Sa ngalan po ng UMANGAT-MIGRANTE, GABRIELA ROME, ITALIAN FILIPINO FRIENDSHIP ASSOCIATION, kami po ay lubos na nagpapasalamat sa lahat ng mga sumuporta at dumalo sa ating isinagawang pagpapalabas ng TAO PO.
Sana po ay patuloy nyo kaming samahan sa patuloy ng panawagan ng pagpapahinto sa mga nagaganap na Extra Judicial Killings sa ating Bansa at paghingi ng katarungan para sa lahat ng biktima ng extra judicial killings.
STOP THE KILLINGS!
JUSTICE FOR ALL THE VICTIMS OF EXTRA JUDICIAL KILLLINGS!
[Berlin, 09 October 2019] A two-day forum on 5-6 October composed of panel discussions and workshops tackling political and social issues such as imperialism and neo-colonialism, racism, territorial and natural resources defense, anti-patriarchal struggles, and internationalism marked the opening of the first Anticolonial Month (5 Oct- 15 Nov) in Berlin. The forum which gathered together more than 200 participants from Berlin and elsewhere is designed as a venue not only to discuss and consume information but an open space to acquire a deeper understanding of each other’s struggles and strategies in order to forge a strong unity to mutually advance all struggles.
Zara Alvarez of Negros Island Health Integrated Program for Community Development Inc., along with Abel from the National Indigenous Association of Colombia, and Ferhat from the Kurdish Student Federation were the invited speakers in the Panel “Defending Our Territories and Natural Resources: Strategies and Practices of Resistance in the Global South”. The three shared and illustrated their particular conditions and peoples’ resistance against the control of their lands and rivers by aggressive imperialist powers through their local ruling elites.
Zara is actively involved in campaigns against the construction of a Mega Shipyard that will displace hundreds of poor families in the coastal area of Negros, of the continuing operations and applications of foreign mining companies exacerbated by the foreign serving Philippine Mining Act of 1995, as well as in strengthening the collective actions of farmers in occupying idle landlord lands thru “Bungkalan”. She expressed her increasing alarm as the peoples’ resistance are being met by heightened Duterte government’s sponsored killings and harassments thru the Oplan Sauron, where 87 deaths have been recorded in the last three years since Duterte came to power. As a conclusion she thanked the people in Anticolonial Berlin and all those who are present in creating spaces to listen to their plight and struggles and to be in solidarity with them.
Abel belongs to an Indigenous Group in Colombia, and was part of the Asturias program in Spain for temporary protection. The Program enabled him to travel to Germany and speak in the panel. The Program is now over and he has to go back to Colombia despite the imminent threat to his life. He discussed with fervor their century old suffering from colonial power, the betrayal of their own ruling government and their- the indigenous peoples enduring fight for their rights, lands and territories. Their groups’ symbol of struggle is an Indigenous Guard with a wooden spear, denoting their principle to non- violent means of resistance. He noted however that the increasingly brutal and repressive state reactions against their non-violent defiance is pushing them to even consider taking up arms. He ended with a call for support to their struggle, not for him but for the generations to come and expression of his peoples’ staunch oath to defend their mother earth, as good sons and daughters would do.
Ferhat talked about the threat of a mega dam that will not only displace hundreds of families but could wipe out a thousands of years old world historical heritage, the birthplace of the oldest civilization discovered so far that emerged from the fertile lands of the rivers Euphrates and Tigris. The resistance of the Kurdish people, who highly value not only the rights of the affected peoples in the proposed dam but also the historic significance of this heritage have been met with repression from the Turkish government, the main sponsor for the construction.
The panel concluded with discussions revolving around how imperialist powers and their hands thru repressive local regimes have its deep historical colonial roots and that it continues and increasingly becoming more aggressive in the face of ever worsening crisis of the monopoly capitalist system, wanton destruction of natural resources that results to the climate crisis, and the growing resistance of the peoples in different parts of the globe.
