When we were island hopping around Palawan, a bizarre incident occurred. While trying to dock on an island, our boat's wooden wings bumped into another boat that was already docked. As our navigators tried to back up, they bumped into that boat several more times. Then we went on the island to swim, play and take photos.
But when we returned to our boat, our navigators told us that the navigators on the boat we bumped into claimed that a piece of their anchor had fallen off as a result of our boat bumping into them. They said this anchor piece was expensive, so our navigators went diving to look for it, but to no avail. This sounded like an obvious scam. A few slight bumps between wooden wings of a boat is not going to cause any part of a heavy metal anchor to break off. Come on now. Who would believe that? Nevertheless, the crew of the other boat said that they either wanted 1000p for the lost part, or a replacement.
I told Dianne and the two Filipinas we were with (one was my expat friend's date, the other was her friend) that this was an obvious scam. Yet they would not stand up and argue about it. All they would do was summarize what was going on and what was being claimed. I hate how Filipinas do that. When faced with a scam, they don't call out "SCAM!". Instead, they just sit quietly and do nothing except translate what's going on, without confrontation. That's stupid. It's like they never stand up for what's right. I was the only one being outspoken about it. Even my expat friend, who was sponsoring this island hopping outing, did not take sides. He remained neutral and said he preferred to just sit and watch the incident play out between the navigators. After being in the PI for so long, he was unphased by such events.
Whatever was going on, we certainly weren't going to pay for it, since it was our navigators' fault, not ours. So we were not liable for it. I suspect though, that they were hoping that we (especially since my expat friend was a white guy) would offer to pay for the feud, since we had bottomless pockets (in their view).
Still, I didn't understand why our navigators (a team of four Filipino cheerful guys) would fall for such an obvious scam. Were they in on it? Is this a standard ploy they pull on foreigners, each taking turns bumping into each other's boat while docking? Who knows. But the Filipina with us (my friend's date and love interest) told us that she thought the incident was not a scam, simply because our navigators were diving to look for it. I told her that that's not proof that this incident is not a scam. After all, our crew could have been playing along out of politeness, or even be in on it. We simply can't know. But this girl kept arguing with me and wouldn't let me finish my sentences and line of reasoning. I hate it when people are stubborn without a logical reason, but this is common with Filipinas, since they are not reasonable or logical at all, and cannot debate logical arguments.
I kept asking what piece had broken off exactly, but no one could give me a clear answer, since Filipino communication skills TOTALLY SUCKS ASS! I SWEAR! GOD IT PISSES ME OFF HOW THEY CAN'T EXPLAIN SHIT! They kept saying it was a piece of the anchor, but I saw a rope extending from the other boat onto the shore, indicating that an anchor was attached to it which kept the boat secure. It felt like the Twilight Zone again. Here I was asking a logical sensible question, and everyone was ignoring me. Such a bizarro world.
Even Dianne got mad when I kept asking questions that she could not properly answer. I don't know why she wasn't directing her anger at the crew scamming us, instead of at me for asking questions and calling out the scam. It was like she was not directing the anger at the right people. Very weird. But again, in the Philippines, the person making a scene or being outspoken is often seen as "the bad disruptive person", rather than the one trying to cheat, lie or scam you. Very weird. How is being outspoken a bigger no-no, in the Filipino view, than the one who is lying, cheating, and scamming? It's like cheating and scamming are normal and acceptable, but being outspoken and confrontational is not, even if you are in the right?! WTF?! Hence, right and wrong have no value. That's f***ed up.
Eventually, the crew of the other boat simply accepted a promise from our crew to make a new part for them to replace the one that was lost. And we were on our way.
When we got back to the resort that my friend's friend owned, who introduced us to this boating crew, I told the owner's Filipina wife about the incident. She questioned our crew about it, and they exchanged some words in Tagalog. But when I asked her what the crew said, she did not answer me. It's weird how communication here is like the Twilight Zone sometimes. You ask a question, but no one even answers or acknowledges the question.
Back at my friend's house, our girls still felt that the incident was not a scam. Then when my expat friend calmly explained that this could possibly be a scam that both boat crews pull on each other to try to extract extra money from foreigners, each taking turns, and expecting the foreigners (us) to say, "Ah don't worry about it. I'll pay for the missing piece." and gladly shelling out 1000p (I guess some foreigners are dumb enough to do that, so they bank on it, what an insult to our intelligence!). Then the girls said, "Oh I see."
But I don't get how foreigners are able to see through such scams, better than Filipinas are. Are Filipinas really that bad at detecting scams in their own country? Or are they just playing dumb, cause they sympathize more with the scammers than with the foreign victims (us)? Who knows. But it's a disturbing question. I just don't see how some people can have no honor, morals, conscience or integrity. It baffles me. And I hate it too. It annoys the hell out of me (which is another reason why I don't fit in the PI).
(Btw, a black American expat restaurant manager in Angeles City I used to talk to, who had been living there since 1979, told me a few years ago that yes, usually your Filipina girlfriend will sympathize a lot more with a Filipino trying to scam you, than with you, because she shares the same "extract from the foreigner" mentality that he does. Thus, she sees a Filipino scammer trying to cheat you as just a "fellow opportunist and compatriot" so to speak. This is why she often takes his side, albeit in a subtle manner, rather than stand up for you or protect/defend you. That is very disturbing, to say the least. This expat manager I used to talk to was very jaded and cynical, and what he told me was often too disturbing for me to accept. But incidents like this make me wonder if he was right after all.)
I wonder, what do Filipinos usually do when they are confronted with an obvious scam like this? Do they usually comply with it, knowing that they are getting cheated? Or do they contest it? If so, how do they contest it, since making a scene or confronting scammers is seen as "disruptive and out of the flow" in the Philippines? Is there a way to quietly contest something without making a scene?
What do you all think? Was this a scam? Why did I feel like such a "sore thumb" in the group for simply standing up for what's right and for the truth? Isn't that weird? That happens to me often for some reason.
PS - Here below is a photo of our boat next to the one that tried to scam us. Our boat is the one on the right with blue lining, while the scammer boat is the one on the left. Notice the wooden wings on the side of it, and how they can easily bump into another boat's wooden wings while docking. As you can see, the other boat has a rope extending from it to the shore, indicating that it is securely anchored. So what the f**k was broken or missing exactly? I don't know, and no one would answer my simple logical question. (I hate it when I ask a sensible question and everyone ignores me) Now, do you honestly think that a few bumps between the wings of such boats, could cause one of them to lose a piece of anchor that needs to be replace/reimbursed? Isn't that a silly claim? If so, why did our Filipinas not see the obvious absurdity of it?
My ex was a scammer by the way.