To lie or not to lie

I have been wanting to write this down, but found myself too emotional to do so. We encounter bribery first hand this past week. Dan's mother sent us a Christmas gift package through US postal priority mail, and the carrier is FedEx. It was supposed to arrive in just a few days. However, the package got sent back to Dan's mother by the U.S. post office, stating she must complete a form for "commercial" goods. Dan's mother explained the things inside are just Christmas gifts, they were not for sale.

About a week later, we got a call from FedEx in Lapu-Lapu city (a city next to us) stating that our package has arrived. When Dan asked why it was not delivered, they said we needed to pay tariff and tax on it, and the amount is 6500 peso ($130 USD!) Dan didn't understand what that was at first, then FedEx people explained that a large chunk of it was "freight charges". Freight charges? Why do we have to pay that? Didn't my mother-in-law pay for that already back in the US postal office? And it was not cheap either, it was $200 USD.

Dan told them this was ridiculous, they explained that the tax and tariff were calculated using a certain formula. Dan refused to pay and the FedEx people said Dan could sign an affidavit stating that the true value of the gifts were actually much lesser, the amount that Dan's mother put down ($150 US) was for insurance purpose only. Then hopefully, the Customs Office would recalculate the tax and tariff. The affidavit cost 50 peso ($1 USD). The FedEx guy said, "We'll see if the Customs Office will give you a discount." A discount?!!! from tax and tariff, which they calculated out with a formula?

After Dan signed the affidavit, we waited for a couple more days so that the FedEx people could talk with the Customs Office. A few days later, FedEx showed up with a piece of paper itemizing each charge, claiming that was from the Customs Office. However, next to the charges, were just an alphabet, like F, P, L, things like that, without clearly showing what those charges were. Dan looked at the paper and was perplexed by what they shadiness of it. The FedEx people said it is the Customs Office that was charging us, not FedEx, they in fact had went to them and ask them to recalculate, the Custom Office gave them a negative answer. No recalculating. The FedEx people called again, "Mr. Bush, if you would sign another affidavit, stating that ...." (I forgot what it was for, Dan's not around as I write this, I will ask him and complete this.) Dan signed another affidavit, another 50 peso. Still no package.

Our helper Maris was very helpful to us the whole time, she would talk in Cebuano with the FedEx people, she actually said to them, "That is corruption, isn't it. You see that my boss is an American and he lives in a nice area, and he also happened to have the last name Bush, you are taking advantage of him, aren't you?" Maris was clearly upset about the whole situation. She couldn't believe her friend, Dolor, whom has a sister living in Florida, received packages delivered by FedEx to her home without paying anything at all.

Upon knowing we didn't have any choice, we were going to pay the sky high $130 USD tax and tariff, get the package and considered a lesson learned.

Then Maris happened to be at a 'fiesta' (party) in the Guadalupe barangay (district) she lives in. There in the fiesta, she saw a long time family friend, they haven't seen each other for a long time. When that friend asked about how Maris was lately, she mentioned the fact that she was working for us. She then proceeded to tell this family friend our encounter with the Customs Office and FedEx. Her friend said, "I'll call the manager of FedEx tomorrow, and see what I can do."

The next morning, our home phone rang, it was FedEx, "Mr. Bush, we are ready to deliever your package, the tax and tariff will be $3000 peso."

I couldn't believe my ears when I heard Dan telling me about the "discount" price. We got the package, finally!

This FedEx guy whom delivered the package gave us a few tips:

1) Make sure you write down the value of the things inside the box is lower than $100 USD, regardless what the true value is.
2) Make sure you write old, used items on the box. Christmas gifts mean new things, and they are subject to high taxes.

I added afterwards to this list:
3) Make sure you don't send it to our address, rather, our helper Maris' address. Since they know those who live in this address can't pay them the sky high tax and tariff, there will not be one imposed.
4) Make sure the name on the address is not Bush. Well, that's another story for another entry.

OK, what that say is that whoever send us packages will have to hmmmm...... LIE! If not, we will have to pay whatever amount of money the Customs Office and the FedEx people want.

Or simply don't send us any packages.

So what do you think? To lie or not to lie?