The Anticolonial month is organized to actively claim the space and platform to speak for ourselves, the exploited and the oppressed, particularly the conditions in our home countries and how they are connected to the politics and economics of our residence country, Germany and to engage in defining solutions that are just and humane. Different activities organized by the anticolonial Berlin and other independent organizations are spread out in different days within the duration of the Anticolonial Month.
The idea is initiated by the Bloque Latino Americano Berlin, a progressive internationalist network of individuals and social and political organisations coming from different countries in South America. It is then taken up as a collaborative work by various organisations and network based in Berlin including Gabriela Germany, Migrante Europe, Africa United Sports Club, Unidos por la Paz-Alemania, Ni Una Menos Berlin, Mapuche Solidaritaetsgruppe, Voces de Guatemala, Schwarze Hochshulgruppe, Refracta, Humboldt Huaca, Nav-Dem, Academics for Peace, Frauenstreik Komitee Berlin, Palestina Speaks, JXK & YXK Berlin, Kale Amenge, and Revolutionaere Internationalistische Organisation/Klasse gegen Klasse.
REFERENCES:
Gabriela Germany
[email protected]
Migrante Europe
[email protected]
Migrante Austria | 17 May 2019
The Migrante in Austria adds its voice to expresses disgust to the conduct of the 2019 election. Reports have reached us of dubious technical glitches, a portent of the Duterte administration’s evil maneuvering. There was a 7-hour lull in showing the public the result of the computerized counting. But when the COMELEC presented the result, early morning of on Tuesday, May 14, they showed a 92.89 percent completion of counting only to show an hour later a 49.76 percent completion. There are other reports of technical glitch. More than 1,600 SD cards were found defective at the time of election. Also, there are 961 vote-counting machines reported defective.
Social media accounts of our families and friends who participated in the last election have posted their grievances. One of the trends of grievances is a report that they received the election ticket but it reflects the candidate they did not vote for. Another is of report that the party-list they have elected reflected zero-votes on the precincts where they casted their vote.
Within the constitutional framework, it is through the election, as a democratic process that the choices of the people to leadership post are registered and heard. It has an element of sanctity because what makes a human is their right to self-determination, and exercise of free-will. Such reports of election rigging are a denial of the Filipino people’s right to participate in this democratic process. We will not let this pass sitting down. For many OFWs like us here in Austria and Hungary, election is the tool and mechanism to speak and be listened upon. We desire meaningful change in a hope that one of these days we can confidently go back home assured of food on our tables, free medical services for our aging parents, and free education for our young ones, exactly the very pretexts of our migration.
It is not hard to imagine who is the hand in all of this. Duterte himself reveals himself the master of divisiveness and confusion, and of thievery and murder. He allied himself with criminals and thieves like Imee Marcos, Bong Revilla, Jinggoy Estrada, among others whose Philippine courts of justice have not cleared of graft and corruption charges. He surrounds himself with blood-thirsty yes-men like Bato dela Rosa, Bong Go, Albayalde among others. His core is also revealed by whom he disenfranchised. He halted the peace talks between GRP and NDFP. He launched fake news portals red tagging human rights workers. He killed the dissenting farmers, indigenous peoples, and church people. Those are portentious of election fraud.
The blatant use of government resources to campaign for Duterte’s candidates was coupled with dispatching AFP and PNP to terrorize and harass voters, volunteers and progressive organizations campaigning for Makabayan partylists and candidates. Scores of our Makabayan coordinators and campaigners were illegally arrested and killed during the campaign period. This is aim to ensure that no progressive party lists under Makabayan will not get sufficient votes to garner seats in Congress.
On the day of election, the PNP themselves distributed newspapers containing black propaganda against senatorial candidate Neri Colmenares and the Makabayan bloc was a flagrant violation of Election laws.These reveals the kind of man Duterte is. In an attempt to consolidate and monopolize power he resorted to rigging the election. But it is self-serving and only perform to heed the interest of China and the US, to the detriment of the Filipino people whose suffering, and murder has become a normal course in life. No wonder that after the initial result has been counted, many in the Philippines have searched (through google) for places to migrate.
