Probe alleged kidnapping of OFW in Afghanistan

"No to another Angelo dela Cruz" - Migrante International

As the nation awaits the fate of a 35-year-old Filipino who is scheduled for execution on China death row, Migrante International fears for the life of another kababayan who was allegedly kidnapped and is under grave threat and torture by an unidentified group in Afghanistan.

Mark Ramos, 27, a procurement logistics worker at the Copenhagen Construction Company in Kandahar, Afghanistan, was allegedly abducted last January 7. His Dubai-based family and relatives sought the help of Migrante-Middle East after they received a latest call from his abductors asking for USD $50,000 as ransom.

The kidnappers also sent his family a video of Ramos, clad in a red sweatshirt with his face concealed by a mask. Ramos' sister, April Kay, suspects that his kidnappers burned his face with acid. "Pinutol din daw nila yung isang daliri ni Mark dahil tumatakas siya."

For his part, Migrante International chairperson Garry Martinez said asked the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to urgently conduct a probe on the alleged kidnapping. "Buhay ng kababayan natin ang nakataya. It's been almost a year, we cringe at the possible torture and conditions Ramos is in. We are not even sure if he is still alive."

Martinez also questioned the circumstances of Ramos' employment in Afghanistan. "There is an ongoing deployment ban in Afghanistan. If Mark was working in an army camp, like most of our OFWs who are located there, how did the Philippine government ensure their safety before deployment? And because there is a ban there, sino ang inaasahang tatakbuhan ng mga kababayan natin sa embahada kung may mga pangyayaring tulad nito?"

The migrant leader called on the Philippine government to provide much-needed assistance in the negotiations for Ramos' immediate release from his captors. "No to another Angelo dela Cruz," he said.

Angelo dela Cruz was a truck driver who was kidnapped by Iraqi insurgents. His abduction put to test then president Arroyo's support for the US war on terror in Iraq. His kidnappers called for the pullout of Filipino troops in Iraq in exchange for his release. "We also need to know if we have Filipino troops deployed in Afghanistan. If we have OFWs there, their lives could also be in danger."

"Like dela Cruz, Ramos knew of the risks of working in a banned country. Hundreds of our OFWs line up waiting for the Philippines to lift its bans on countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq. They would prefer facing the dangers or being killed to seeing their families starve to death here in the Philippines. Most of our OFWs working in banned countries are victims of human traffickers. This is the tragic sign of our times," Martinez said.

"Their plight is similar to those who are victimized by drug syndicates to act as drug mules. Kapit sa patalim ang mga kababayan natin dahil sa matinding kahirapan at kawalang-kabuhayan dito sa bansa. It is not enough for the government to just warn OFWs against human or drug traffickers. The Philippines will cease to be a hub for these syndicates if the government seriously addresses the problems of unemployment, landlessness and lack of social services. The solution should start with the overhauling of the present economic system that survives on labor export," Martinez said.

On December 8, OFWs and families will mobilize for "campoutPH", otherwise known as "Kampuhan laban sa Krisis, Kaltas at Kahirapan". December 8 is also the date of execution of the Filipino on China death row.

On December 18, OFWs from different parts of the world will converge in the Philippines for a big mobilization for International Migrants' Day. ###

Letter to Vice President Binay

TO  :   HON. JEJOMAR BINAY
          Vice President, Republic of the Philippines 
          7th Floor, PNB Financial Center 
          President Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard Pasay City 1300, 
          Philippines

Dear  Sir,

Greetings from United Arab Emirates!

We, the alliance of OFWs groups against the imposition of ‘Affidavit of Support’ (AoS) requirement are requesting your good office to hear our collective voice calling for the scrapping of such requirement.

On August 9, 2010, the Bureau of Immigration issued Memorandum Order No.RPL-10-004 requiring OFWs dependents to present an authenticated Affidavit of Support.

The AoS is a documentary requirement certifying that an OFW dependent who will be entering UAE holding a visit visa has the support of his or her OFW relative working in the host country.

Only the PH Consulate and embassy in the UAE is authorized to issue an AoS with a corresponding fee of 100 UAE dirhams (roughly equivalent to P1,200).

The continued arbitrary imposition of the AoS with a fee of 100 UAE dirham charged by the PH posts in the UAE betrays the Aquino administration's policy thrusts. First, its fight against corruption; secondly, its efforts to bring ease to already over-burdened OFWs and their dependents; and third, on its campaign against illegal recruitment and human trafficking.

