Migrante Europe

Category: Campaigns

  • The Fourth Estate and The Urban Poor

    The Fourth Estate and The Urban Poor

    It was 3am in Paris when I encountered an article entitled “Now, Kadamay Wants Water, Power with Free Houses” published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer at 12:42 AM April 21, 2017 that seemed to be very insinuating. As I finished reading the whole article, the more I notice that the title given appear to be confusing and irrelevant as the article further stated that the urban poor were not demanding free water and electricity. Truth is, the occupants were willing to pay for the utilities. What they were demanding is water and power supply connections to the houses that they occupied. So I say no to the invitation of my bed to continue sleeping, since it is bothering and started to compose this article this confusion needs to be cleared.

    It started March 8, 2017 when urban poor groups mostly led by Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap or KADAMAY occupied a total of 5,208 idle housing units in five relocation sites in Pandi, Bulacan. A month after realizing that houses are not completely finished and had no power and water, members of KADAMAY held a rally to express their demands for water and power supply connections.

    In relocation sites where there is no water and power supply, the connections mostly run through the National Housing Authority or NHA or its developer, which results to a higher cost of charge. As stated by KADAMAY, the charge for electricity and water per 10m3 on relocation sites in Camarin, Caloocan is P285.00 while in St. Martha’s, Bulacan is P200.00 which is double compared to Manila that is P97.00. This is the reason why the occupants were demanding for water and power supply connections. In truth, the action can be considered as a call of attention to the government’s mandate to provide basic services and public utilities to the citizens, much more to underprivileged and homeless citizens in relocation sites or resettlement areas. Aside from that, there were earlier reports that two children died last August 2016 because of contaminated water. This is supported by the service report conducted by the Natural Sciences Research Institute of the University of the Philippines stating that water in relocation sites in Bulacan is dangerous.

    Now I wonder if I wouldn’t have been so curious to read the whole article published in PDI and didn’t seek other resources and information regarding the matter. I would have thought all along that the urban poor are like ‘spoiled brats’ that after having free housing are now demanding for free water and power supply. It would have been so easy for me to regard or judge them as lazy people and parasites like a lot of people do on the internet or like how the media inadvertently or advertently project the poor in this light. In just one headline, it is scary how big of a difference it can make to influence a perception of an individual especially if we are not curious and probing.

    But the main problem really is how news are presented by some mainstream media outfits nowadays. (I won’t say all of media practitioners as there is still a limited few who work with ethics). As a graduate of BA Mass Communication, it was taught in school how media is regarded as the fourth estate. The fourth estate being a societal or political force that greatly affects its readers and viewers, and that is supposed to do checks and balances on the three branches of government. Back when I was a student, I would have to admit that I was not fully aware of the importance of this said role and responsibility. By landing a job in broadcast, it is only then I became fully aware of the capacity and power of media. On how far it can reach millions of listeners influenced on a daily basis. And after acquiring social and political consciousness, it is only then I was able to fully grasp how greatly it affects the people and its huge responsibility to cater the truth to the people, disseminate complete information, never confuse the public and more so, do not reinforce the status quo, which as it is, a situation of a lot of exploited by a few exploiters.

    May it be in print or in broadcast, it is expected of all media practitioners to do their duties to follow the journalists code of ethics which basically is to be the voice of truth: a reporter or writer expected to scrupulously report and interpret news without distorting the truth by omission or improper emphasis. This is why the media is regarded as the fourth estate, why media are delegated with public trust, why w can continue to uphold and fight for press freedom and freedom of expression even in regimes of ‘pseudo-democracy.’. I may have not been in the mainstream practice anymore but to all those practitioners including those personally I know, it is a challenge once more to maintain the dignity of our profession. That in times of writing and reporting, may we become the voice of the truth and of the people and not those of a few ruling class who wants to silence them.

  • Migrante Europe welcomes achievements of 4th round of peace talks

    Migrante Europe welcomes achievements of 4th round of peace talks

    Press Statement
    07 April, 2017

    [Rome, 07 April] Migrante Europe today expressed optimism on the resolution of the roots of the armed conflict in the Philippines, after the 4th Round of formal peace talks between the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) was concluded on an upbeat note on 6 April, in the seaside town of Noordwijk, in the Netherlands.

    On 5 April, the two Parties signed the Agreement on an Interim Joint Ceasefire, aimed at providing “a conducive environment for the GRP and NDFP negotiations, encourage the forging of a more stable and comprehensive Joint Ceasefire Agreement, and provide an enabling environment for the (signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms or CASER)”.

    In a formal ceremony presided by the Royal Norwegian Government facilitator Elisabeth Slattum, both parties recognized that the document was a product of three “very difficult” days of negotiations.

    Migrante Europe looks forward to the immediate formulation and approval of both Parties of the ceasefire’s guidelines and ground rules that shall govern the presence of armed units and elements of both Parties in local communities, and the creation of buffer zones to avoid armed confrontation. The guidelines and ground rules shall include agreement on what constitutes prohibited, hostile, and provocative acts. It will also provide for the creation of joint ceasefire monitoring committees and verification mechanisms to oversee the ceasefire’s implementation and handle complaints and alleged violations.