We cannot accept the process and result of this election. This election is dirty, as dirty as the mouth of Duterte. We are joining in the clamour for truth. We add our voices of dissent because the Filipino people and their constitution has fallen victim once again, for many times over to the criminal Duterte administration. We are refusing to be victims this time. We demand accountability.
Furthermore, Migrante Austria will continue to oppose the regime’s state exactions and labor export program. We will also continue to campaign for the Peace Talks being pursued by the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) to address the issues on CASER (Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms) especially the genuine agrarian land reform and national industrialisation. We shall also press on in demanding decent jobs and secured lives back home.
Our defense of democratic rights does not end after the casting of our ballots. We will pursue strengthening the will of the Filipino to fight for full national independence, democracy, development through genuine agrarian land reform, national industrialisation, social justice and cultural progress. Further, fostering the solidarity and mutual support between the Filipino people and other peoples to unite in defeating and resisting Duterte’s tyranny!
Trabaho sa Pinas, hindi sa labas!
Stop the attacks!
Oust the US-Duterte regime!
Reference:
Michael Garlan
Secretary General
Migrante Austria
17 May 2019
Europe Coordinated May Day Protest
Press Statement | 1 May 2019
Today, Filipino migrants in Europe join the march of thousands of workers to condemn the inhumane condition and continued violence, harassment, and killings committed by the state forces against the workers and the Filipino people who strongly demand their basic human and labor rights and oppose the anti-people and anti-labor policies of the Philippine government.
According to the IBON Foundation, there are 5 million farm workers in the Philippines and 90% of them do not own the land they till. And they earn a measly US$2 a day. Farm workers were pushed to militant protests, as the government has remained deaf to their calls and grievances, among them a decent farm salary, improved living and working conditions.
Under the Duterte administration, incidents of workers who were in protests or dialogues to assert their labor rights were met with bullets, abductions, harassment, and threats.
Let us not forget the killing of 9 sugarcane workers in Hacienda Nene in Sagay City, Negros Occidental last October 2018.
The recent massacre of 14 farmers on the island of Negros last March was brutal and abominable.
Last year, the violent dispersal of NutriAsia workers who went on strike in Marilao, Bulacan was greatly condemned. Nineteen people, including NutriAsia employees and UP students had been detained.
The Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) in their letter to the labor commission of the United Nations stated: “trade union rights and civil liberties of Filipino workers and trade union activists are severely abused and violated under the Duterte administration.”
In Europe, Filipinos are greatly alarmed by the murderous drug war of President Duterte that has resulted in the mass murder of between 12,000 to 20,000 small-time and mostly poor drug addicts and supposed drug couriers. Most of them from urban poor families. The killing of Kian Delos Santos, a son of an OFW, caused national outrage. Last August 2018, Allan Rafael, a former OFW, emaciated by cancer and mistaken as a drug addict, was detained, beaten and tortured by the police and 4 days after the arrest and under police custody, he was declared dead.
The TRAIN Law is paralyzing the Filipino people with the high prices and skyrocketing costs of living conditions, while preventing the creation of job opportunities pushing more Filipinos to work abroad.
Filipino migrants are fed up with Duterte’s brutal dictatorship. Even the hope to put pro-people legislators in the Philippine legislature, has become farther from realization because since April 13 as the OAV started, disenfranchisement of many OFWs and migrant Filipinos globally has been documented to be rampant.
The elections have become a vicious circus and a scam and have been opening the eyes of many Filipinos that the parliamentary way cannot achieve genuine social change.
Europe Actions / Protest and Events on May Day
May 1 – Migrante Denmark will join the International Forum with South East Asia Group in a socio-cultural event in Copenhagen, Denmark.
The Ugnayang Pilipino sa Belgium (UPB) will join the mobilization/protest in Gent, Belgium. The mobilization will be participated by leading workers’ unions in Belgium such as the ABVV-FGTB, ACV-CSC, and other groups.
The Nagkakaisang Pilipino sa Pransya (NPSP) will join the solidarity groups in Paris in a rally/protest.
Migrante Austria will participate in a solidarity demonstration with different groups and unions in Vienna, Austria.
