It has come to the knowledge of Migrante International and GURO (Grupo ng mga Gurong Umuusig kay Rodriguez) that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)-Interpol has already issued a “Red Notice” against convicted illegal recruiter Isidro Rodriguez.

The “Red Notice” was published last May 30, 2016, according to NBI-Interpol, but Rodriguez’ victims from GURO were informed only this month. The NBI-Interpol said that they have already uploaded the notice to the database of all Interpol offices of member countries, placing them on alert to immediately arrest Rodriguez.

Isidro Rodriguez, a fugitive of law and one of the most notorious illegal recruiters and traffickers in the Philippines in the United States’ watchlist, was last sighted in Spain last January. He has two existing warrants of arrest against him for illegal recruitment and estafa.

Aside from the warrants, he has numerous pending cases of syndicated estafa and large-scale illegal recruitment and trafficking in persons filed in different courts by at least 300 Filipino teachers that he had victimized from 2009-2014. He also has pending complaints against him in US courts by Filipino teachers he had victimized there.

According to the NBI-Interpol, the “Red Notice” enumerates the following actions to be taken by member-states:

1. Locate and arrest with a view to extradition – there is an assurance that extradition will be made upon arrest of the person.
2. Make a provisional arrest of the person – the red notice is to be treated as a formal request for provisional arrest of the wanted person.
3. Immediate relay of information – the Interpol office in Manila and the General Secretariat of the Interpol shall be immediately informed when the fugitive has been found.

The “Red Notice” is one of the eight (8) notices issued by the Interpol to all member states. Its objective is to seek the cooperation and interference of police forces of member states to arrest fugitives of law and extradite to the requesting country. The process of extradition and transfer of arrested fugitives depends on the extradition treaty between countries. ###

Migrante International lauds Gabriela Rep. Emmi de Jesus for taking up the issue of alleged abuse and misuse of OWWA (Overseas Workers Welfare Administration) funds in the hearings for the proposed budget for the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

The OWWA is an attached agency under the DOLE. OWWA funds, believed to have reached Php18 billion, come directly from mandatory USD $25 contributions from OFWs. Over the years, the OWWA funds have been met with controversy due to allegations of corruption and government abuse and misuse. Despite these, the OWWA funds have not been subjected to a full audit and no public accounting of how the funds  were used, or is being used, has been available to OFWs.

Migrante International has long been calling for a “full audit” and an “immediate and independent investigation” of OWWA funds in light of many unresolved issues of abuse, misuse and corruption:

In 2011, a report by the Commission on Audit (COA) revealed that OWWA’s overseas officers failed to remit more than P21 million in collections to OWWA’s Land Bank-Manila dollar account during the last ten years. The Land Bank also charges a 1% management fee per annual deposits made by the OWWA. This contradicts reason: money deposited to the bank should be earning interest and not the other way around. If so, where did the money go?

In 2006, then AFP Chief of Staff Roy Cimatu botched a rescue mission funded by OWWA during the Lebanon crisis. The OWWA released P150 million for the repatriation of OFWs but out of the 6,000 OFWs there, only 1,000 were repatriated by Cimatu. The incident prompted several Senate hearings and it was then discovered that P6.8 billion of OWWA funds were transferred to the Development Bank of the Philippines and Landbank of the Philippines (P3.4 billion each) without any consultations with the OFW sector.

Former solicitor general Atty. Frank Chavez also filed a case at the DOJ against former president Gloria Arroyo for alleged misuse, re-channel and charge to OWWA funds various projects that had nothing to do with OFWs, among them the supposed evacuation of Filipinos from Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan in 2003. No actual evacuation took place.

In 2004, plunder raps were also slapped on Arroyo for the illegal fund transfer of OWWA funds that were allegedly diverted to her electoral campaign coffers.

These cases remain unresolved and shelved, and calls for a full audit have been ignored by previous administrations.