    One of the major victories in the 4th Round is the firming up of the agreement of the two Parties on the free distribution of land as the basic principle of genuine agrarian reform. In the next round of talks, the Parties are planning to discuss and finalize the remaining items under Agrarian Reform and Rural Development, National Industrialization and Economic Development, Environmental Protection, and Rehabilitation and Compensation. They also agreed to accelerate the process of concluding the CASER which can be signed before the end of the year.

    “We are hopeful that after the signing of the interim joint ceasefire agreement, more peace deals can be reached between the two parties despite the peace-spoiling by minions of US imperialism in the military establishment, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and the Department of National Defense.” said Fr. Herbert Fadriquela, Migrante Europe Chairperson.

    AFP all out war in civilian communities
    Meanwhile, Migrante Europe condemned the spate of killings of leaders of people’s organizations and human rights defenders in the Philippines.

    “It is alarming that despite the 4th Round of Peace talks in the Netherlands, aerial bombings and encampment of military troops in civilian communities continue in Mindoro, Agusan del Norte and Davao Oriental provinces.” said Father Herbert.

    Just recently, armed  troops of the AFP occupied Barangay Baglay in Lagonglong, Misamis Oriental, as well as other villages in Abra, Marilog, Davao City, and Sultan Kudarat. Residents are being prevented from going to their agricultural lands or worse, are being forced to evacuate their communities for fear of military repression and killings.

    “AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Eduardo Año must be made to answer for the series of killings perpetrated by state security forces of Renel Mirabeles of Bagong Silang, Sipocot, Camarines Sur (March 30), Jeffrey Santos of Mati, Davao Oriental (March 30) and Danilo Nadal of Pantukan, Compostela Valley (April 2),” asserted Fr. Herbert.

    Records from human rights group Karapatan show that, since February 2017, close to 50 peasants and members of indigenous peoples’ communities have
    been killed by operating troops of the AFP. State security forces claim that the unarmed civilians are part of the NPA mass base.

    Migrante Europe appeals to President Rodrigo Duterte to sincerely abide by previously signed agreements.

    “We urge President Digong to always ensure that the rights and welfare of every Filipino citizen are recognized, upheld and protected”, stressed Fr. Herbert.

    Filipino migrants hold simultaneous activities around Europe in support to the 4th Round Peace Talks

    In Rome, concerned Filipinos and members of Umangat Migrante and Gabriela Rome Chapter danced “zumba for peace” last Sunday, in solidarity to the 4th round of peace talks. Filipino organizations and friends of the Filipino people in other cities of Europe also held photo opportunities and forums.

    Alan Jazmines, of NDFP delegation 4th Round Peace Talks, The Netherlands

    On Tuesday, 4 April 2017, Migrante den Haag organized a peace forum in the The Hague, participated in by their members and the Filipino communities in the Netherlands.

    In Copenhagen, Denmark, a discussion group was also organized about the current peace talks.

    Migrante Milan organized a “Dinner for Peace” with Filipinos and Italians in support to the 4th Round of peace negotiations.

    “We urge the Filipinos in Europe and around the globe to make a united stand to support the peace negotiations between the GRP and NDFP, and vigorously campaign for a just and lasting peace in the Philippines,” concluded Fr. Herbert.##

    For references:

    Revd Fr. Herbert F. Fadriquela Jr.
    Chairperson, Migrante Europe

    Chaplain to the Filipino Community
    Diocese of Leicester
    Church of England

    Email: [email protected]
    Mobile No: +447456042156

    Ann Brusola
    Secretary General, Migrante Europe

    Email: [email protected]
    Mobile No. (+39)-3278825544

  • Migrante Europe says NO to mandatory SSS payments

    Migrante Europe says NO to mandatory SSS payments

    Press Statement

    Migrante Europe today expressed strong disapproval on the announcement of state-run Social Security System to impose mandatory membership and membership payments of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

    SSS president and chief executive Emmanuel F. Dooc made the announcement last weekend, pushing for all OFWs to be covered by the SSS on a mandatory basis, supposedly “in order to secure their basic safety net in time of contingencies.” The mandatory OFW coverage is one of the proposed amendments to the SSS charter now pending in Congress.

    According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), there are 2.4 million OFWs as of 2016, and only 20% or 500,000 are paying members of the SSS, with contributions reaching P4.64billion in 2016. In the same year, SSS disbursed P779 million in benefits to its OFW members. These include initial and lump sum benefits to retirement, death, (funeral with grant) and disability, and short-term benefits for sickness and maternity (for female workers).

    OFWs all over the world cheered the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed by 41 airline companies with the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) will take effect on 30 April, completely abolishing terminal fees paid by OFWs. But now they are once again dismayed by this announcement of mandatory SSS membership and payments.