Migrante Chapters and members in Italy will join the mobilization with solidarity groups and worker’s unions.
The Migrante DenHaag will march with solidarity groups and labor unions in a rally/protest in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
The Gabriela Germany will be joining the demonstration of Ver.di, Union for Services sector in collaboration with Fraeun Streik.
Migrante Europe supports in the call of the Filipino workers and the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) for a legislated, across-the-board, P750 national minimum wage in the Philippines.
More protests and rallies to be led by Migrante members and chapters in Europe are expected to take place this month of May.
Migrante Europe calls on different Filipino organizations, migrant’s rights advocates and concerned Filipinos to join the Europe May Day Protest and demand Duterte to resign or face ouster by millions of Filipinos sick, tired and enraged by Duterte’s brutal, corrupt, fascist and deceptive rule.
DECENT JOBS NOT BULLETS! ENOUGH OF PROMISES! OUST DUTERTE!
For reference:
Fr. Herbert Fadriquela
Chaplain for the Filipino Community
Diocese of Leicester, Church of England
Chairperson, Migrante Europe
Email: [email protected]
Press Statement | 10 April 2019
Migrante Europe joins the global protest to condemn the barbaric killings of 14 farmers during the pre-dawn raids of Philippine National Police in Canlaon City and Manjuyod and Sta. Catalina towns in Negros province last Saturday 30 March 2019.
No one deserves to be killed in such a barbaric, inhuman and perverted manner! Not to these helpless poor farmers! We demand an immediate independent investigation and immediate freedom for those arrested!
Among the victims of the bloody massacre were Edgardo Avelino, 59, farmer, a resident of Sitio Carmen, Brgy. Panubigan, and chairperson of Hukom (Hugpong Kusog Mag-uuma sa Canlaon); his younger brother Ismael Avelino, 53 habal-habal (tricycle) driver, a resident of Sitio Carmen, Brgy. Panubigan and a member of Hukom and the Nagahuisang Mag-uuma sa Panubigan Namapa; Melchor Pañares, 67, farmer, a resident of Sitio Tigbahi, Brgy. Bayog; and his son Mario Pañares, 46, also a farmer; Rogelio Ricomuno, 52, farmer, a resident of Sitio Manggata, Brgy. Masulog-1; Ricky Ricomuno, 28, farmer; Gonzalo Rosales, 47, farmer and a resident of Proper Brgy. Pula; and Genes Palmares, 54, farmer, a resident of Proper Brgy. Aquino.
Habal-habal driver and peasant leader Franklen Lariosaand Anoj Enojo Rapada were killed in Sta. Catalina town. In Manjuyod,among those killed were Velentin Acabal of Brgy. Kandabong and Sonny Palagtiw of Brgy. Pansiao, both barangay captains in their villages; Steve Arapoc and Manulo Martin.
Fifteen others were arrested, including local Gabriela leader Corazon Javier, and Azucena Garubat, treasurer of Nagahuisang Mag-uuma sa Panubigan.
But in interviews with human rights workers, the families of the killed and arrested described scenes like what Metro Manila’s poor have witnessed in three years of President Rodrigo Duterte’s harsh crackdown on street peddlers and users of narcotics.
Police officers had their faces covered and, in at least one attack, wore eye shades in the dead of night. They ordered other people out of their homes. Suspects were already cornered, unarmed, and then shot dead as soon as kin were out of sight.
The husband of the arrested treasurer of Nagahuisang Mag-uuma sa Panubigan, Azucena Garubat, claimed cops planted two grenade launchers in their home. The local office of rights group Karapatan gave ABS-CBN News access to their notes.
San Carlos Bishop Gerardo Alminaza, whose diocese covers the affected towns, said some of those killed belong to the church’s mission station in Masulog. A lay minister of Canlaon parish was among those arrested and some were not shown warrants.
End the harassment, persecution, illegal arrest and killing of human rights defenders, organized farmers and workers. Immediate freedom for those illegally arrested!
The crackdown against farmers under Duterte government intensifies.
More than 50 human rights defenders – mostly peasants or indigenous persons – have been killed since President Duterte assumed office in June 2016.
