OFW groups in Saudi in a last minute appeal to COMELEC: Extend OAV registration period

Senate Bicam Consultation, March 15, 2002 Philippine Embassy, Riyadh

Riyadh, August 26, 2009 –  OFW groups in  Saudi Arabia, appeal to the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to consider extending the Overseas absentee voting registration until 31 December 2009 to give OFWs ample time to register and vote in the 2010 elections. 

A separate statement coming from Migrante-Middle East an alliance of OFW organizations in Middle East and OFW Congress, an advocacy group composed of Filipino community organizations in Riyadh. The OAV registration would be ending on the 31st August 2009 set by  COMELEC.

“As the duration of registration has been shortened from originally 1 year to 7 months by virtue of COMELEC en banc resolution, we appeal to our COMELEC Commissioners to reconsider the original duration of 1 year so that our fellow OFWs could register themselves and vote come 2010 elections,” said John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator.

FilCom Leaders in Riyadh & Phil. Senate Bicameral Consultation Committe delegations

On the other hand OFW Congress-Riyadh appeals COMELEC to extend the registration period untill 31 of December this year to give way to those OFWs who now realize that 2010 election is very crucial for the nation’s democratic processes. “We noticed that our youths are now actively involved in the process, especially first timer voters as we can see in TV news, how much more the OFWs who harldy fought for the passage of the OAV law?” said Alex Veloso Bello, President of OFW Congress through a telephone conversation from Dubai.

Alex Veloso Bello is presently in UAE attending the repatriation of  the remains of his elder sister OFW Arlyn Veloso Bello who died due to stroke last Monday, August 24, 2009. The member organizations of OFW Congress-Riyadh extends their deepest sympathy and condolences to the bereaved family of OFW Arlyn Veloso Bello, a driving instructress of Al Shola Driving School and an OFW for  21 years.

Bicam Delegations during Filcom Leaders Consultation Meeting

Monterona said on 2006 OAV registration, the COMELEC gave OFWs a 13-month registration duration; “One of the factors why OAV registrants reached to almost 150,000 that year,”

“Mathematically speaking, with a shorter period of registration (only 7 months), it would be hard for the COMELEC and OAV Secretariat to attain a considerable number of registrants such is its 1-M target, given all other factors present delaying the registration,” Monterona opined.

Based on the data released by the OAV Secretariat last August 13, 2009 there are only 10,718 OAV registrants in Saudi Arabia. There are more than a million OFWs and their dependents in Saudi Arabia.

“We are hoping that with the granting of the OAV extension until 31 December 2009, we could gather all in all 300,000 OAV registrants benchmarking the OAV registrants last 2003 registration or even higher,” Monterona added. Monterona said Migrante chapters in the Middle East vow to continue encouraging fellow OFWs in the region to exercise their right to vote initiating various form of activities and information dissemination drive about the on-going OAV registration.

Last year, rumors spread around the worlwide OFW community that there are sectors in the Philippine Congress planning to scrap R.A. 9189 known as Overseas Absentee Voting Act of 2003, if the turn out of votes of absentee voting be less than 1 million in 2010 election. The said plan was strongly opposed by Filipino Community leaders around the three regions of the Kingdom.

“We have days left and we hereby appeal to our fellow community organizations in the Kingdom and around the world to please exert more efforts to bring their members to their respective Embassies and consulates to register“ Bello added. 

“If our appeal will be given due course, the extension will give more ample time to OFWs in the Kingdom to register considering the Holy month of Ramadan and the coming Eid Holidays” Bello ended.    

The two groups appeal to COMELEC Commissioners particularly COMELEC Chairman Melo to reconsider extending the OAV registration until 31 December 2009.

