EDITORIAL - Porous borders

It may be nothing but a rumor, and deposed President Joseph Estrada may be telling the truth when he says he does not intend to flee the country to avoid prosecution. Despite his denials, however, reports persist of his alleged plan to sneak out of the country. There could be two reasons why the reports – or rumors – refuse to go away. One is that with all the witnesses and pieces of evidence against him, within a few weeks the disgraced president is sure to end up in jail without bail for multiple counts of plunder. No one in his right mind can ho-nestly say that he is looking forward to doing time in jail. Another reason is that Filipinos know how porous the country’s borders can be. Can authorities prevent Estrada from sneaking out?

Past events have shown how easy it is not only to sneak out but also to sneak into the country. The way Estrada’s mistress Laarni Enriquez was hustled incognito past immigration authorities at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport was merely the latest illustration of this problem. Enriquez is reportedly planning to leave the country again within the week, this time for good.

It’s not just well-known or notorious personalities who can go in and out of the country under the noses of authorities. Human smuggling thrives – you can see the undesi-rable aliens peddling their wares through sign language in the streets of Manila and Mindanao. And if aliens can easily enter the country, it is just as easy for undesirable Filipinos to leave for abroad. Over a decade ago renegade policeman Rizal Alih attacked Camp Cawa-Cawa, the military headquarters in Zamboanga City, then left the country. He remains at large.

The situation has changed little since Alih’s caper. Porous borders allowed Abu Sayyaf terrorists to kidnap 21 mostly foreign hostages from a Malaysian resort island last year. Fugitives can easily take off on a light plane from any of several airstrips nationwide, or take a small boat to neighboring Malaysia. It may be impossible to monitor all these airstrips and patrol the shorelines of the Philippines’ 7,100 islands. But it’s not impossible for the government to improve its watch.