On August 23, 2017, Mr. Roger Timboco, a member of the peasant group KAMMAO (Kahugpungan sa mga Maguuma sa Maco ComVal), was shot dead in Mawab, Compostela Valley. Four days later, a member of Abante, a local organization of small-scale miners, Mr. Lomer Gerodias, was shot dead in Maragisan, also in Compostela Valley. Both killings were believed to have been carried out by Philippines soldiers and two others, Mr. Jezreel Arrabis and his wife Ms. Delia Arrabis, both members of the Farmers Association in Davao City on September 2, 2017.
In October 2018, armed men opened fire on a group of sugar cane farmers who were occupying part of the plantation in the city of Sagay, Negros Occidental killing nine, and then set three of the bodies on fire. Those who were killed were members of a farmer’s union, the National Federation of Sugarcane Workers; among them were three women and two minors.
The “Sagay 9” massacre was the eight massacres under the Duterte government, according to the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (Peasant Movement of the Philippines). This horrifying incident brought the number of farmer victims of extrajudicial killings in the Philippines in the last two and a half years to 172, 109 of whom were victims of extrajudicial killings related to land struggles and conflicts. Thirty-three of the 109 were killed in 2018, making the Philippines the deadliest country in the world for people fighting for their right to land and resources.
Justice for Negros 14!
We stand with the farmers!
Bigas hindi bala!
For reference:
Revd Fr. Herbert Fadriquela Jr.
Chairperson, Migrante Europe
[email protected]
The postal voting to be implemented by the COMELEC for overseas Filipino workers in Europe during the Mid-Term Election is strongly protested by Migrante Europe.
According to the communications received by Migrante Europe chapters and members from the Philippine embassies and consulates, they shall adopt postal voting. There will be no personal voting for the purposes of the 2019 National Elections for senators and party-list representatives.
Postal voting for overseas Filipino workers is a procedure whereby ballots are sent by postal mailing to the voters and returned by post, in contrast to voters who are voting in person at a polling center or electronically via an automated election system.
“This new voting policy and procedure by the COMELEC may result in disenfranchisement and nonparticipation of thousands of registered Filipino voters in Europe,” lamented by Fr. Herbert Fadriquela Jr., chairperson of Migrante Europe.
According to Republic Act No. 9189, Sec. 2 – “It is the prime duty of the State to provide a system of honest and orderly overseas absentee voting that upholds the secrecy and sanctity of the ballot. Towards this end, the State ensures equal opportunity to all qualified citizens of the Philippines abroad in the exercise of this fundamental right.”
“Many registered voters don’t have stable addresses and there is no guarantee that they will receive their ballots, or if the returned ballots will be received by the embassies or consulates. We are appealing to the COMELEC and to the Duterte government for Filipinos to be given an option to get their ballots from the embassies and to adopt as well the personal voting of migrant Filipinos in Europe;” said Rhodney Pasion, Europe Electoral Campaign Coordinator.
Meanwhile, Migrante Europe chapter in Northern Italy had a positive dialogue with the Philippine Consulate in Milan last Sunday, 31 March 2019 regarding electoral concerns. The April 5 deadline for the submission of forms for the overseas absentee voter who changed their addresses was prolonged until April 15. For those who request to get their ballots from the embassy/ consulate, it was extended until April 30.
To guarantee the transparency, accessibility, and accountability of the 2019 national elections, the following are the demands of Migrante Europe:
• An option to vote by allowing personal voting to the polling centers
• An option to receive the ballots by allowing to get it at the respective embassies and consulates.
• Satellite voting centers
• Immediate notification related to absentee voting including the arrival of ballots.
“We call on the Commission on Elections and the Duterte government to address this urgent issue on ‘voter disenfranchisement’.” If the government is sincere to promote the active participation of the broadest number of Filipino overseas workers in the national elections, personal voting of OFWs should be adopted during the Overseas Absentee Voting to start on April 13-May 13, 2019,” concluded by Fr. Herbert. ###
For reference:
Rhodney Pasion
Europe Electoral Campaign Coordinator
Email: [email protected]
Revd. Fr. Herbert F. Fadriquela Jr.