“Exercise your right to vote, your vote will make a difference and effect the change we want,” Monterona ended. ### BongA

related post : OAV The Fight must Continue 

Timely Assistance from PhilEmb led to the released of OFWs jailed for “illegal mixed Gatherings”

Timely Assistance from PhilEmb led to the released of OFWs jailed for “illegal mixed Gatherings”  

Riyadh,  24 August 2009 — Overseas Filipino Workers belong to  filipino community organization, Kapatiran sa Gitnang Silangan (KGS) who were apprehended by Saudi authorities for illegal “mixed gathering” in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia has been released.

In an email received from John Leonard Monterona, Migrante Middle East regional coordinator,  that the “prostitution” case  supposed to be filed by the Saudi police to 18 KGS members and run away distress OFWs arrested when the Saudi cultural police raided the KGS safe house last August 14 during the group’s welfare case assistance meeting, has not been filed and is now dropped by the Saudi police. 

Monterona said, “the information was relayed by Eric Jocson, Chairperson of KGS,   the local chapter of Migrante in Riyadh”.  Eric Jocson  were among of those arrested during the raid but was later released through the help of his employer.   

The dropping of the case has also been confirmed  by Vice Consul Roussel Reyes, saying that their case officers were able to convince the Police that there is no “prostitution” as those apprehended are members of legitimate OFW organization providing assistance to distress and run away OFWs.

H.E. Ambassador Antonio Villamor with the management of Obeikan Investment Group of Companies during FilCom events in the 2nd Industrial Area of Riyadh, KSA

The Filipino community in Riyadh commended the immediate intervention of the Philippine Embassy  and to Ambassador Antonio Villamor who directed Assistance to National Section (ANS) headed by Vice Consul Reyes to act on the case immediately.  The timely assistance of  the Philippine Embassy lead to the dropping of the case.

The Migrante Middle East through Monterona commended Embassy’s case officers,  Attache’s  Frias, Akraman and Harris under the direct guidance of Vice Consul Reyes. “We will not hesitate to laud the good job done by embassy’s case officers and officials for that matter so long as they will provide same assistance to all distress and run away OFWs not only to KGS and Migrante members,” Monterona added.

The email also mentioned that there is no case filed yet against the KGS members and they are hoping; that KGS Secretary-General Mike Garlan and member Rustico Marcos will be released any time from today who are still  in jail for 11 days now.  

The Embassy informed the group that those with Iqama (working permit) will be released immediately,  those who have expired Iqama or run away will be deported.

2 of the 5 detained OFW women namely Sarah Gumansing and Elvira De Guzman have already been released in the custody of their respective employers; while run away OFWs Clemia Corpuz, Rosa Salazar, Amauri Meriz together with Reynaldo Balagtas who filed a labor case against his employer will be deported.

The Philippine Embassy through diplomatic means convinced the Saudi police that nothing illegal happened in the said gatherings  or there is no commission of “prostitution” as alleged by the apprehending cultural police, locally called Muttawa.

While acknowledging the efforts undertaken by Assistance to Nationals Section (ANS) of  Philippine Embassy,  Monterona  reiterated that “the next most important task the RP Embassies in the Middle East should be doing is to find proactive solutions that will lead in  the legalization of all undocumented and run away OFWs mostly victims of abuses and maltreatment.”

“To our conservative estimate there are about nearly 26,000 undocumented and run away OFWs in the Middle East mostly in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Jordan and Lebanon,” Monterona ended. # # # - BongA

OFW’s opposed newly appointed OWWA Board

OFW’s opposed newly appointed OWWA Board

Saturday, 22 August 2009,  Riyadh -  An online Petition is now gaining momentum demanding the recall of  President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s  new appointee to OWWA Board of Trustees.

OWWA BOT

Just recently, PGMA  appointed  Mr. Joselito “Jojo” Sapio  as  new member of OWWA Board of Trustees and according to the Petition,  the new appointee was  GMA’s  election Campaign Manager in Hongkong and the founder of “GMA Pa rin Movement.”

The said online Petition demanded that the  conduct of selecting land-based OFW representation in the Board should be more impartial, transparent and independent.

