Sept. 21 Global Day of Action Against Fascism in the Philippines

MigranteNL
-
0
Sept. 21 Global Day of Action Against Fascism in the Philippines

Migrante Netherlands joins its allied Migrante chapters, peoples’ organizations and other peace and democracy-loving compatriots in staging today’s Global Day of Action Against Facism in the Philippines.

This action is to remind the public about the historical truth about the Marcos dictatorship.

We oppose the comeback of the Marcoses into politics. We will expose the lies and deceit about the roles and the benefits that they reaped during the dictatorship.We also reject current Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who has fashioned himself in the same mould as the fascist Marcos, seeking to perpetuate himself in power to avoid future persecution for plunder and crimes against humanity; using the Philippine Army and Police to to silence critics and opposition, including legitimate activists, media and progressive individuals; and appointing many retired military and police officials to key cabinet positions. The Philippines is now under a de facto military rule, with Duterte sitting at the helm.  

With elections coming up next year, the family and cronies of the dictator Marcos are seeking to return to political power. The Marcoses are using all their resources to cleanse their public image by using public relation gimmicks to spread their false narrative. They have also found a friend/ally/patron in Duterte. He has allowed the burial of the dictator Marcos remains in the Heroes’ Cemetery, granted political favors Marcos cronies, and openly refers to the late dictator as a ‘great leader’ to ensure some of the Marcos’ wealth will find its way into his vice presidential campaign fund.

Duterte has announced that he will run for Vice President, even saying that it will grant him immunity from any suit, including the ICC case. He has now retracted his anti-Visiting Forces Agreement posture against the United States to ensure the continuing support of his American imperial master in the following election.  We remind the public not to believe his promises. Duterte failed to deliver his campaign promises when he first ran for public office in 2016. 

His promises include include personally riding a jetski to the West Philippine Sea to confront China, eradicating drugs and criminality. ending corruption in government, higher wages, and affordable food for all Filipinos. In fact, the problems that he promised to solve has become much worse.

He has practically conceded to China on the West Philippine Sea issue thereby surrendering our country’s sovereignty. As a reward, China has granted the Duterte administration onerous high-interest loans and a donation of China-made Sinovac vaccine. He has also allowed the entry of Chinese investments in Philippine Offshore Gambling Operations (POGO) and the entry of an estimated 150,000 Chinese POGO workers into the country.

Recent news reports indicate that this influx has also created exclusive Chinese rest-and-recreation business such as restaurants, massage parlors, illegal brothels, and even a gun shooting range.Criminal drug syndicates boast of their connections in government by posting selfies on social media with their ‘padrinos’ in govenment. Drug lords such as Wu Tuan, Jameson Ching, Peter Lim, and Herbert Colangco, who are protected by high-ranking police officials. No high value drug dealers have been arrested and imprisoned. His so-called War on Drugs has already caused the death of more than 30,000. Most of the victims are small time users and petty runners of pushers have become tokhang victims. 

Corruption has flourished in most govenment offices at all levels. And finally, many poor Filipinos have become poorer especially when the pandemic hit because of the loss of livelihood resulting from the lockdown and ineffective measures to deal with the pandemic.

We call on all kababayans, all peace and freedom loving Filipinos to stay vigilant and reject the  Duterte, the Marcoses, and their cohorts and cronies this coming electoral exercise. We have to unite to ensure that these criminals masquerading as politicians do not get away with all the crimes that they have commited against the people, and crimes that they are responsible for. 

Truth must prevail and justice must be served!

NEVER AGAIN TO MARTIAL LAW! DEFEND THE DEFENDERS! 
JUSTICE FOR ALL VICTIMS OF STATE TERRORISM!MARCOS IS A TRAITOR!
NOT A HERO!STOP EXTRA JUDICIAL KILLINGS IN THE PHILIPPINES!
DUTERTE GUILTY!
OUST DUTERTE NOW!
SUPPORT THE STRUGGLE OF THE FILIPINO PEOPLE FOR JUST AND LASTING PEACE!

