PHL lawmakers blast HK politician for ‘racist’ remarks vs. Pinay maids
Philippine lawmakers on Wednesday slammed senior Hong Kong politician Regina Ip for portraying Hong Kong men as victims to the supposedly wily ways of Filipina domestic helpers when it’s usually the male employers who usually take advantage of the maids.
OFW party-list Rep. Roy Señeres Sr. said Ip was more likely unaware of the bitter truth about the abuses Filipina domestic helpers have to suffer over the years when she branded them as home wreckers.
“Many Filipinas have been subjected to rape and other forms of brutality abroad precisely because they refused to give in to sexual overtures of their male employers. I have come across a big number of cases when I was still a labor attaché and later an ambassador,” Señeres, a former chairman of the National Labor Relations Commission, told reporters.
“Apparently, [Ip] is not aware that many male employers have been taking advantage of their ascendancy to seduce Filipinas. Despite offers of money and good life, Filipino women resist such advances, thus, are often punished with sexual molestation, if not fired and sent home to the Philippines,” he added.
Ip, an assemblywoman eyed as Hong Kong’s future chief executive, drew flak after claiming in an op-ed article in Chinese-language newspaper Ming Pao last Friday that Filipina domestic helpers seduce husbands of expatriate women, citing complaints she has received from the allegedly aggrieved wives.
"Rather than reporting improper behavior by local employers, should we pay more attention to Filipina maids becoming sexual resources for foreign men in Hong Kong?" she asked.
No supporting evidence
Some 173,000 of the estimated 300,000 domestic helpers working in Hong Kong are Filipinas, government figures show.
Gabriela party-list Rep. Emmi de Jesus branded Ip’s remarks as “anti-women, anti-migrant and racist” as she expressed support for protest actions that would compel the Hong Kong politician to issue a public apology and retract her statement.
“Regina Ip’s attack against migrant workers is not supported by data and has no official legislative purpose other than raise public intrigues against Filipino domestics, take away their dignity and force them to accept their constant sexual and economic abuse in silence,” she said in a statement.
De Jesus’ fellow party-list representative, Luz Ilagan, was incredulous at Ip’s belief that Filipina domestic helpers could be so powerful and “super gorgeous” to seduce Hong Kong men into leaving their wives.
She noted that in cases of sexual harassment, it is the person who occupies the position of power who imposes conditions or forces the other party to submit to sexual demands.
Citing this argument, she said it is usually Filipina maids who are harassed, raped and abused by their employers.
“Pinay domestic helpers will not jeopardize thier jobs by flirting with their employers,” Ilagan said.
Anecdotal experience
Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Neri Colmenares demanded an apology from Ip for her remarks, which he said were merely based on anecdotal experience that may or may not be true.
“These discriminatory remarks are unacceptable,” he said. “[Her] anecdotal experience is not empirical. May maganda kang karanasan, mayroong di maganda sa ibang lahi pero you don’t condemn them for their race.”
“Hindi mo dapat i-condemn ang sang lahi, lalo na kung ikaw ay isang public official,” Colmenares added.
The Philippine consulate has expressed concern about what it called Ip's "unfortunate choice of words" but maintained they do not reflect the sentiments of the city's people at large. —KBK, GMA News
OFW party-list Rep. Roy Señeres Sr. said Ip was more likely unaware of the bitter truth about the abuses Filipina domestic helpers have to suffer over the years when she branded them as home wreckers.
“Many Filipinas have been subjected to rape and other forms of brutality abroad precisely because they refused to give in to sexual overtures of their male employers. I have come across a big number of cases when I was still a labor attaché and later an ambassador,” Señeres, a former chairman of the National Labor Relations Commission, told reporters.
“Apparently, [Ip] is not aware that many male employers have been taking advantage of their ascendancy to seduce Filipinas. Despite offers of money and good life, Filipino women resist such advances, thus, are often punished with sexual molestation, if not fired and sent home to the Philippines,” he added.
Ip, an assemblywoman eyed as Hong Kong’s future chief executive, drew flak after claiming in an op-ed article in Chinese-language newspaper Ming Pao last Friday that Filipina domestic helpers seduce husbands of expatriate women, citing complaints she has received from the allegedly aggrieved wives.
"Rather than reporting improper behavior by local employers, should we pay more attention to Filipina maids becoming sexual resources for foreign men in Hong Kong?" she asked.
No supporting evidence
Some 173,000 of the estimated 300,000 domestic helpers working in Hong Kong are Filipinas, government figures show.
Gabriela party-list Rep. Emmi de Jesus branded Ip’s remarks as “anti-women, anti-migrant and racist” as she expressed support for protest actions that would compel the Hong Kong politician to issue a public apology and retract her statement.
“Regina Ip’s attack against migrant workers is not supported by data and has no official legislative purpose other than raise public intrigues against Filipino domestics, take away their dignity and force them to accept their constant sexual and economic abuse in silence,” she said in a statement.
De Jesus’ fellow party-list representative, Luz Ilagan, was incredulous at Ip’s belief that Filipina domestic helpers could be so powerful and “super gorgeous” to seduce Hong Kong men into leaving their wives.
She noted that in cases of sexual harassment, it is the person who occupies the position of power who imposes conditions or forces the other party to submit to sexual demands.
Citing this argument, she said it is usually Filipina maids who are harassed, raped and abused by their employers.
“Pinay domestic helpers will not jeopardize thier jobs by flirting with their employers,” Ilagan said.
Anecdotal experience
Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Neri Colmenares demanded an apology from Ip for her remarks, which he said were merely based on anecdotal experience that may or may not be true.
“These discriminatory remarks are unacceptable,” he said. “[Her] anecdotal experience is not empirical. May maganda kang karanasan, mayroong di maganda sa ibang lahi pero you don’t condemn them for their race.”
“Hindi mo dapat i-condemn ang sang lahi, lalo na kung ikaw ay isang public official,” Colmenares added.
The Philippine consulate has expressed concern about what it called Ip's "unfortunate choice of words" but maintained they do not reflect the sentiments of the city's people at large. —KBK, GMA News
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