The Petition demands includes:

- Increase the number of OFW representatives to the OWWA Board and reduce those from the  government.

- Make the OWWA work concretely for the welfare needs of OFWs and their families by scrapping the OWWA Omnibus Policies and promulgating a pro-OFW Charter.

- The OWWA Fund should never be used for the personal and political agenda of a few.

“For the past years, OWWA has consistently been questioned with regard to the management and allocation of its funds. One of the most controversial issues involved the transfer of the OWWA Medicare Fund to the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) in 2004. This was made after Health Sec. Francisco Duque (then head of PhilHealth) wrote to PGMA endorsing the transfer, saying such would have a “significant impact” on the impending election at that time.”  the Petition said.

A year ago PGMA rejected  an online petition asking PGMA to  appoint Dr. Carlito L. Astillero a  Saudi-based Cebuano pathologist as chief of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) vacated by the then OWWA Administrator Marianito Roque who is now the current DOLE  Chief.  

The current OWWA Board of Trustees are:

Hon. Marianito D. Roque – Secretary of Labor and Employment and Chairman

Hon. Carmelita S. Dimzon –  OWWA Administrator and Vice-Chairman

Members:

Hon. Luzviminda G. Padilla – Undersecretary, DOLE
Hon. Esteban B. Conejos – Undersecretary, DFA
Hon. Jennifer J. Manalili – Administrator, POEA
Hon. Arturo C. Bumatay – Director IV, DBM
Hon. Gil S. Beltran – Undersecretary, DOF
Hon. Victorino F. Balais – Representative, Labor Sector
Hon. Rene Y. Soriano – Representative, Management Sector
Hon. Gregorio S. Oca – Representative, Sea-Based Sector
Hon. Corazon P. Carsola – Representative, Land-Based Sector
Hon. Bai Omera H. Dianalan-Lucman – Representative, Women’s Sector

The said Petition strongly  opposed  the arbitrary and biased selection of the land-based OFW representative to the Board of Trustees of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) by Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

You may access to the Petition by clicking the link below :

http://www.PetitionOnline.com/owwa4ofw/  ( “No to GMA ‘yes-man’ in OWWA Board of Trustees”.) – BongA

related post:  Migrant Workers Day Nothing to Celebrate ;  Amend R.A. 8042 ; 

The same People…

Migrante at DFA

When Filipinos heard or watched about Migrante’s activities in Philippines and other countries kadalasan mag comment kaagad yan “Leftist naman ang mga iyan”. Pag sinabing “Leftist”, usually you are referring to those who oppose on how the administration governs the country and its people.  So if you’re opposing or contradicting a certain policies of the Government then those Congressmen and Senators who opposed the administration of GMA is Leftist!  According to them “NO” – sila daw ay mga leaders belong to the “Opposition”. Huh! Sige na nga.

In Web definition, the word Leftist particularly in politics means “left-wing, political left, leftist and the Left are terms applied to positions that focus on changing traditional social orders and creating a more egalitarian distribution of wealth and privilege”. 

Egalitarianism on the other hand is defined either as a “political doctrine that holds that all people should be treated as equals and have the same political, economic, social, and civil rights, or as a social philosophy advocating the removal of economic inequalities among people”. 

In the Overseas Filipino Community  here in Saudi Arabia, Migrante is “an alliance of various OFW groups committed to protecting and upholding the rights and welfare of Filipinos in Saudi Arabia and their families in the home front” (source http://migrante-ksa.blogspot.com/).  

“Kung wala sila walang maingay, walang kakalampag sa mga kinauukulan upang mabigyan ng kasagutan ang mga hinaing ng ating mga kapwa OFWs“.

For me, I don’t consider Migrante a leftist group; I consider them an organization committed to help others in needs especially to those whose rights have been violated.  