Sagip Migrante: Para sa Kapwa, Para sa Bayan

MIGRANTE Den Haag
-
0
Sagip Migrante: Para sa Kapwa, Para sa Bayan

Filipinos and Solidarity Network in Europe welcome Otto de Vries, a genuine friend of the Filipino people

MigranteNL
-
0
Filipinos and Solidarity Network in Europe welcome Otto de Vries, a genuine friend of the Filipino people

Dutch pastoral worker in the Philippines and labor rights defender Otto de Vries has arrived safely in the Netherlands on Tuesday noon.

It was a strange combination of tears and excitement as the de Vries family, friends of the Filipino migrants community and Filipinos in the Netherlands and Europe warmly welcomed de Vries as a genuine friend of the Filipino people.

De Vries had found a home in the Philippines where he committed 30 years of his life in serving the poor and the marginalized sectors. He would have chosen to commit more years if not for the controversial red-tagging of the Duterte administration to him as a researcher of the Ecumenical Institute for Labor Education and Research (EILER).

The Filipino community in Europe and the international solidarity network stood for de Vries and EILER and lobbied to grant him permanent residency in the Philippines. Actions and online rallies were also organized to expose and oppose the Duterte administration’s political vilification of church workers, labor rights defenders and people’s organizations among others.

According to Theo Droog, spokesperson of the Nederlands-Filippijnse Solidariteitsbeweging (Dutch-Filipino Solidarity Movement), the case of Otto de Vries confirms what human rights organizations say about the Philippines: that the Duterte government falsely accuses those who serve the poor, the oppressed and the marginalized as communists and calls them terrorists.

De Vries had unselfishly lived the life of service to the church of the poor. His life with the workers was the source of his motivation. For years, he became a worker himself and experienced the harshness of a worker’s life in the Philippines. When he was no longer able to do physical labor, he started working for EILER.

Honorary membership to Migrante Netherlands

Migrants rights and democracy organization Migrante Netherlands granted de Vries on the same day an honorary membership.

In a letter, Migrante Netherlands spokesperson Jun Saturay stated: “To our dear compatriot Otto, in behalf of Migrante Netherlands and all its chapters, we declare our solidarity with you in your steadfast commitment for the rights and welfare of Filipino workers through the Ecumenical Institute for Labor Education and Research. This is impressive and inspiring for other rights defenders of the Filipino people. Compatriot Otto, in recognition of your full service to the Filipino labor movement, we hereby confer upon you an honorary membership to Migrante Netherlands. The Philippine Government may have considered you as an “undesirable alien” but for us, you possess all the qualifications of a Filipino compatriot who truly loves and serves the people. By awarding you an honorary membership to Migrante Netherlands, we want to let you know and make you feel that from the bottom of the heart of the Filipino community here in the Netherlands and Europe, we view your service to the Philippine labor movement with high esteem. To you, our high respect and salute.”

The struggle continues

Below are excerpts of quotes from the welcome texts of other organizations and individuals in the Netherlands and Europe including those working in the fields of development work, human rights, peace & justice, solidarity with the Philippines, church work, and interest groups working with migrants, women and young people.

 “Anyone can imagine how painful it must be to fall victim to red-tagging and to be forced to leave the country which has been his home for so long, where he had so many friends and where he did very valuable work for the most vulnerable for the past 30 years of his life. ”

 “Otto is a person with a pure heart and a great compassion for the poor and workers in the cities. Labeling Otto and the institution he works for as terrorists is a desperate act of a government that is slowly becoming isolated from its people.”

 “You have fought a great fight! You have been effective otherwise the dictator would not have thrown you out. ”

 “Everyone sincerely hopes that the day will soon come when it will be possible for you to return to the Philippines to be reunited so you can be reunited with all your friends and you can continue your work in solidarity with the poor communities that you served for so long. ”

 “How can evil target you when all you wanted was to be honest and sincere. Continue to trust in your mission of Peace and Justice. You don’t know what the future will bring you, but keep believing in the good because that is your destiny.”

Stop Asian hate, racism is rooted in imperialism

MigranteNL
-
0
Stop Asian hate, racism is rooted in imperialism

Migrante Netherlands, an organization of Filipinos in the Netherlands stand in solidarity with Asian Raisins and Pan Asian Collective and the global movement against racism and all forms of discrimination and exploitation.