    “With the OFWs’ huge contribution to the Philippine economy, basic social services should be provided freely to them by the government. That is guaranteed by R.A. No. 10022, an act amending R.A. No. 8042, otherwise known as the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995. This law mandates the government to provide for the protection and promotion of the welfare of migrant workers, their families and overseas Filipinos in distress, and for other purposes.” stated Fr. Herbert Fadriquela, Migrante Europe Chairperson.

    “Overseas Filipinos reject this additional financial imposition,”

    declared Fr. Herbert.

    In 2007, a global protest of Philippine migrant groups erupted when the Gloria Arroyo government attempted to impose mandatory SSS contributions, and made it a requirement for the issuance of Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC). The OEC is a requirement for every OFW who leaves the country. For new hires, the OEC will not be issued unless they pay additional compulsory fees for every contract processed.
    Amidst the widespread protests, the Arroyo government backed down on its proposal.

    In Europe, regular migrant workers contribute to their host countries’ social security system through monthly deductions from their salaries and contributions from their employers. In Italy for example, through the INPS (equivalent to SSS), OFWs are also entitled to social protection and pension benefits like family allowance, unemployment allowance, health and maternity benefits, invalidity allowance, disability pension, length of service pension, old age pension and survivor’s pension.

    “We are definitely against the mandatory SSS membership and payments. This is a double burden for us and a blatant attempt to extract more money from OFWs’ hard-earned income. Every individual should be free to choose to be an SSS member or not, it should not be obligatory!” concluded Fr. Herbert.

    For Reference:

    Revd Fr. Herbert F. Fadriquela Jr.
    Chairperson, Migrante Europe

    Chaplain to the Filipino Community
    Diocese of Leicester
    Church of England

    Email: [email protected]
    Mobile No: +447456042156

    Ann Brusola
    Secretary General, Migrante Europe
    Email: [email protected] 
    Mobile No. (+39)-3278825544

  • Migrante Europe seeks justice for Jennifer Dalquez

    Migrante Europe seeks justice for Jennifer Dalquez

    Press statement
    March 16, 2017

    Migrante Europe joins the worldwide call to seek justice and save the life of Jennifer Dalquez. Jennifer was sentenced to death on May 20, 2015 by the Al Ain Court in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates for defending herself against her employer who attempted to rape her.

    Jennifer, 30 years old, is married and mother to two children. She was born and raised in a poor community of General Santos City, in the southern island of Mindanao.

    Jennifer came to the UAE in December 2011 to work as a domestic worker. She reported that her first employer tried to rape her. Later, she worked as a cashier in a restaurant and then as a doctor’s assistant. Additionally, she performed rounds of cleaning work at different households on a part time basis, to acquire more savings as she was planning to go back to the Philippines for good on January 2015.

    According to Rajima Dalquez, Jennifer’s mother, it was in the course of Jennifer’s part-time cleaning that she met her last employer. An Emirati police officer contacted her to clean their home. Hard at work, the police officer attempted to rape Jennifer at knifepoint. She fought back and was able to get hold of the knife. In trying to defend herself, she killed the rapist. Five days later, on December 12, 2014, Jennifer was arrested and was charged for murder.

    The court of appeals in Al Ain Judicial Court has postponed its ruling on Jennifer’s case from February 27, to March 27th.

    Her fate now lies in the hands of her victim’s two children, who will attend the March 27 hearing at the court’s order. During the hearing, if the two children will swear that Jennifer killed their father, then the Court of First Instance will sentence her to death, and if not the “dia” or blood money shall apply.

    “Self defense is a natural right and no woman should ever be denied the right to defend herself against a violent, sexual predator. Jennifer should never be denied the right to save herself, knowing that she was in the face of grave danger,” stated Fr. Herbert Fadriquela Jr., Migrante Europe Chairperson.

    Jennifer is among 92 overseas Filipino workers currently in death row, according to the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs. In the Middle East alone, there are about 7,000 overseas Filipinos languishing in jail, clamoring for assistance from the Manila government. Philippine migrants’ organizations, such as Migrante International, have long demanded the provision of greater government resources to distressed migrants, given the migrants’ crucial role in keeping the Philippine economy afloat.

    According to the latest update of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the cash sent by overseas-based Filipinos increased by 18.4% in November last year from a year ago. This brought total remittances for the first 11 months of 2016 to $26.9 billion, a 5.1% increase from the same period in 2015.

    Fr. Herbert added: “We call on the Duterte government to allocate legal assistance funds as stipulated in the Magna Carta for Migrant workers amounting to P100 million ($2.27million) for distressed OFWs.”

    “We hope for a dialogue with Philippine embassies in Europe, through Migrante leaders and other concerned groups, to discuss urgent issues of OFWs particularly the proper and concrete allocation of PhP5 billion of unreimbursed terminal fees for the benefit of migrant Filipinos and their families,” Fr. Herbert continued.

    Migrante Europe and its members across Europe will organize protest actions and pickets to call for justice and clemency for Jennifer Dalquez and for all unjustly jailed Filipinos around the globe, particularly in the Middle East. In the United Kingdom, Filipino migrants will conduct a candle light vigil in front of the UAE Embassy on March 25 to save the life of Jennifer Dalquez.

