame: loss of position and authority in front of others. You find her (as owner of the house with responsibility of the actions of the call center personnel) guilty. She finds you in the wrong since you have shamed her.
    Irreconcilable differences in world view.
    FYI, the Captain does NOT have the power to dish out punishment of any sort as far as I know. Taking someone to the Captain is the first of the steps in starting legal proceedings. The Captain hears what is said and then tries to reach a compromise acceptable to both parties. If this can be done, that’s the end of it. If an agreement cannot be reached in the first meeting, another meeting is held. If no agreement is reached then, the Captain certifies that there are irreconcilable differences and gives this document to the complaining party. This party can then use this to file a court case. No case can be filed without this document.
    As to comments from others about zoning, I was on an Asian Development Bank project ten years ago and interviewed the president/owner of Gaisano in Davao. One of his complaints was that at that time there were NO zoning regulations, making if very cumbersome to find land and negotiate with all the neighbors when putting up a mall.

    • Hi ProfDon – I have heard before the concepts of a guilt vs. shame society, and what you say sums it up pretty well.

      Regarding your request about the forum… we do have a forum already, and you or anybody is free to start a new topic thread at any time. Feel free to start one about cultural issues anytime, if you like.

      Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

    • Hi ProfDon- You have summarised the logic of the Pinoy very well indeed. It’s just difficult for us westerners as you call us not to become annoyed and speak our minds when antagonised in the middle of the night, despite politely requesting in the first instance that a reduction in noise would be greatly appreciated.
      I’m sure if it were only Bob and Feyma involved they would acquire some kind of ear defenders and sleep on but when children are disturbed with their schooling possibly being affected etc, then it’s a different story. Maybe you can now see why we take the stand we do……….just my view of the incident and always willing to learn.
      Regards.
      Jim.

  24. Hi Bob
    Sounds like they are bluffing to me. Best of luck if it does go ahead. Even with a good outcome for you, seems like it might be time to think of moving anyway. The problem is certainly just going to keep coming back. All the best to you and the family
    Malcolm

    • Hi Malcolm – Thanks for your comment. Yes, it looks like they are bluffing, because another day passed, and nothing was delivered about this. So, I think that it’s all nothing. Our lease on this house expires by the end of this year, so we have been thinking of surveying the market and seeing what is out there. We may stay or go, but we’ll look into what’s available.

  25. Hi Zeke or or maybey geek
    this website is for people who share seirious articles of people
    sharing the experiances in the Philippines, perhaps if you found a star wars blog you would feel more comfortable with peers,
    TAKE A HIKE

  26. Hi Bob,
    Sounds to me like you need the JVC HX-Z30 540 watts(RMS)! 190 RMS x2 at subs(380 RMS), and 160 RMS at the speakers. This system will crack the ear drums! Just when they get out and start their break, turn it up to full volume and blast them back inside. Just remembering my times on the DMZ in Korea and the music they would play from North Korea on their loud speakers. Just kidding.
    I have not had much of a chance to deal with a baranggay captain to much with only being there on visits. We did have the opportunity one time and the matter was worked out with both sides having their say. The Captain was very polite and I feel used proper judgement in the matter. I feel if this goes along you should have no problems, as long as you keep yourself from getting angry at the lies you will hear told. Just hold your peace and tell the truth when you get the chance. Many others on here I feel have given you plenty of great advice already.
    I hope Zeke’s comment was only a shout of sarcasm. I would hate to see you deported!
    Good luck in this!

    • Hi Steve – I don’t play the retaliation game. I am certainly tempted, but it’s just not me. I’d rather work out my problem with these folks and reach an understanding than to wage war.

  27. Hi Bob,

    Sorry to hear about this sad plight you have but if you need help, just shoot me an email.

    Don’t worry about the Barangay Captain, i know the guy (is it still the barber?) and he’s fair and just. I don’t think he needs the votes also from those call center agents as most likely they’re not residence or registered in that area.

    • Hi Rey – I am not sure if the Barber is still the Barangay Captain, but I hope he is, because I know him too. I actually had to appear before him one time before, and he was not only fair, but went out of his way to take care of the problem.

      Thanks for your offer of help, Rey.

  28. Hi bob sorry to hear of your troubles , maybe the call centre has decided to relocate and the neighbours will lose the incom from the rent ,i dont know if i would be so diplomatic if i was awoken every night and my family as well sounds to me like you should have gone to see the barangy captain first so he and the owners could sort it out ,i know they are elderly as i did read your post when you wrote it ,sounds like you have tried to be the nice guy and it aint worked out , you dont know the people working at the call centre may have damaged something and they have said it was you anyway all the best bob hope common sense prevails ,as for zekes comment there is always a clown in the class isnt there
    boatcrazy

  31. Bob:

    I guess it is never a problem thinking of something to write about for you column. Life will always provide new material in the normal course of events.

    We hope everything works out and look forward to hearing about the resolution of the problem in a future column. Who knows? Maybe it will be you bringing an action to the barangay Captain.

  32. Who was that blogger who wrote that blog on “Watch Out!” here? I see those words. Haha. I mean, I smell a stove cookin’ grease to batter new raw money… only as a possibility though.
    Or maybe there is vandalism in the area, and she blames you?
    Or maybe she is upset about something and spouting out threats?
    Or maybe an anti-American tatic?

    • Hi Jawz – I think that the landlord did get upset about something and took it out on me. I know of something that happened which I think may have caused this. We’ll see.

  33. Good luck to you on this Bob. I am confident that things will come out in your favor, let’s hope that I am correct.

  34. Call centers are hired by companies to perform a specific function. Often the company employing the call center employees is averse to negative publicity. It might be worthwhile to find out who the call center employees are working for. I’m sure their employer is unaware of the drama caused by it’s employees.

