Camille P. Balagtas
People's TONIGHT
August 29, 2002
Senators will bring protest against Malaysia before the United
Nations
======================================================================
"Foul."
Thus cried by Senators who expressed dismay over the recent harsh
conditions surrounding the deportations of Filipino workers in
Malaysia.
Independent Senator Noli de Castro said the government must not
succumb to this pressure as he urged that this matter be brought
before the United Nation.
Sen. de Castro has recently filed a resolution in the Senate
urging our government to take immediate action to stop human
rights violations against Filipino deportees in Malaysia.
In his Sente Resolution 418, Senator de Castro invoked the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights that upholds the dignity of
every human person.
The incidents of maltreatment, starvation, and deaths should be
addressed by the Malaysian authorities, in coordination with
Philippine diplomatic officials, he said.
Senator De Castro urged the government to make representations
with the Malaysian government for another extension of the
deadline to give way to the more orderly and humane deportation
of illegal Filipino immigrants.
According to de Castro the matter is a grave offense and does not
justify or prove any excuse for the death of the refugees,
particularly newly born babies.
"Hindi siguro tama na pabayaan natin mamatay na lamang ng
walang kalaban laban ang ating mga kababayan. Masyadong hindi
makatarungan ang ginawa nilang pang-aapi sa mga Pilipino. Siguro
kailangan makialam ang international community dahil ito ay
tuwirang paglabag sa karapatan pantao hindi lamang sa atin kundi
sa iba pang mga banyaga naninirahan duon.' De Castro said.
Senate President Franklin M. Drilon on his part strong condemn
the recent move of Malaysian government and urged the country's
diplomatic protest on Malaysia's alleged maltreatment of Filipino
deportees from Sabah is not enough.
In a news conference, the senator said the victims especially the
parents of children who died due to hunger and dehydration during
the voyage, should also demand compensation from Malaysia.
"I think the Malaysian government should be man enough to
accept responsibility. A diplomatic protest is not sufficient.
The victims should seek compensation from Kuala Lumpur,"
Drilon said.
The amount of compensation to be given to the deportees should be
determine by representatives of the two Asian countries, he
stressed.
Drilon also explained that the Philippine as far as legality is
concerned has no direct obligation to provide the facilities
because they're the one initiating the move for the deportation
of these Filipinos.
"Therefore the obligation of the Philippine government to
provide facilities is debatable. In order words, yes we have the
moral duty to help our citizens but if there's a delay, we should
not be blamed and it should not justify the resulting death to
our countrymen." Drilon explained.
Senate Majority Leader Loren Legarda and Sen. Manuel Villar,
chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee, asked the
national government yesterday to act fast in protecting the
rights and health of Filipinos being deported by Malaysia as
illegal aliens.
Villar formally asked yesterday the Philippine government to file
a diplomatic protest with Malaysia over the improper and inhuman
deportation of Filipinos from Sabah to various ports in southern
Philippines, particularly Zamboanga City.
"While we respect the right of the Malaysian government to
enforce its laws, the rights of deportees must also be
respected," Villar, a former Senate president pro tempore,
said as he prepared to file a Senate resolution asking for the
filing of a diplomatic protest.
Senate Majority Leader Loren Legarda Leviste said even before the
filing of a diplomatic protest, the Philippine government must
form a crisis committee or an inter-agency task force to attend
to the medical and physical needs of the Filipino deportees.
Meanwhile, Villar who chairs the Senate committee on foreign
relations, also disclosed yesterday that after lodging the
diplomatic protest, the next thing the Philippine government
should do is to renew its claim over Sabah.
" We are not fighting them (Malaysia). But I think it's now
time to renew diplomatic talks to determine which country really
owns Sabah. As far as I know it, the Philippine government is not
yet relinquishing its claim over Sabah," Villar said.
Villar also said the death of several Filipinos should not be
taken for granted.
"Hindi tayo dapat pumayag sa ganitong hindi makataong
trato." Villar said.
Echoing the same view, Sen. Ralph Recto yesterday advised
Malaysia to "learn a lesson" from the Philippines in
handling the deportation-crisis.
The senator said the Philippines is also a host of foreign
refugees specifically those coming from Indonesia and Vietnam,
and yet, the government didn't deported them like what Malaysia
did to undocumented Filipinos in Malaysia.
He disclosed the country welcomed thousands of Indonesians who
fled Indonesia's anti-Communist purge in 1965. " We did not
ship the refugees back to Indonesia. Instead we gave them shelter
and safe refuge."
Furthermore, the senator cited how the country played a good host
to Vietnam's so-called "Boat People" who left their
country because they resisted communism.
Supporting the call of Villar over Sabah claim, A group of
lawmakers from the House of Representative asked President Gloria
Macapagal Arroyo to reassert its territorial claim to Sabah as
they condemned Malaysia's crackdown on alleged illegal Filipino
immigrants that caused the death of at least seven deportees in
the hands of Malaysian authorities.
Angry lawmakers led by Deputy Speaker Raul Gonzales, Fredenil
Castro (LP, Capiz), Oscar Gozos (Lakas, Batangas), Nereus Acosta
(LP, Bukidnon), and Rozzano Rufino Biazon (Laban, Muntinlupa)
issued separate press statements assailing Malaysia's alleged
cruelty on Filipinos in Sabah.
"We must assert our rights over Sabah. If Malaysians are
declaring their right over their territory, then Filipinos must
also assert its right over what we truly believe is ours,"
Rep. Castro said.
Rep. Castro explained that the Arroyo government must now take
the first step towards reviving its claim over the territory by
re-opening the case before the International Court of Justice.
On a related development, Commission on human right chairperson
Purificacion Quisumbing support the Senate move to bring the
matter before the International attention based on the
international law against human right violations.
Quisumbing said they're preparing all documents and necessary
materials against the inhumane treatment of the Malaysian
government to Filipino deportees.
"Ilalantad namin sa United nation high commission on
refugees at sa Unicef ang di makataong trato ng pamahalaan
Malaysia sa mga pinoy sa Sabah kung saan nasawa ang ating mga
walang muwang na sanggol sa iba't ibang kadahilanan.' Quisumbing
said.
No less than former Senator now Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas F.
Ople met with Malaysian Ambassador Taufik Mohamed Noor at the
Department of Foreign Affairs and handed him a diplomatic note
expressing the Philippine government's concern over the harsh
conditions surrounding the deportation of Fiipinos from Sabah.
While Secretary Ople did not directly question Malaysia's right
to enforce its immigration laws, he expressed concern over the
conditions under which hundreds of undocumented Filipinos are
being kept in various detention centers in Sabah.
The secretary also informed the Malaysian ambassador of the three
deaths of children who had come from these centers due to
dehydration and severe malnutrition.///camille p. balagtas