    For references:

    Revd Fr. Herbert F. Fadriquela Jr.
    Chairperson
    Email: [email protected]
    Mobile No: +447456042156

    Ann Brusola
    Secretary General
    Email: [email protected]
    Mobile No. (+39)-3278825544

  • Migrante Europe lauds Bello order exempting OFWs from travel tax and terminal fees

    Migrante Europe lauds Bello order exempting OFWs from travel tax and terminal fees

    Migrante Europe today expressed appreciation on the order of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to airline companies to stop incorporating the travel tax and terminal fees on ticket prices issued to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

    Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, in a letter to Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) Director General Jim Sydiongco, said OFWs are exempted from paying travel tax and terminal fees based on Presidential Decree No. 1183 and Republic Act No. 8042, or the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipino Act of 1995.

    Bello asked the CAAP to remit the travel tax and terminal fees, which were not refunded to OFWs, to the Overseas Worker and Welfare Administration (OWWA).

    The Labor secretary also instructed the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and OWWA to coordinate with the CAAP and Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) in planning a mechanism for the automatic exemption of OFWs from paying the travel tax and terminal fees.

    “If anyone deserves thanks, it is Secretary Bello for his commitment and immediate response to the urgent calls of migrant Filipinos;” said Fr. Herbert Fadriquela, Migrante Europe Chairperson.

    Dialogue with Secretary Bello | Rome, January 24, 2017

    It can be recalled that Ann Brusola, Migrante Europe Secretary General, and other migrant leaders in Europe had a dialogue in the sideline with Sec. Bello in January 24 this year in Rome during the 3rd round of formal peace talks between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP). Amongst the issues and concerns raised during the dialogue was the collection of travel tax and terminal fees that are included in the cost of airline tickets issued to overseas Filipinos, in spite of PD 1183 and the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipino Act of 1995 stating that OFWs are exempted from said fees.

    “With the government accumulated PhP5 billion from unreimbursed terminal fees, about PhP19 billion for the OWWA fund, and US$28 billion a year from the remittances of Filipino migrant workers, we have high hopes that these amounts will be translated into more concrete programs and services for the benefit of OFWs.” Father Herbert concluded.

    Revd Fr. Herbert F. Fadriquela Jr.
    Chairperson
    Email: [email protected]
    Mobile No: +447456042156

    Ann Brusola
    Secretary General
    Email: [email protected]
    Mobile No. (+39)-3278825544

  • During the 3rd round of formal GRP-NDFP peacetalks: Migrant Filipinos in Rome press GRP to address migrants’ issues and concerns

    During the 3rd round of formal GRP-NDFP peacetalks: Migrant Filipinos in Rome press GRP to address migrants’ issues and concerns

    24 January 2017

    Migrante chapters from different cities in Italy and Italian organizations in solidarity with Filipino people’s struggles and concerns organized a mobilization in support of the GRP-NDFP peacetalks on Sunday, January 22, 2017 at Piazza delle Escuelino in Rome Italy.

    Filipino overseas workers led by Migrante chapters from Rome, Milan, Caserta, Firenze, Bologna, and Mantova were joined by leaders and members of the Italy-Friendship Association, Unione Sindicale di Base USB, Comitato Immigrati Italia, CARC and more than fifty members of the delegation of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) who are participating in the third round of formal peacetalks with the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) in Rome, Italy.

    In the said rally, Ann Brusola, Migrante Europe Secretary General, specifically called on the GRP “to address the root causes of the armed conflict by pursuing comprehensive reforms on genuine agrarian reform and national industrialization.” On August 22, 2016, during the first round of formal peacetalks of the NDFP with the GRP peace panel under Pres. Rodrigo Duterte, Migrante-Europe submitted a document stating the concerns and proposals of Filipino migrant workers in Europe in the crafting of the agreement on social and economic reforms, the second substantive agenda in the GRP-NDFP peace negotiations.

    Among the immediate concerns and strategic agenda emphasized by Migrante-Europe forwarded to the GRP are the legalization of undocumented Filipino migrants, the abolition of government exactions such as the exorbitant fees which they are required to pay to different government agencies, the full implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Protection of Migrant Workers by migrant receiving countries, to put stop to sex and human trafficking, legislative/executive action to push for pensioners’ bilateral agreements so impediments to the Filipino retirees/pensioners can avail their hard-earned pension benefits, and to stop human rights violations against migrants committed in the name of anti-terror campaigns.

    “We believe that the crisis of migration is a result of the lack of genuine agrarian reform and national industrialization, and of an independent and nationalist foreign policy. Because there is no genuine agrarian reform and basic industries in the country, there are no social conditions to provide jobs and livelihood for the people. Migrant Filipinos need to continue to unite and struggle to continuously assert migrants’ and people’s rights, and the GRP-NDFP peace process is a venue of our advocacy,” said Franklin Irabon of Migrante-Milan.

    After the rally, a forum organised by Socio-Cultural and Sport Committee of Sentro Filipino in collaboration with Umangat-Migrante and other Filipino communities in Rome at the Basilica di Santa Pudenziana in Via Urbana 160, where more than 300 members of the Filipino community in Rome heard both the NDFP and GRP agenda in the peace process, including their views on migrants’ rights and concerns.

