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OFWs lead Oust Gloria actions around the world
by MIGRANTE International
Wednesday, Jul. 13, 2005 at 2:30 PM
This year, half a million Filipinos were already forced overseas to work. That’s half a million solid reasons why her so-called economic program is an utter failure. The longer she remains, the longer the economy and our lives will worsen – especially since OFWs are also perennial victims of the Philippine government’s criminal neglect,” said Bragas-Regalado during the rally’s main program in Makati, the Philippines main financial district.
OFWs lead Oust Gloria actions around the world
An alliance of overseas Filipino groups today announced that OFWs in various countries are also leading actions for Gloria’s ouster because she has absolutely no moral or legal credibility as President.
Migrante International Chairperson Connie Bragas-Regalado said OFWs in Hong Kong, the US, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Japan, Australia and across Europe are heightening petition campaigns, leading caravans, holding forums and mobilizing Filipinos overseas to press for Gloria’s ouster.
”This year, half a million Filipinos were already forced overseas to work. That’s half a million solid reasons why her so-called economic program is an utter failure. The longer she remains, the longer the economy and our lives will worsen – especially since OFWs are also perennial victims of the Philippine government’s criminal neglect,” said Bragas-Regalado during the rally’s main program in Makati, the Philippines main financial district.
”Among the OFW victims of this neglect is OFW Roland Tolentino who died of leukemia last June 22. He was diagnosed in January 2005 and although his doctor wrote the Philippine embassy for financial assistance, no one from the embassy, Department of Foreign Affairs or the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration ever came to even visit him,” she said.
Call to high government officials: Expose all now
“We call on the resigned cabinet members and other high government officials to follow the example of the Union of Filipino Foreign Service Officers (UFFSO) in exposing corruption and other recent Malacanang schemes to prop up Gloria. Now’s the time to expose what you know about the PhilHealth cards, the billion peso transfers of funds out of OWWA and about Malacanang schemes with regards to Angelo dela Cruz, Robert Tarongoy and other cases,” she added.
The UFFSO exposed recently how Gloria and the DFA are using posts overseas to create artificial support for Gloria through deceptive means – thus exploiting Filipino communities abroad.
To ensure their Oust Gloria message gets across clearly, Bragas-Regalado said OUTRAGE or Overseas Filipinos, their families and advocates Unite, Rise to Oust the Arroyo regime says foremost among their protest actions is the call to temporarily withhold remittances from bank channels until Gloria resigns. Bragas-Regalado is also among the convenors and a spokesperson for OUTRAGE.
”This is our contribution to the Filipino people's effort to force Gloria to step-down. Well still send remittances to our families through informal channels but we certainly wont send them through banks so that it cant be used by Gloria to project the picture of a healthy economy when the reality is the whole country is ailing,” she said.
Uphold civilian supremacy
Migrante added that they oppose any attempt to create a civilian-military junta.
We call for a transition council composed of representatives from various sectors, especially the marginalized groups. Its the people who are primary in forcing Gloria’s ouster. We will not allow any moves to steal this victory from the Filipino people. We call on the military to withdraw support from Gloria and shift allegiance to a new government ruled by civilian supremacy, she said.
Migrante committed that in the coming days and weeks, migrants and their families will continue to ensure that oust Gloria calls reverberate across the country and around the world. #
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