Sen. Mar Roxas w/ Migrante (Click photo & read Sen. Mar Roxas "Stronger Protection for OFWs Urged)

Those fellow OFWs arrested by Saudi authorities were there in a right place and the right time. The meeting perhaps was called to update the status of their cases being handled or monitored  by kind individuals belong to the group Kapatiran ng mga Mangagawang Pilipino sa Gitnang Silangan (KGS).

I knew some of them; they are the same OFWs who help us in the implementation of Philippine Embassy on-site mobile overseas absentee voting registration.  They are the same ordinary OFWs who donate goods and food at Bahay Kalinga intended for our runaway maids.  They are the same people I mingled inside the Philippine Embassy during Filcom events. They are the same people who help us for the orderly conduct of Absentee Voting in Philippine Embassy.

Now, they are the same group of OFWs that needs help from our Philippine Embassy/POLO/OWWA.

18 Migrante members arrested in Riyadh

18 Migrante members arrested in Riyadh

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By Dindo Amparo, ABS-CBN Middle East News Bureau Chief | 08/16/2009 10:11 AM

RIYADH – Eighteen members of Migrante International, an alliance of migrant organizations, were arrested by Saudi Police for holding an illegal “mixed gathering” in an apartment in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Migrante in KSA

Migrante International is an alliance of migrant organizations.

Sources said 10 men and eight women were arrested, including Eric Jocson, chairperson of the Kapatiran sa Gitnang Silangan (KGS) in Riyadh.

The group was reportedly holding a meeting in the apartment in Badea district when police conducted the raid.

Saudi Arabia forbids the gathering of men and women in private and public places except for married couples and their families.

The arrested Migrante members are facing immorality charges, while the Filipino who rents the apartment unit where the raid took place is likely to be charged with harboring “runaways” or workers with absconding cases.

Meantime, five of those arrested were found without an “iqama” which is an official identity card for the Saudi residence permit.

related post: Immorality a Serious Offense ; Pasaway ; CP’s on PDOS ; Philippine Embassy cautions OFW’s ;  26 Filipinos arrested for possessing fake papers (marriage, iqamas) in Dammam ; Massive Fingerprinting Begins ;

Kumakatok lang Po! Distress Call

A friend of mine called me a few minutes ago asking for my help. His friend, a Filipina Household Service Worker (PGMA’s Super Maids) called him narrating her ordeal in the hands of her Egyptian employer (bakit kaya Egyptian, siguro naloko naman to ng recruiter). She was ”kono” maltreated and abused”. At sabi pa sa kanya na pag wala daw tumulong sa kanyang tumakas “tatalon daw siya sa ika-apat na palapag ng building na kanyang tinitirahan“.  Tanong ko sa kaibigan ko “Bai basin imo na UYAB, pagkatapos ma rescue kunin mo sa Bahay Kalinga at ibahay habang buhay” sabi niya “he he, ikaw talaga bai, hindi oy”! para bang nahihiya, he he. 

FHSW "Darna in Real Life"

Well, well, well,  im not new in this kind of distress call, some of them true and some of them not, “bakit pa kasi nauso ang cellphone may text mate tuloy”. 

Pero wala akong magagawa kundi tutulong sa ating mga kawawang “PGMA’s Super Maids” in Filipino dialect “DARNA“.   

Sabi ko sa kaibigan ko “Bai, gawin ko ang aking makakaya na makaabot sa mga kaibigan “kono” natin  sa Embassy at POLO/OWWA, pero huwag kang umasa dahil yong problema sa Makkah/Jeddah na nakakarating na sa pinaka matayog na opisyal ng Konsulada natin doon, sa awa ng Diyos wala pa akong natatanggap na balita”.  Dagdag ko “pag nagka ganon, bai! hindi malayo mag ALA DARNA yan” huwag naman sana. &*#@ Kumakatok lang po!. Sensya na.