    They also voiced out their support for the calls to release all political prisoners and the implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL). “We will be vigilant on the GRP’s compliance to the CARHRIHL. One significant test of its adherence to the said agreement is the release of all political prisoners,” Brusola said.

    “We will continue to enjoin our fellow Filipino migrants in Europe to actively engage in this process because our futures, and our children’s, are at stake,” Brusola concluded.

    For reference: Ann Brusola, Migrante-Europe Secretary General

  • Migrante Europe asks Duterte to bring home stranded OFWs and political prisoners this Christmas

    Migrante Europe asks Duterte to bring home stranded OFWs and political prisoners this Christmas

    The newly-formed alliance of Filipino migrants, Migrante Europe, has asked the Duterte government to bring Christmas cheers to stranded OFWs and political prisoners by reuniting them with their families.

    “We appeal to President Duterte to do everything he can to bring home many stranded OFWs especially those in the Middle East and, at the same time, for humane considerations, release all political prisoners in the Philippines,” urged Ann Brusola, newly-elected Secretary General of Migrante Europe and a long-time OFW in this city.

    She said this would be the most meaningful gift of President Duterte to the stranded OFWs, political prisoners, and their families.

    About 2,000 OFWs remain stranded in the Middle East because they don’t have travel documents and funds. Most of them have suffered abuse at the hands of labor recruiters and their employers. Many OFWs are also unjustly languishing in foreign prisons because they have not been provided legal assistance by the Manila government, Brusola explained.

    She said political prisoners are also in the same situation – unjustly accused, imprisoned and separated from their families. They should be reunited with their families this Christmas, she added.

    Brusola also said undocumented OFWs are in a way also stranded because they can´t return home. She said the plight of undocumented OFWs and those needing legal assistance, including victims of human trafficking, will be among the major campaigns of Migrante Europe in the next three years.

    During its Founding Congress this weekend, the progressive alliance formed its Regional Council, composed of representatives from its member organizations in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The Congress also elected its first set of executive officers, namely: Fr. Herbert Fadriquela Jr., Chairperson (Filipino Chaplaincy in Leicester, United Kingdom); Rafael Joseph Maramag, Vice-Chairperson for Internal Affairs (Kanlungan Filipino Consortium, United Kingdom); Maitet Ledesma, Vice-Chairperson for External Affairs (Pinay sa Holland – Gabriela, Netherlands); Ann Brusola, Secretary General (Umangat-Migrante Rome, Italy); Jean Gocotano, Deputy Secretary General (Migrante-Denmark); Kendy Sario, Treasurer (Ugnayan ng mga Pilipino sa Belgium); and Elnora Held, Auditor (Gabriela-Germany).

    The alliance also approved yesterday its Constitution and By-Laws and is expected to finish its assembly today by approving its Program of Action. A solidarity evening will follow and tomorrow, December 12, delegates will proceed to the Philippine embassy to present their demands to the Philippine government. #

    Reference:
    Ann Brusola
    Secretary General
    Migrante Europe
    +39 327 882 5544
    [email protected]

  • Filipino migrant groups hold Europe-wide consultations Filipinos in Europe to present Migrants’ Agenda to Duterte government

    Filipino migrant groups hold Europe-wide consultations Filipinos in Europe to present Migrants’ Agenda to Duterte government

    PRESS RELEASE
    Migrante International – Europe Chapter (OC)
    15 July 2016

    The global network Migrante International (MI) is spearheading a series of consultations with its chapters and other migrants groups in various cities in Europe since the election victory of President Rodrigo Duterte, collecting the sector’s demands and policy proposals for the new government.

    Starting in mid-June and still going on, the Chapter Organising Committee of Migrante International Europe (MIE-COC) has been reaching out to Filipino communities in Rome and Milan in Italy, Gent in Belgium, Amsterdam and The Hague in the Netherlands, Paris in France, London in the United Kingdom, and Vienna in Austria. A number of consultations are still planned for cities in Switzerland, Germany, Denmark and Sweden.

    “We fully endorse and support the initiative of Migrante International in consulting with Filipino communities in Europe and in presenting a Migrants’ Agenda to President-elect Rodrigo Duterte,” said Ann Brusola, of Umangat-Rome in Italy, a chapter organisation of MI.

    Thus far, MIE-COC has begun to consolidate the consultations that have been taking place. A few policy proposals have been suggested such as having “uniform fees for uniform services” in regards Philippine consular services; opening of consular posts in places where there is a considerable concentration of Filipinos; establishing a dedicated “complaints hotline” for Overseas Filipinos, among others.

    “Our compatriots in Europe have specific issues and demands we would also like to raise to the President. Like our counterparts in other parts of the world, we would also like to have a dialogue with the President to present and discuss the urgent concerns and demands of OFWs in Europe,” she added.

