Running migrants women say "let Migrante run"

Running women migrants say:

"Let Migrante Run"

Bagong Barrio, Caloocan City

November 9, 2009

Migrante Aotearoa New Zealand joined Migrante chapters around the world in launching text and e-mail barrage

calling on Comelec commissioners to “Let the voices of OFWs be heard, Let Migrante Run in 2010.

Photos courtesy of Migrante International


x 9 November 2009 PRESS RELEASE: Reference: Gina Gaborni, Deputy Secretary General, 09074698126 Ailyn Abdula, Media Officer, 09212708994 “Let Migrante Run,” running women migrants say 1-week action against denial of OFW party-list representation kicks off with protest jog Around 150 women from an Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) community in Bagong Barrio, Caloocan City today held a protest jog against the Arroyo government’s continuing refusal to give migrants a chance for representation under the party-list system. Carrying streamers that read, “Let Migrante Run,” former female OFWs and wives and mothers of OFWs held an early morning protest jog to symbolize their protest against the Commission on Elections’ de-listing of Migrante Party-list from the 2010 elections. From the Brgy. 150 covered court, the women ran two kilometers and broke through a finish line designed with paper masks of Comelec commissioners and President Arroyo. “This run symbolizes how OFWs will not be stopped by a malicious move by the government to further marginalize us. We who have toiled abroad and whose husbands and children work like slaves under foreign employers have fought long and hard for our rights and welfare. We refuse to simply stand by and allow this attack on our organized effort to gain a much needed and much deserved voice in Congress,” said Gina Gaborni, deputy secretary general of Migrante International. Migrante Party-list has a pending opposition to the Comelec’s En Banc Resolution last October 13, 2009 disqualifying Migrante and 25 other party-list organizations, saying that it was in violation of the Party-list System Act and “politically motivated” in order to silence party-lists critical of the administration. Last week, it launched an electronic barrage through text and e-mail in order to pressure Comelec commissioners to remove Migrante’s de-listing. It was participated by OFW communities worldwide. The protest jog in Caloocan City is the first in a series of migrants’ protest actions scheduled this week, which will culminate in a rally in front of the Comelec on November 12. “We are just warming up in our protest. We vow to see this struggle to the finish line, which is the day when we are finally given the chance to be truly represented and heard, not just shamelessly used by the government for the remittances that we and our families send home,” said Gaborni.###





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In New Zealand

			9 November 2009 PRESS RELEASE Migrante Aotearoa New Zealand joined Migrante chapters around the world in launching text and e-mail barrage calling on Comelec commissioners to “Let the voices of OFWs be heard, Let Migrante Run in 2010. “The Comelec’s recent resolution requiring all partylist groups to bare their nominees is a welcome development. We challenge Chairman Melo and all Comelec Commissioners to delist those who are not genuine representatives of marginalised sectors and immediately heed appeal of OFWs around the world to reverse its decision to disqualify Migrante from the 2010 partylist race,” the group stressed. “We have very serious doubts about the integrity of the Comelec’s process of accreditation as it unfairly disqualified Migrante Sectoral Party while accrediting Malacañang-backed party-list groups to fraudulently claim seats as representatives of the marginalised sectors,” Mr Dennis Maga, Migrante Aotearoa national coordinator stated. “Since 2001, hundreds of members of progressive partylist groups Bayan Muna, Anakpawis and Gabriela Women’s Party became victims of political persecution because they stood at the forefront of exposing fraud, corruption and human rights violations under Arroyo. Now, Migrante has also become a victim of unjust disqualification as another form of political persecution. Migrante is considered another threat to the administration’s plans in the 2010 elections as it exposed corruption of OFW funds during the fraudulent 2004 elections. We can see that Arroyo’s desperate bid to stay in power is behind Migrante’s delisting and for sure the progressive partylist groups will continue to be targets of political persecution this election season,” the group warned. “It is really frustrating that the present party-list system has yet to fulfil the avowed goal of ensuring adequate representation to underrepresented sectors. The continuing trend of Malacañang-backed party-list groups getting accredited and Comelec disregarding appeals for Migrante to be allowed to run further expose sham democracy in the Philippines,” Mr Maga concluded. ____________________________________________________ Migrante Aotearoa \| 34 Titirangi Rd, New Lynn, Auckland 1007 +64 9 8276059 \|migrante@xtra.co.nz \| migrantenz.blogspot.com "We speak out because we have rights!"



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