Filcom in KSA urge fellow OFW’s to Register and Vote

Athens, Greece, May 13, 2007 (283 registered overseas Filipinos flocked to the Embassy on 13 May 2007, Sunday, the last weekend of the Overseas Absentee Voting, to exercise their right and duty to vote)

 Riyadh KSA, 4 August 2009 – An official of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in an online news dated 10 July 2009  said the deadline for registration of overseas absentee voters (OAVs) will not be extended.  To those who wants that OAV registration deadline be set to a new date, “the period of registration from February 1 to August 31, is long enough” according to Comelec Commissioner in charge of OAV Nicodemo Ferrer.

Meanwhile, in an information received from Connie Gomez Valdes, Deputy Executive Director of Global Filipino Nation said that “Committee of OAVL amendment headed by Sen. Chiz Escudero is rushing the final draft in preparation for the bicameral session hearing”. The mentioned committee is authorized to prescribe innovative and additional procedures for OAV registration and voting.

In the same email are the summary of OAV registrants obtained from DFA OAVS as of  August 3, 2009 where Hongkong got 16,332 the highest new numbers of registrants per list of overseas post.  United States of America got the highest numbers of 23,540 per country list of new OAV registrants. Saudi Arabia ranked 4^th in the list of top ten countries that gathered 9,702. More new registrants are expected to register in the last days of registration period.

However, Filipino community in Saudi Arabia are hoping that the number of registrants will climb up till the end of registration period. One factor is that in 2010 election, the voters will elect the President and the Vice President, the two highest elected official in the land.

“The  success of Overseas Absentee Voting relies much on the participation of every Overseas Filipinos and their desire to vote in which it is a privilege and obligation of every Filipinos to exercise their right of suffrage ” says  Philippine Envoy to Saudi Arabia Ambassador Antonio Villamor during the 2007 Filcom OAV assessment Forum. 

 According to COMELEC, those who are already included in the Certified List of Overseas Absentee Voters (CLOAV), but who failed to vote in the last two elections (2004 and 2007) will be removed from the list.  Those de-listed from the CLOAV will have to register again during the registration period.

OAV Election 2007 Result ( gmanews.tv)

Filipino Community in Saudi Arabia are urging fellow OFW’s to register and let their voices be heard in 2010 Philippine election.  OFW’s in Saudi Arabia are the most active advocates in the fight for absentee voting  that  was enacted into law as  R.A. 9189, “The Overseas Absentee Voting Act of 2003,”.

The rest of the new registrants as of 3 August 2009 came from Asia Pacific countries (44,999), Middle East and Africa (30,428), America and the rest of European countries (46,967).  - by: BongA

KARAPATAN huwag mong Ipagkait! GAMITIN MO!

OAV Registration @ Pistahan Festival

Philippine Consulate General   
447 Sutter St., San Francisco, CA 94108

415-433-6666 ext. 313 (public information section)

*www.philippineconsulate-sf.org

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July 30, 2009

 REGISTER FOR OVERSEAS ABSENTEE VOTING AT THE PISTAHAN!

 The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco is pleased to announce that it will conduct a mobile overseas absentee voting registration at the Pistahan Festival, Yerba Buena Gardens, San Francisco on August 8-9, 2009. 

Requirements for registration for Overseas Absentee Voting:

• Must be a Filipino citizen.
• Must be at least 18 years of age on the day of the elections.
• Personally appear at the registration site for your biometrics to be captured.
• Submit a copy of your valid Philippine passport.
• If you are a dual citizen, present your original or certified true copy of the Order of Approval or the Oath of Allegiance.

Registration forms are available at the registration site.

Among those who may not register are those who have lost their Filipino citizenship; including those who have renounced their Filipino citizenship, except dual citizens; and those convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment of not less than one year or those declared insane or incompetent.

The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco would like to remind our Kababayans that failure to vote twice in the Philippine national elections is a ground for removal of the name of the absentee voter in the National Registry of Overseas Absentee Voters.

The Overseas Absentee Voter who has failed to vote twice should register again.

Be a part of charting our political future by registering and voting in next year’s Philippine elections! END