Chaplain to the Filipino Community
Diocese of Leicester
Church of England
Chaiperson, Migrante Europe
Email: [email protected]
Press Statement
10 December 2017
“Is the promised of change possible by the Duterte government, while the nation becomes the bloodshed of unjust killings and terror? In a state where life and dignity of every person have no more values but hatred for the poor and oppressed?” Fr. Herbert Fadriquela, Chairperson Migrante Europe
On the 18th month of Duterte’s Presidency, he turns the state into much alarming human rights situation. His anti-poor campaigns, the war on drugs and withdrawal on peace talks, have put the most marginalized sector of Filipinos in vulnerability and abuse; indeed the European communities became vocal on strong criticism against Duterte’s arrogance and madness, his dictatorship, and fascist rule.
Most Filipinos remain poor despite Duterte’s anti-poverty pledge “to transform the Philippines into a prosperous, predominantly middle-class society.” Recently, when the urban poor headed by Kadamay who trooped to NHA to demand the distribution of idle houses, they were confronted by violent dispersal by the state security forces and results to the serious injuries to protesters and the illegal arrest and detention of a Migrante campaign staff.
It is estimated that 44% of the urban population live in slums (UN-Habitat). In Manila, 3.1 million are homeless. An estimated 1.2 million children sleep rough, with more than 70.000 in Manila. A genuine housing program for the poor and homeless is the economic, social and cultural right to adequate housing and shelter. Economic prosperity is an illusion when a great number of populations are denied proper housing right.
Duterte’s notorious war on drug triggered an international alarm and global protests of human rights advocacies group and Migrante chapters abroad. As of August 2017, the death toll has now reached 13,000. An estimated 3,451 “drug personalities” have been killed in gun battles. Another 2,000 more died in drug-related homicides, including attacks by masked gunmen on the motorcycle and other assaults, while the 8,200 homicide cases are under investigation.
Since June 2016, when Duterte took office, there have been at least 30 minors killed. The killing of Kian de Los Santos, 17 years old and a son of an OFW, who witnesses said was falsely accused of being a drug dealer, heightened mass protests, and outrages over Duterte’s ruthless war on drugs.
Much worse, following Duterte’s issuance of proclamation 360, formally terminating peace talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)-National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) last November 23, members of human rights fact-finding mission in Negros Oriental were attacked by suspected state forces that claimed the lives of Elisa Badayos, regional coordinator of KARAPATAN, and peasant organizer Eleuterio Moises. With the government tagging CPP-NPA as a terrorist group and accusing progressive militant organizations of conspiracy, there will be more killings, illegal arrests, and detention of activists and mass leaders.
According to KARAPATAN, from July 2016 to November 2017, there were 924 illegal arrests without detention and 256 arrests in detention. Currently, there are 449 political prisoners facing trumped-up charges, including Bishop Carlos Morales, who was arrested last May.
Bishop Morales, the Bishop of Ozamis in the Iglesia Filipina Independiente, or Philippine Independent Church (IFI), was charged with “illegal possession of firearms and ammunitions.” According to the World Council of Churches (WCC), Bishop Morales is a respected church leader from the IFI, a member church of the World Council of Churches, and is well known for his activism for dialogue, justice, and peace in Mindanao.
Amid the crackdown and mass arrest, the human rights advocacy groups and broadest Filipino mass organizations and abroad including Migrante Europe will continue its fight against all forms of repressions and oppression by the present regime.
From December 10, the International Human Rights Day and the International Migrants Day on December 18, Migrante Europe and its chapters, members, and allied organization will hold protests, significant events to denounce the human rights violations committed by the state security forces and the Duterte government against the Filipino people.
The following cities in Europe will hold protest and actions on the said occasion above:
December 10 – AALST Belgium –Stop the Killings
December 10 – Migrante France
December 11 – Migrante The Hague, Netherlands – Filipino Against Corruption
And Tyranny
December 11 – Brussels – Stop the Killings International
December 16 – Rome – Italy wide protest for Migrants and Refugees on “Rights without Borders.