    In commemoration of Filipino Migrant Workers’ Day on 7 June 2016, Migrante International presented a 10-point proposal for then incoming Duterte government. Included in the proposals were the immediate release of funds under the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to rightful claimants; re-opening of the Philippine foreign posts closed down by the government; and the scrapping of policies, fees and other exactions which are additional burdens to OFWs all over the world.

    “We look forward to President Duterte delivering on his promises to prioritise the issues and concerns of Filipino migrant workers in Europe and other regions,” Brusola added. “We encourage him to visit Europe as well, in order to see first-hand the plight of our kababayans this side of the world.”

    The demands and policy proposals from the Europe-wide consultations will be collated into a Migrants’ Manifesto and presented to the President.

    In a related development, Brusola announced plans for the Founding Assembly of the Migrante International Europe Chapter. She said that the Chapter Organising Committee has been formed from existing Migrante Chapters in Europe, and they are already hard at work preparing for the Assembly which will be held in Rome, 9-12 December 2016. The MIE-COC is calling on other Filipino migrant organisations in Europe to join them in establishing the Migrante International alliance in Europe.###

    <hr>
    Contact details:
    Migrante Europe
    Postbus 15687, 1001 ND Amsterdam
    NB: For schedules of upcoming summits and consultations in other European cities, please check www.migrante.eu

    For references:
    Ann Brusola, Umangat-Migrante Rome – +39 327 8825544
    Rafael Joseph Maramag, Kanlungan UK – +44 795 848 2753

  • Open letter of MIGRANTE to President-elect Rodrigo Duterte: The change OFWs want to see

    Open letter of MIGRANTE to President-elect Rodrigo Duterte: The change OFWs want to see

    May 13, 2016

    Dear President Duterte,

    We congratulate you on your overwhelming victory in the May 2016 polls. The Filipino people have spoken, and they chose change.

    You sweeping victory is testament to how Filipinos, wherever we are in the world, thirst for a new leadership that is not corrupt and cacique. We want a new government that will depart from all the failures and empty promises of the so-called ‘tuwid na daan’. We want accountability for all the crimes committed by the Aquino government against the Filipino people.

    For these elections, despite and against all odds, a record-breaking 407,000 overseas Filipino voters exercised their right to vote and fulfilled their duty to the nation. This big increase is proof of overseas Filipino workers’ (OFWs’) stake in the outcome of the May 2016 elections. It disproved all claims that there had been a growing apathy among our OFWs. We have once again proven how significant the OFW vote is.

    We are one with the Filipino nation in hoping that your presidency will immediately address fundamental problems that beset the country – widespread unemployment, lowest wages, contractualization, landlessness, lack of basic social services, corruption, violations of human rights and national sovereignty – the root causes of forced migration.

    We are one with all OFWs in hoping that your presidency will scrap the labor export policy that exploits our cheap labor and remittances but offers us nothing in return, especially in times of need. We will hold you to your promise to make OFWs your top-most priority in your labor agenda. We want new leaders who will be nurturing to OFWs and their families.  We want a new government that will uphold and protect our rights and welfare.

    We specifically call to your urgent attention the case of Mary Jane Veloso who remains on death row in Indonesia and others like her who have received no legal assistance from the previous administration; the immediate recall of notorious abusive and erring embassy officials, as well as accountability of high-level government officials responsible for the tanim-bala extortion scheme and other unresolved anomalies in the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA); the urgent and full audit of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) funds and its immediate release to rightful OFW beneficiaries; the quick resolution of illegal recruitment and trafficking cases filed by countless OFW victims at the Department of Justice (DOJ), Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC); and, the scrapping of unnecessary fees that are viewed by our kababayans as nothing but ‘legalized kotong’, such as the abolition of the rubbish Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC), among others.

    We are very much open to hold a dialogue with you to further discuss urgent and fundamental OFW concerns, especially as the nation is set to commemorate Filipino Migrants’ Day on June 7.

    We dream of a society where families will need not be broken by the need to survive. We wish to come home to a country where there are opportunities for everyone to live decent and humane lives.

    Mr. President, these are the changes we want to see in your administration. ###

    For reference:
    Garry Martinez
    Chairperson, Migrante International
    0939-3914418

    —
    Website: http://migranteinternational.org
    Office Address: #45 Cambridge St, Cubao, Quezon City
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  • The International Peoples’ Tribunal on Crimes of Pres. Benigno Simeon Aquino III and the US Government as Represented by Pres. Barack Obama Against the Filipino People

    The International Peoples’ Tribunal on Crimes of Pres. Benigno Simeon Aquino III and the US Government as Represented by Pres. Barack Obama Against the Filipino People

    The International Peoples’ Tribunal on the Crimes of the Philippine and US Governments Against the Filipino People (IPT 2015) is being convened at the behest mainly of victims1 of human rights violations and other crimes committed under the Presidency of Benigno S. Aquino III in the Philippines and President Barack Obama in the United States.

    These entities shall be brought before a court of public opinion where concrete evidence shall be presented of their violations of the Filipino people’s individual and collective rights under international law. They will be brought for judgment before the broadest possible international audience.