Meanwhile, the OWWA continues to deprive OFWs and their families of services and benefits. The OWWA has streamlined benefits and services over the years. Some of the major programs and services were phased out, among them, the General Financial Assistance program, Medicare, Legal Assistance Program and Repatriation program. It also limited scholarship for dependents and other benefits.

“Ang mga benepisyong ito ay inilaban at pinagtagumpayan ng mga migranteng manggagawa. Dahil sa OOP, isang iglap lang ay binawi ng OWWA. OFWs are just claiming what are rightfully theirs,” said Garry Martinez, Migrante International chairperson.

Martinez added that their group has also long been calling for a “full audit” and an “immediate and independent investigation” of OWWA funds in light of many unresolved issues of abuse, misuse and corruption.

“Walang maayos na serbisyo at benepisyo. Saan napunta ang P18-bilyong pondo ng OWWA? Unless a full audit takes place OFWs have reason to believe that OWWA funds are not trickling down to much-needed services and benefits for OFWs,” he said. ###

The family of Mary Jane Veloso called on Pres. Rodrigo Duterte to appeal anew to save her from death row.

Celia and Cesar, Mary Jane’s mother and father, will lead a candle-lighting and prayer activity with supporters at Plaza Miranda later today to convey their message to Pres. Duterte who is set to hold bilateral talks with Indonesian Pres. Joko Widodo tomorrow, September 9.

“Ang pakiusap po namin kay Pang. Duterte, sa ating Tatay Digong, sa kanyang pagbisita sa Indonesia, sana ay mabisita rin niya si Mary Jane at makumusta doon. Sana rin kung makakaharap niya si Pang. Widodo ay huwag niyang kalimutan si Mary Jane na nananatili pa rin sa death row. Anim na taon na po doon ang aking anak, pinagdaanan na ng dalawang pangulo, at pangatlo na po siya. Ang hiling namin kay Pang. Duterte, sana sa ilalim ng kanyang panunungkulan ay makapiling na naming muli si Mary Jane,” lamented Nanay Celia Veloso.

Earlier, Mary Jane sent a personal appeal to Pres. Duterte, recorded during her phone call to her family last July 31.

For his part, Migrante International Chairperson Garry Martinez said that Pres. Duterte’s appeal for Mary Jane concurs with the government’s war against drugs and his promise to bring drug perpetrators to justice. “Marami pong mga OFW na katulad ni Mary Jane na nabibiktima ng mga sindikato ng droga pero hindi nabibigyan ng hustisya. We call on Pres. Duterte to make a strong and urgent appeal for clemency for Mary Jane, an innocent victim of drug trafficking.”

“Justice for Mary Jane should also be one of the urgent grounds for the strengthening of our diplomatic ties with Indonesia. At the very least, her case should be reviewed pending her testimony in Philippine courts. It is imperative that Mary Jane be allowed to give her full testimony as basis to bring her traffickers to justice. We believe that her testimony by deposition or any other means admissible in court is compliant with both Philippine and Indonesian laws, as well as international laws, with regard to trafficking,” Martinez said.

“We also continue to appeal to Pres. Widodo, please allow Mary Jane to be reunited with her family and her two sons. She has suffered enough. We continue to appeal for your mercy and compassion to save Mary Jane’s life,” Martinez said.

Mary Jane’s Indonesian supporters, led by Indonesian migrant organization KABAR BUMI-JBMI (Keluarga Besar Buruh Migran Indonesia – Jaringan Buruh Migran Indonesia), will also convey messages of appeal and support for Mary Jane during Pres. Duterte’s visit. ###

Migrante at the #SONAngBayan 2016

Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their families today welcomed Pres. Rodrigo Duterte’s vision of “a better Philippines” that OFWs can come home to.

However, according to Migrante International chairperson Garry Martinez, a “better Philippines” for OFWs does not only mean a drug-free or corrupt-free Philippines.