Maalab na pagbati ang aking ipinapaabot sa mga kalahok at mga bisita at mga taga suporta sa Asembliya ng Pagkakatatag ng Migrante-Philippines.
Ang inyong pagtitipon sa makasaysayang araw na ito ay simbolo ng inyong lakas at pagkakaisa para isulong ang interes at kagalingan ng mga Migranteng Pilipino at makapag ambag sa pang kabuuang pakikibaka ng mamamayang Pilipino laban sa kahirapan, mga paglabag sa karapatang pantao at kamtin ang mga batayang pagbabago sa ating lipunan.
Ang patuloy na pagdami ng bilang ng mamamayang Pilipinong nakakaranas ng pang ekonomiyang kahirapan ang isa sa mga nagtutulak upang araw-araw ay libu-libong mamamayan ang sapilitang iniiwanan ang pamilya at pamayanan at makipagsapalaran sa ibang bayan sa hangaring magkaroon ng pag unlad at kaginhawahan sa buhay.
Ang kahirapang bunga ng kawalan ng lupang sinasaka at sistemang usura na mapagsamantala ang nagtutulak upang ang mga kabataan at manggagawang-bukid sa kanayunan ay napipilitang makipagsapalaran sa ibang bansa.
Ang sistemang kontraktwalisasyon at mababang pasahod sa pagawaan at pabrika ang nagtutulak upang ang mga manggagawang Pilipino ay napipilitang makipagsapalaran sa ibang bansa sa trabahong kahit hindi angkop sa kanyang napag aralan at kakayahan. Ang kawalan ng makatarungang sahod ng mga Pilipinong propesyunal ang pangunahing nagtutulak upang ang ating bayan ay maibsan ng mga magagaling at matatalinong propesyunal.
Nais ko pong ipaabot sa inyo ang galak at tuwa ng bawat kasapi ng Migrante-Europe sa pagkakatatag ng Migrante-Philippines. Ang presensya ng balangay ng inyong organisasyon sa bawat barangay, munisipyo, syudad at probinsya ay nagpapatunay ng iyong lakas bilang isang organisasyon. Ito rin ay epektibong pamamaraaan upang makipagkapit-bisig ang Migrante-Philippines sa batayang sektor ng masang Pilipino upang maisulong ang pakikibaka para sa tunay na repormang agraryo at pambansang industriyalisasyon at ganap na pang-ekonomiya at panlipunang pag-unlad ng bayang Pilipinas.
Mabuhay ang Migrante-Philippines!
Mabuhay ang pakikibaka ng mamamayang Pilipino para pambansang kalayaan at demokrasya!
Reference:
Father Herbert Fadriquela, Jr.
Email: [email protected], +447456042156
Press Statement | 04 December 2017
LONDON – Migrante-Europe condemns in the strongest possible terms the murder of Father Marcelito “Tito” Paez, Central Luzon coordinator of the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP-CL), earlier today, 04 December 2017. Father Tito was driving along a road in Jaen town, Nueva Ecija, at around 8:00 pm Manila time, when he was attacked by armed assailants on a motorcycle. He was rushed to a hospital in San Leonardo town but died while being treated.
Earlier today, Father Tito facilitated the release of political prisoner Rommel Tucay from the Nueva Ecija Provincial Jail in Cabanatuan City. Tucay, an organizer of the Peasant Alliance of Central Luzon (AMGL) was arrested from his house in March this year by elements of the 56th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army.
Father Tito belongs to the Diocese of San Jose City and was the former parish priest of Nampicuan and Guimba towns, in Nueva Ecija province. He is well known for his progressive advocacies. In the 1980s he was one of the leaders of the Central Luzon Alliance for a Sovereign Philippines (CLASP), which campaigned for the removal of the US military bases in Central Luzon and other parts of the country. He also took active part in the campaign against the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant.