Lockdown in the Philippines and Holy Week Crackdown

Migrante International
-
0
Lockdown in the Philippines and Holy Week Crackdown

PRESS STATEMENT
Holy Week crackdowns during the lockdown reflect Duterte’s insincerity to address pandemic. Filipino migrants reaffirm commitment to oust Duterte!

Migrante International condemns the vicious crackdowns on leaders of workers’ unions, farmers’ organizations, women groups and other legal democratic organizations while enforcing enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in designated provinces including NCR. Instead of providing much needed health services and addressing the alarming rise of COVID cases during this period, the Duterte government turned Holy Week into “Huli” week.

Duterte’s “kill all” order does not spare even sacred days when Kilusang Mayo Uno national vice chairperson Dandy Miguel, a staunch defender of unionists, was killed in a street in Canlubang, Calamba, Laguna. Early morning on Holy Monday, police mounted simultaneous raids on regional leaders of farmers’ organizations in Central Luzon and arrested KMP Vice Chairperson Joseph “JC” Canlas, also a leader of the Alyansa ng Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luzon (AMGL) in Sapang Maisac, Mexico, Pampanga. On the same day, BAYAN-Central Luzon and Workers Alliance of Region III (WAR-3) leader Pol Viuya was arrested in a private residence in Bamban, Tarlac. He was reportedly brought to Camp Olivas in San Fernando, Pampanga.

Overseas Filipinos fear for the safety and security of their families in the Philippines as they hear stories of rights defenders being subjected to extrajudicial killings, illegal searches and arrests, interrogations all while in the midst of alarming and unprecedented rise in COVID cases in the country and no clear plan and direction developed by the Duterte regime to address the serious health crisis.

While these human rights violations are being carried out, overseas Filipinos and their families are suffering from the calvary imposed by the Duterte regime during this pandemic. Filipino migrants abroad are experiencing grave government abandonment and criminal neglect as they experience lack of livelihood, hunger, lack of temporary shelter, abuse and discrimination with little to no assistance from the government. Hundreds of land and sea-based migrant workers continue to be stranded in their host countries and at sea with their health deterioriating because of the slow repatriation assistance, while human trafficking and illegal recruitment victims like those in Syria have yet to see justice in their cases.

Instead of providing much needed financial, food and other forms of assistance and support to secure the health, safety and livelihood of our overseas Filipinos, the government is occupied and wasting the people’s resources on hosting seminars conducted by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) in order to demonize and spread lies against progressive and democratic organizations that legitimately serve and respond to the needs of our fellow kababayans in distress.

Despite the difficulties and dangers, thousands of Filipinos are forced to continue to seek employment abroad and leave their families behind because of the lack of economic and livelihood support and sustainable jobs in the country. And despite their ongoing agony, the Duterte regime continues to rake in profits from overseas Filipinos through mandatory government fees from PhilHealth, SSS, Pag-ibig, OWWA membership while no one is still being held accountable for corrupting the 15 billion-peso funds committed by Duterte’s PhilHealth minions.

Filipino migrants say enough is enough! It is time to end Duterte’s ineptitude, greed, fascism and quest to perpetuate power together with his relatives or chosen ones. It is clear that the Duterte regime does not give a damn if our people die from his war on drugs, extra judicial killings, hunger and poverty.

Duterte has clearly failed to protect the Filipino people from the pandemic through increased mass testing and contact tracing, support for our health care frontline workers and hospitals, accelerating the roll out of the national vaccine program and procurement of more vaccine supplies, and providing consistent economic aid and livelihood support for all.

Therefore, Filipinos overseas reaffirm our commitment to join all sectors of Philippine society in the movement to oust Duterte!

Housing Action Day 2021

MigranteNL
-
0
Housing Action Day 2021

Shelter is a basic right.

Migrante Netherlands stands in solidarity with housing movements in over 60 cities across Europe during the South Holland DSC Rentvolution demonstration on 27 March Housing Action Day 2021 held in Den Haag. The call is for the European Parliament to develop policies and act to regulate housing rent, make unused & empty houses available to the homeless and ensure that all citizens have an access to a safe and healthy home.

Watch the demonstration snippet here.

123...52Page 2 of 52