    The IPT 2015 embodies the right of peoples to hold states to account. It stems from the failure of the Philippine State and international institutions to uphold standards as embodied in Philippine as well as international laws and instruments under International Human Rights Law including the core human rights conventions and the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) signed in 1998 by the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GPH) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP).

    The IPT 2015 derives its legitimacy from the people as the ultimate source of the authority of all national and international laws. Its verdict shall be based on a thorough and fair assessment of the evidence by leading public figures of recognised achievement and high moral stature, in accordance with applicable legal standards.

    The Peoples’ Tribunal draws inspiration and builds on the gains of previous peoples tribunals convened to condemn similar crimes by previous regimes in the Philippines. These include, among others, the:

    • Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal (First Session on the Philippines) [PPT1] of 1980 in Antwerp, Belgium (“Repression and Resistance, “ against the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos at the suit by NDFP and the Moro National Liberation Front or MNLF)

    • International Solidarity Mission- International People’s Tribunal [ISM-IPT] of 2005 in Manila (“In Defense of a People Fighting Repression; against human rights violations by

    1 The victims and their relatives — belonging to a wide spectrum of social classes and sectors in Philippine society – are represented by the Ecumenical Voice for Human Rights and Peace in the Philippines (EcuVoice), KARAPATAN (Alliance for the Advancement of the People’s Rights), Hustisya! (Victims United for Justice), DESAPARECIDOS (Families of the Disappeared for Justice), SELDA (Society of Ex-Detainees Against Detention and Arrest), BAYAN (New Patriotic Alliance), Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (Peasant Movement of the Philippines) among others.

    President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo);

    Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal (Second Session on the Philippines) [PPT2] of March 2007 in The Hague, The Netherlands (The Filipino People vs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, George W. Bush, et.al: indicting the US-backed Arroyo regime for human rights violations, economic plunder and transgression of Philippine sovereignty); and

    International Migrants Tribunal [IMT] of November 2012 in Manila (In Defense of Migrant Workers’ Rights: counterpoint to the Global Forum on Migration and Development)

    The verdicts of these tribunals delivered strong moral and persuasive force. Their conclusions and recommendations were transmitted to the United Nations, various Parliaments and governments, as well as broad international organizations to add pressure on the Philippine government to stop the killings and other gross human rights violations in the country.

    The resulting international uproar against the spate of extra-judicial killings under the term of President Arroyo, for instance, contributed to a decrease in the incidence of such killings in the latter part of 2007. The temporary decline was a very welcome respite for the Filipino people under siege.

    Holding the hearings and gathering support especially from the peoples of the US are particularly strategic because of the US government’s historical and decisive influence in Philippine affairs.

    In 2007, US Senator Barbara Boxer, Chair of the Sub-Committee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, acknowledged in a U.S. Senate hearing, “It is important we (Americans) do not have blood on our hands. . . . If we are training the (Philippine) military with our hard-earned tax dollars, our concern about the military cannot be discounted . . . the war on terror cannot be used as an excuse to kill innocent civilians.”

    The International Peoples’ Tribunal (IPT) in 2015 shall help raise national and international public visibility of the ongoing violation of people’s rights in the Philippines, exercise moral suasion and help generate further political pressure on the governments of the Philippines and the US to end impunity.

    OBJECTIVES:

    The overall objective of the IPT 2015 is to expose the crimes not only of the current Philippine government as represented by President Benigno Simeon Aquino III against the Filipino people but also those of the US government, under the watch of President Barack Obama.

    Specifically, the IPT aims to:

    − Exert greater international pressure on the Philippine and US governments to stop human rights violations in the Philippines, including extrajudicial killings and disappearances;

    −  Establish by sufficient credible evidence according to international norms and standards that these violations are part of state policy which is being perpetrated with impunity by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine National Police (PNP), and paramilitary and armed groups under their command and control;

    −  Establish the complicity of the Commander-in-Chief Aquino and the top military and police officials in the killings, disappearances and other gross human rights abuses;

    −  Show the various systematic and systemic violations of economic, social and cultural rights of the Filipino people through the imposition of exploitative policies and programs;

    The complaints and presentations shall consist of the following:

    Violations of human rights, particularly civil and political rights, with focus on extrajudicial killings, disappearances, massacres, torture, arbitrary arrests and detentions as well as other vicious, brutal and systematic abuses and attacks on the basic democratic rights of the people.

    Violations of human rights, particularly economic, social and cultural rights of the Filipino people through the imposition of imperialist globalization to exploit the people; transgression of their economic sovereignty and national patrimony; various forms of economic plunder and attacks on the livelihoods of the people and the destruction of the environment.

    Violations of the rights of the people to national self-determination and liberation through the imposition of the US war of terror; US military intervention; as well as the perpetration of crimes against humanity and war crimes; misrepresentations of the people’s right to national liberation and self-determination as “terrorism” and the baseless “terrorist” listing of individuals, organizations and other entities by the US and other governments.

    July 16 to 17, 2015: Hearings
    July 18, 2015: Deliberation and Presentation of the Verdict July 20, 2015: Service of the Verdict

    Washington D.C.