      • If you want to find out who the call centre services just have an english speaking filipino go there and ask about applying for a job, and off-handedly ask who the company they represent is.Most employees are usually more than willing to brag about their jobs!

          • Furthermore Bob, I’m positive that you actually did video tape the incident, and can make it available for viewing if need be !

            [ even if , should you get called on, its a matter of “oops, it doesnt seem to be working right now “! hehehe]

            The call centre is not the only ones who can bluff Bob !! lol

            • Hi ian – Ha ha… I understand. However, I found out last night that the time for bluffing is over. I got an “Invitation” from the Barangay Captain to appear there today, so it looks like the case is on. I have some surprises, though…. I will be appearing there today.

  35. Need an electro-magnetic pulse generator? Hope all works out for you Bob….that seems to be a general problem when you have a liberal code enforcement, commercial mixed with residential.

  36. Hello Bob, I can relate to your problem. Our house at the country side is the same situation. Our next door neighbor which is our relative operates gambling, majong and card games and its one of their source of income. When I go there on vacation they would gamble all night and sometimes they are too noisy so I have to get out of bed and tell them to keep it low. Its really hard but there is nothing much I can do. I am just glad that we have another room far away from the gamblers where I cant hear them.
    You may just have to file a complain at the barangay to settle it properly. One of the best solution if it gets worse is to just move to better and peaceful place to live.

  37. The people here seem to love noise and loudness. If there’s an area that is too quiet, they will put a speaker in it and a volume control only means ‘turn it up all the way until it is distorted’
    I even notice that I can’t understand what is said over the speaker system at the malls becuase the sounds are too loud and distorted.
    Neighboorhoods? Dogs that bark all night are the best, Roosters that start at 5 AM are a necessity for the people here, and if you have a game with a speaker, make sure it is turned up all the way so they can hear it on the next block. Oh, also you have to have people going down the steets yelling at the houses or honking their horns.

    I complained to my barangy about my neighbors loud game that they seem to enjoy more at night than in the daytime, but soon found out that I was the only person that complained about the loud noise and there wasn’t anything they would do unless there were more than one neighbor that complained.

      • Hi Bob. Truly..noise is a big issues in here. But one noise cannot take is a loony bin and wacky landlord we got before. Whoa..Anyway that has been resolved and living now where I call heaven..:).

        Hope things turn alright..

  38. zoning in the P.I thats a joke, in cebu its noisy all nite long, pigs tied to a trees chickens in a residential area people pissing on the sidewalk drunks singing karaoke all nite long.putas selling themselfs in plain view .vendors selling food without a permit or licence. good luck but the call center boss or the landlord will bribe someone to make sure you lose. i hope i am wrong!

    • Hi mike – I can’t argue much with some of the things you are saying. I think, though, that you take it a bit farther than needed. Things are not so bad here.

      • its not that bad its just part of the deal and the cultural aspect of P.I I love the Philippines but one thing that will never change some filipinos are corupt and they all seem to stick together right or wrong and it doesn’t matter if you live in P.I. for 50 yrs and become a citizen they will always treat you like a foreigner.

  39. My wife and I filed a complaint against one of our former nieghbors who had an ironworks shop infont of our house everyday the grinding and hammering would start at about 5am. After he got the notice he informed me that even I live there most of the year im not entitled to complain cause im a kano.Well that just resulted in his gates getting welded shut that night.The kapitan did side with my wife and I and he had to find a new place to rent.

  40. Good luck this morning Bob. Jim, we have an on-going problem with illegal (as in no business license, no business permit, no sanitary permit, no BIR registration) karaokes on our property line. You are right. When the kids wake up crying at night from the sound, it’s a bit much. These karaokes are at least 200 feet away from our house (we have 6.5 acres in the middle of town)so their immediate neighbors are getting it far worse. But they do not complain (do not want to shame the owners and frankly are afraid). We got them closed down once, one of the owners dumped a bucket of white paint all over our fence and driveway. So I agree with Bob, noise is one of the biggest problems for foreigners here.

    • Hi ProfDon – The hearing is actually this afternoon, but I appreciate the “good luck” – I am not too worried about it. After some thinking it over, I just don’t see how it could turn out very badly. Of course, I’ve been surprised before! 😉

  41. Hi Bob:

    I always knew you were a desperado, and the only reason you are in the RP is to hide from the authorities here. LOL.

    I’m just joking! Sorry to hear about your troubles.

  42. Could be worse Bob, Imagine getting arrested on trumped up charges that could have landed me in prison for 15 years. It happened to me in the US and it took all year and countless $ spent to get the DA to drop the charges. I hope everything goes well for you.

    • Hi brspiritus – Yeah, it could certainly be worse, and I’m glad it was not. Actually, this thing has already been resolved. I was at the Barangay Hall yesterday for a hearing. I’ll have a full update on that next week!

  43. Bob, glad your problem seems to have been resolved. We are all VERY interested in what happened: outcome, procedures/processes, and details.

    BTW, as you can see, I finally figured out how to get my picture on your site (not that it’s difficult, I’m just digitally challenged). The woman with me is my wife of ten plus years, Genelyn, mother of our three children, age two, six, and nine.

    • Hi ProfDon – Great to see a photo! Glad you got it there! Don’t worry, I plan to give a full blow-by-blow in my article on Monday. I’ll just say that things worked out about the best that I could possibly hope for.

    • Kumusta ka, Robert? Naa na si Feyma sa balay ni Susie para sa birtdey kang Susie! Don’t worry, my friend, the whole story will be up on my Monday morning article, and there are maybe a few surprises!

  45. I am hoping, and quite sure you have recorded these nightly actions. No better proof than a recording of audi & video…hehehehehehehe…..i2f