Group scores Palace ‘cover-up’ on Sabah crackdown
MANILA, Philippines — Migrante International on Friday accused Malacaňang of a “cover-up" on the crackdown against undocumented Filipinos in Sabah, Malaysia.
The group rejected Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita's claim on Thursday that the Philippine and Malaysian governments had laid down ground rules for the "orderly" repatriation of Filipinos living or working in Malaysia.
"News stories have been rife with numerous accounts of human rights violations. And all (the) government can say is that they have laid down the groundwork? What hogwash!" said Connie Bragas-Regalado, chairperson of Migrante International in a statement on Friday.
"How typical of this inutile and dense government to announce that they are still 'laying down the groundwork' even as the rights of our kababayans have already been violated," she added.
Regalado also refused to accept Ermita’s assertion that the Philippines, in dealing with the issue, must be careful as it needs to consider its relations with Malaysia.
"This government has always prioritized its relations with other countries over its citizens, and always at the expense of its 'New Heroes (mga Bagong Bayani)'," she said, referring to the government’s term for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
Reports said that an average of 150 to 200 Filipino men, women, and children found to be illegally staying in Sabah have been deported weekly on a regular basis since 2002. Many have gone back to Sabah since then, unmindful of what could befall them once discovered.
Migrante said a fact-finding mission it conducted had documented horrific experiences suffered by Filipino deportees from Sabah in 2002 and 2005. Attack dogs were used to round up Filipinos, communities were burned to flush them out and houses were chain sawed. Many were raped and tortured, it said.
With Malaysia's recent refusal to grant permanent residency status for Filipino undocumented workers, the group feared a repeat of the 2002 and 2005 "nightmares" and demanded the statement from the Arroyo regime on how they intend to deal with the impending massive crackdown and deportation of an estimated 500,000 undocumented Filipinos in Sabah.
"Arroyo's inaction will definitely serve as another failing mark in the coming state of the nation address," Regalado said. "A big fat Zero or a Completely Failed grade is what millions of OFWs will give her on July 28." - GMANews.TV
The group rejected Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita's claim on Thursday that the Philippine and Malaysian governments had laid down ground rules for the "orderly" repatriation of Filipinos living or working in Malaysia.
"News stories have been rife with numerous accounts of human rights violations. And all (the) government can say is that they have laid down the groundwork? What hogwash!" said Connie Bragas-Regalado, chairperson of Migrante International in a statement on Friday.
"How typical of this inutile and dense government to announce that they are still 'laying down the groundwork' even as the rights of our kababayans have already been violated," she added.
Regalado also refused to accept Ermita’s assertion that the Philippines, in dealing with the issue, must be careful as it needs to consider its relations with Malaysia.
"This government has always prioritized its relations with other countries over its citizens, and always at the expense of its 'New Heroes (mga Bagong Bayani)'," she said, referring to the government’s term for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
Reports said that an average of 150 to 200 Filipino men, women, and children found to be illegally staying in Sabah have been deported weekly on a regular basis since 2002. Many have gone back to Sabah since then, unmindful of what could befall them once discovered.
Migrante said a fact-finding mission it conducted had documented horrific experiences suffered by Filipino deportees from Sabah in 2002 and 2005. Attack dogs were used to round up Filipinos, communities were burned to flush them out and houses were chain sawed. Many were raped and tortured, it said.
With Malaysia's recent refusal to grant permanent residency status for Filipino undocumented workers, the group feared a repeat of the 2002 and 2005 "nightmares" and demanded the statement from the Arroyo regime on how they intend to deal with the impending massive crackdown and deportation of an estimated 500,000 undocumented Filipinos in Sabah.
"Arroyo's inaction will definitely serve as another failing mark in the coming state of the nation address," Regalado said. "A big fat Zero or a Completely Failed grade is what millions of OFWs will give her on July 28." - GMANews.TV
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