    Oral Presentation of Evidence under oath (either by affidavits or depositions) by victims and experts

    on very select illustrative cases for each issue (either in person or through web though other cases can be submitted through documentary evidence)

    Issues and Charges (Initial)

    Violation of Civil and Political Rights

    Human Rights Violations and Impunity

    Political prisoners

    Marcos victims’ compensation beneficiaries (delisted victims)

    Violations of International Humanitarian Law

    Violation of Socio, Economic and Cultural Rights

    Hacienda Luisita

    Yolanda, Pablo and Sendong typhoons

    Labor contractualization

    Urban poor demolitions

    Power rate hikes and other basic services

    Migrants/OFW cases

    Privatization of public hospitals

    Environmental

    Mining

    Corruption

    Onerous trade agreements; neoliberal globalization, economic plunder

    Charter change to open up of economy to increased foreign exploitation

    Violation of the Right to Self-Determination and the Right to Resist

    Oplan Bayanihan

    EDCA and US military intervention (case of Jennifer Laude)

    GPH-NDFP Peace Negotiations

    Some Cases carried over from the term of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo

    EJK

    Enforced Disappearance

    Torture

    Legal Bases

    National and International Instruments including 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), 1966 International Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), Convention against Torture and related instruments, Convention against Enforced and Involuntary Disappearance, 1990 Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1977 Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, 1976 Universal Declaration of the Rights of Peoples (Algiers Declaration), 1949 Geneva Conventions, 1977 Protocols 1 and 2, 1992 Hague Joint Declaration, 1995 Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG), 1998 Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and

    International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL), Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, among others.

    Organization of the Tribunal:

    Conveners:

     International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP)  International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL)
     National Lawyers Guild
     IBON International

    Concerned international organizations and networks who have come together to organize and convene the International Peoples’ Tribunal on Crimes of the US-Aquino Government Against the Filipino People.

    Endorsers, Partners and Sponsors:

    Personages and representatives of institutions and organizations who are interested in the issues of peoples’ rights, human rights and international law, and who wish to extend moral support and concrete assistance to the Tribunal, shall be invited to become Endorsers, Partners and Sponsors to the Tribunal. They will also endorse the Tribunal to their existing contacts and assist the organizers in reaching out further to the international community.

    Plaintiffs/Complainants:

    Representatives of the Filipino people: victims of the crimes of the US-Aquino regime; HR groups, various people’s organizations and their contituencies

    Ecu Voice (Ecumenical Voice for Human Rights and Peace in the Philippines)

    Karapatan (Alliance for the Advancement of Peoples’ Rights)

    Hustisya (Pagkakaisa Ng Mga Biktima Para Sa Hustisya Inc. or Unity of Victims for Justice)

    Selda (Samahan ng Ex-Detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto or Society of Ex-Detainees

    Against Detention and Arrest)

    Desaparecidos (Families of the Disappeared for Justice)

    Bayan (Bagong Alyansang Makabayan or New Patriotic Alliance)

    KMU (Kilusang Mayo Uno or May 1st Movement)

    KMP (Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas or Philippine Peasant Movement)

    Gabriela – Alliance of Filipino Women

    KADAMAY (Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap or National Alliance of Filipino Urban

    Poor)

    other mass organizations and individual victims in the Philippines and abroad

    Defendants:

    Philippine President Benigno Simeon S. Aquino III

    US Government as represented by President Barrack Obama

    International Monetary Fund

    World Bank

    World Trade Organization

    Multinational Corporations

    Judge/s:
    1- 3 international personages or eminent person/s with at least 1 with a legal background

    Jurors:
    9 – 11 individuals of diverse backgrounds and different disciplines, with at least 3 with a legal background; representing the peoples of the world

    Judges and Jurors composed of internationally distinguished personages will sit in the Tribunal. They shall formulate the verdict and pass a judgement at the end of the Tribunal. They shall also discuss these at a press conference.

    Prosecutors/Legal counsels to victims and witnesses:

    National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL)

    Public Interest Law Center (PILC)

    Individual (international) lawyers

    Defense Lawyers (will be assigned by the Tribunal if no appearance from Defendants)

    Clerk of Court and Deputy Clerks of Court

    IPT 2015 Secretariats: Two secretariats have been constituted to assist the conveners: The Philippines Coordinating Secretariat which shall perform the staff work for the Tribunal preparations in the Philippines and the International Coordinating Secretariat to serve as the center of communications for all entities involved in the project and to coordinate the technical and other preparations for holding the tribunal, including financial and political support. These 2 secretariats are headed by Paul Quintos of IBON International and Dr. Angie M. Gonzales of the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines respectively.

    For more information and updates: www.internationalpeoplestribunal.org

    —
    ==========================
    Mr. Ramon Bultron
    Managing Director
    Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM)

    President
    World Association for Christian Communications – Asia Region (WACC-AR)

    Office Address: G/F, No. 2 Jordan Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR
    Telephone: +852-2723-7536
    Fax: +852-2735-4559
    Email: [email protected], [email protected]
    Website: www.apmigrants.or