News Release
February 8, 2008
For reference: Connie Bragas-Regalado, Chairperson (0927-215-7392)

OFWs salute Lozada; Heighten calls for Arroyo's ouster

An alliance of organizations composed of overseas Filipinos and their
families today hailed Jun Lozada for daring to expose the truth behind
the anomalous ZTE-NBN deal.

"We applaud Jun Lozada for exposing the billion peso corruption in the
ZTE-NBN deal and the South Rail project. He validates what the
Filipino people have known all along – that the Arroyo administration
and particularly the First Family are guilty of raiding this country's
coffers for their own benefit," says Connie Bragas-Regalado, Migrante
International Chairperson.

Migrante International today joined BAYAN and other progressive
organizations in a mobilization at the Senate today to show support
for Lozada during his testimony at the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.

"We call on Sec. Romulo Neri to follow Lozada's example. We hope that
he too will truly tell all he knows about the deal. Further, we
enjoin Senators to commit to seeing this inquiry through. We call on
them to pull out all stops when it comes to unearthing the depths of
corruption in this case and other cases. This means that among those
they invite to testify must include First Gentleman Mike Arroyo," she
added.

"It's criminal that while OFWs toil overseas in their bid to uplift
their families out of poverty while at the same time propping up our
country – Arroyo, her family and her cohorts are plundering our
economy. Through their billion peso kickbacks, they are literally
stealing food out of our plates, denying our children access to good
education and leaving the sick to die without adequate health care,"
said Bragas-Regalado.

The Migrante leader noted that these actions are in addition to the
long list of anti-migrant policies – whose main aim is greater state
exactions or kotong, already passed by the Arroyo administration in
the guise of better protection for OFWs. Examples include the POEA MC
04, the new POEA Guidelines on HSWs and the OWWA Omnibus Policies.

"Enough is enough. We enjoin all migrant workers and the Filipino
people to unite to oust the corrupt fascist, puppet and anti-migrant
Arroyo regime," she concluded. #

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