As per complaints from visiting OFW dependents, they were allegedly asked by immigration officials to ‘show’ P20,000, others say P30,000, so that they’ll be allowed to travel.

Everyday day, on the average of 10 OFW dependents going to UAE, P200,000 will be extorted from them and it will reach around P-72-M extortion activity every year.

On its 2010 statistics, POEA handled 1,648 cases of illegal recruitment but it only acted and resolved 283, translated to 17.2% disposition rate; 1,365 cases were pending at end year of 2010.

The fee of 100 UAE dirham (roughly equivalent to P1,200) is a burden to OFWs.

Thus, we call and campaigning for the immediate scrapping of the AoS fee.

We are urging you please to include this matter among those issues to be discussed by the Inter-Agency Task Force Against Illegal Recruitment, which you are heading as Chairman.

We are looking for your favorable action.

Signed by (OFWs Alliance Against ‘Affidavit of Support’):

Alpha Phi Omega
Bicol Anum
Gabriela UAE
Lingkod OFW
Lightform UAE
Kalahi International
Maranao Community (MARCOM)
Migrante International- UAE
Pinas

An Appeal to our Government

To:  Office of the Philippine Vice President,  
        Department of Justice, 
        Philippine Senate, 
        Philippine Congress, 
        Philippine Bureau of Immigration and Deportation 

Requiring migrant Filipinos in the UAE (United Arab Emirates) to secure an AOS (affidavit of support (AOS) before they can have their relatives visit the country does not resolve the problem of human trafficking but actually increases the financial burden for OFWs (overseas Filipino workers).

The AOS is also a source of corruption for unscrupulous airport and immigration officials in the Philippines and is a form of discrimination because it is a clear restriction against everyone’s right to travel.

While we would like to see human trafficking be solved immediately, we firmly believe that any move by the Philippine government to curb such crime should not result to worse policies for migrant Filipinos.

The cost of obtaining a notarized AOS in the UAE is AED 100 (1,195 Pesos) cuts the already meager salary of most OFWs.

In the face of the budget cuts in operations and services of OFW-related government agencies, we can only see the AOS as part of the Philippine government’s drive to mulct funds from the hapless Filipinos working abroad.

Worse, the Philippine Immigration Department’s restrictions on OFWs and their families are very discriminatory. The vague provision of assessing the “personal capacity to travel” of a person is very subjective and arbitrary. What it means in reality is that if you do not look rich or cannot prove that you are rich – despite having the actual capacity to sustain yourself overseas – then you will most likely not be allowed to leave the country.

The absence of a clear mechanism and guidelines of the Bureau of Immigration breeds confusion, inconvenience, and more exploitation to OFWs and our families.

The OFWs are already discriminated in countries where they work and reside. Are we going to suffer the same problem in our own country by the Philippine government itself?

The issue of AOS has also been already raised by OFWs in other areas such as in Hong Kong and Macau. Sadly, no concrete response has been made by the Aquino government on this concern.

Despite its implementation, there has been no indication that trafficking has abated.

Our rights are at stake. We have formed the Alliance of OFW against Affidavit of Support to represent the voice of OFWs in UAE and we say: Scrap AOS. No to exaction and corruption. Yes to protection. The AOS is not a solution to the problem of trafficking. It is an added problem to the already burdened OFWs.

STOP STATE EXACTION, STOP EXTORTION ! ! !
PROTECTION NOT COLLECTIONS ! ! !
SCRAP AFFIDAVIT OF SUPPORT ! ! !

Please sign Signature here

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

Related News :

http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/filipinos-sign-petition-calling-for-travel-document-to-be-scrapped

http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/visa/filipino-groups-call-for-end-to-travel-restriction-1.887434

http://www.migrant-rights.org/2011/10/08/ph-govt-to-‘extort’-p18-m-yearly-on-‘affidavit-of-support’-requirement/

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/234787/pinoy-abroad/ofw-groups-in-uae-start-drive-to-end-travel-restriction

http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20111010hed5.html

http://gulftoday.ae/portal/81eaef24-fad5-489d-aa67-bdd0d830b1f6.aspx 

http://www.gulftoday.ae/portal/d25e9cfb-dbad-473f-a59b-b04ba08b3995.aspx

http://gulftoday.ae/portal/63663386-b80b-4a62-93fa-97baf595240b.aspx