For leading church activities for the poor and other victims of human rights violations, Father Tito had been threatened and harassed by elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and paramilitary groups under past governments, especially that of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Father Tito is the first Roman Catholic priest to be assassinated under the Rodrigo
Duterte government. In addition, human rights group KARAPATAN reported as of October 2017 that there are 104 cases of political killings, four massacres, 20 incidents of forced evacuation among the Lumads, and 17 aerial bombings under the Duterte administration.
We call on the Duterte government to uphold the rule of law and go after these dastardly armed elements targeting the civilian population. We demand that the perpetrators of these heinous crimes be identified, arrested, prosecuted and punished to the full extent of the law.
We express our deepest sympathies to the family, friends and colleagues of Father Tito. The legacy of his service to the poor and downtrodden will live on in the hearts of the people.
We call on migrant Filipinos and friends of the Filipino people in Europe to heighten our vigilance against the ever-increasing brutality of the Duterte government. Let us join the Filipino people in the home country and in many parts of the world on 10 December 2017, the International Human Rights Day to condemn the increasing fascist character of the Duterte government. Let us gather in front of the Philippine Embassies and Consular Offices in the countries in Europe to continue raising our voices against these atrocities. With our linked arms, let us strengthen even more our solidarity with the Filipino people in their continuing fight for genuine democracy, economic and social development and national liberation.
Justice for Father Marcelito “Tito” Paez!
Justice for all victims of political killings in the Philippines!
Justice for all victims of human rights violations in the Philippines!
Migrante Europe condemns the violent dispersal by elements of the Quezon City Police District of hundreds of urban poor families who were staging a protest action inside the National Housing Authority in Quezon City on 22 November.
Led by the Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay), the protesters were demanding for the distribution of some 114,000 idle government housing units in the country.
Numerous protesters were badly injured as police charged with truncheons and bombarded them with water cannons. A campaign staff of Migrante International, Paul Reyes was among those injured. Despite his injuries, Paul was illegally arrested and detained in PNP Station 9, Quezon City, and is being charged with outrageous cases of malicious mischief, violation of BP 880, concealment of name and direct assault.
We fully support the call of the urban poor and informal settler families for the distribution of idle state-owned housing units in the country.
“Adequate housing is a basic human right . It is high time the government recognizes and addresses homelessness as a poverty problem.” said Fr. Herbert Fadriquela Jr, Migrante Europe Chairperson.
Homelessness in the Philippines
Estimated at over 3.1 million, the Philippines has the highest number of homeless people in the world. Roughly 1.2 million of them are children. Aside from these, over 1.5 million families across the country are classified as informal settlers.
The National Housing Authority (NHA) said the idle housing units originally meant for soldiers and policemen would be given to the poor and other beneficiaries once a law is passed allowing the redistribution of these government assets.
In a statement, however, Kadamay decried the provisions in the proposed law which designates that the redistribution will be for the use of “other government employees, public school teachers, barangay officials and the lowest of the income earners,” and not to the homeless and informal settlers.
Republic Act 7279 and ICESCR
There is a law, known as the Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992 (Republic Act No. 7279), which provides for a comprehensive urban development and housing program intending to “uplift the conditions of the underprivileged and homeless citizens in urban areas by making available to them decent housing at affordable cost, basic services, and employment opportunities.”
Furthermore, International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) Article 11 (1) recognize the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living for himself and his family, including adequate food, clothing and housing, and to be continuous improvement of living conditions.
In the 25 years since RA 7279 was passed however, the housing problem is getting even worse. In March 2017, Kadamay led thousands of poor families who took over idle government housing units in Pandi, Bulacan. After several days of standoff with armed police, the Duterte government eventually relented and allowed the families to stay in the houses they occupied.
We call on the Duterte government to rein in his attack dogs and instead heed the demands of the people for the redistribution of idle public housing units to the homeless urban poor.
“We urge our compatriots abroad and friends of the Filipino people to strengthen our solidarity with the urban poor, the homeless and informal settlers in the Philippines in the pursuit of their just demands for decent housing. We need to be more vigilant and militant amidst the increasing repression of the Duterte government against the poor and oppressed,” concluded Fr. Herbert.
Home for the homeless!
Free Paul Reyes!
End state repression!