“Ultimately, a better Philippines for OFWs means an end to unemployment, contractualization and poverty that are the root causes of forced migration. A better Philippines for families of OFWs means that they will not have to be apart from their loved ones just to survive. A better Philippines is a self-sustaining Philippines, one that does not rely mainly on our cheap labor and remittances to stay afloat, ” Martinez said.

He said that Pres. Duterte can listen to what a better Philippines means to OFWs and families on September 17.

Migrante International will be holding a public consultation with OFWs, returned OFWs and families of OFWs, especially distressed OFWs in Saudi Arabia and families of OFWs on death row.

“This is an open invitation to Pres. Duterte. He is more than welcome to grace the event and hear the sentiments of OFWs and families. The president has said to just call whenever we need him. We are calling on him now to consult with us. We are more than willing to work for a better Philippines that we can come home to. This is a chance for the president to hear directly from OFWs and families what a better Philippines means for us,” Martinez said.

The public consultation will be live-streamed for participation of OFWs around the world. ###

Protest of stranded OFWs at the POLO-OWWA Office in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia, August 18, 2016

Migrante Eastern Region-Kingdom of Saudi Arabia strongly denounces the ineptitude and grave neglect of government officials in the region who play deaf and blind to the condition and demands of OFWs.

The continued and sustained lies of POLO-OWWA aimed at hiding the sad plight of our Filipino migrant workers in KSA Easter Region is endangering the security and lives of all distressed, abused and stranded OFWs who are frequently massing the Philippine Labor Office here.

The lies being peddled by these unscrupulous government officials are inimical to the best interest of the Filipino people. Instead of divulging important data to the public, POLO-OWWA officials opted to hide the truth by claiming that there are no stranded, abused or distressed OFWs here in eastern region. Despite receiving hundreds of unattended referred cases, those manning these inutile government agencies have the gall to claim that there is no single distressed OFW in this region.

By not divulging the truth, they contradict the Philippine Government’s thrusts for transparency and accountability, and service to OFWs.

Filipino migrant workers revealed to Migrante that POLO-OWWA officials threatened them with three (3) years imprisonment if they are found to be posting videos in social networks to ask for help from the Philippine government. Instead of providing assistance, these officials even add to the mental stress of OFWs by forcing them to keep mum of their condition – under threats of retaliation – just so they cannot reveal the non-performance of duties of this government agency.

Previously, POLO-OWWA has already put in prison an OFW who recorded his dialogue with a POLO-OWWA official. According to the OFW, he intentionally recorded the meeting to prove the agency’s neglect on his grievance. The OFW is willing to be interviewed by any mainstream Philippine media to expose this unjust and inhumane treatment by a government official.

Even Migrante, whose main objective is to help our distressed OFWs, has also become a target of harassment. Some POLO officials in Al-Khobar have allegedly been gathering information about Migrante Eastern Region officers.

We condemn in strongest terms possible the oppressive acts of Philippine government officials here. Instead of giving assistance to our migrant workers, POLO-OWWA has become the oppressor and abuser of OFWs in KSA.

It is clear that they wish to distort the truth and make people believe that they are effective and clean. They only want to protect their respective careers and personal interests by sacrificing and setting aside the safety and lives of our distressed kababayans and even those who assist them.

Migrante Eastern Region, KSA calls on the Philippine government to immediately intervene and act on our demand to immediately repatriate our stranded and distressed OFWs in KSA. In equal vein, we call for admonition and immediate replacement of erring POLO-OWWA Al Khobar officials.

There is no reason to lengthen the sufferings of our people. The grave neglect and inhumane treatment of our helpless OFWs must stop now.

(Migrante Eastern Region, KSA is willing to share related data and information to all interested media networks, media practioners and concerned agencies in the Philippines)

References:

Faisal Muhammad

Chairperson – Migrante Al Khobar

+96654-107-3001

Dhel Macalintal

Information Bureau – Migrante Al Khobar

+96655-1977512

Gil Libria

Rights and Welfare Assistance Program

Migrante Al Khobar

+966-53-752-1657