Migrante International chairperson Connie Bragas-Regalado (center), Gabriela Party-List Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan (right) and Arleen Alonzo of the Association for the Rights of Children in Southeast Asia (ARCSEA) hold a press conference with local reporters in Zamboanga City.The working group created bilaterally by the Philippines and Malaysian governments regarding the migration problems between the two countries is only on papers and it's not really working, women and migrant groups said here on Saturday.
In a press conference, Migrante International chairperson Connie Bragas-Regalado said officials of this inter-agency committee do not have coordination whatsoever with Malaysian government.
"Iyong itinayong RP-Malaysia working group on migrants failed to address the human rights violation committed against deportees in Sabah. Naglilista lang sila (inter-agency committee officials) ng dumarating na deportees," Regalado said.
She said they're only functioning based on what their agencies can do without coordinating them with the government that is supposed to be their partner, adding that representatives from the agencies involved in the said committee didn't even mention on how the RP-Malaysia working group is working.
The migrant leader also said member agencies of the inter-agency committee themselves are not coordinating their actions regarding the deportation of thousands of undocumented migrant Filipino workers in Sabah, Malaysia.
Citing the Department of Labor and Employment, which heads the committee, she said it's only concerned on how the deported undocumented Filipinos can go back to work in Sabah and the same goes with the DFA, whose job is to process working visas so that deportees can go back to Sabah.
"The government is putting band aid solutions to long standing problems regarding the issue. The problem is that Filipinos keep coming back to Sabah because they can't find jobs in the Philippines. They also seek refuge because of the historic and ongoing war in Mindanao," she said.
Regalado also scored the so called livelihood projects of government agencies for the deportees.
Migrante together with Grabriela Party-List Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan, Engender Rights Inc. Executive Director Atty. Clara Rita Padilla and Arleen Alonzo of the Association for the Rights of Children in Southeast Asia (ARCSEA) is conducting a fact-finding on Sabah deportees in the city.
The fact-finding mission arrived here on Friday and conducted an ocular inspection of the Center for Displaced persons for deporteesin Barangay Mampang, this city that is run by the Department of Social Work and Development.
In its initial findings, the group found out that most of the deportees still staying at the center are from Mindanao and that cases of deaths, suicide and violations of human rights were left unrecorded especially if this occurred during detention in Malaysia.
For her part, Gabriela Rep.Ilagan expressed her support to file charges before the UN if the evidence gathered proves neglect on the part of the national government to protect the rights and welfare of deportees.
She said the national government up to now, has yet to present any concrete system to address the problem on why the deportees continue to go back to Malaysia to work. (HG)
In a press conference, Migrante International chairperson Connie Bragas-Regalado said officials of this inter-agency committee do not have coordination whatsoever with Malaysian government.
"Iyong itinayong RP-Malaysia working group on migrants failed to address the human rights violation committed against deportees in Sabah. Naglilista lang sila (inter-agency committee officials) ng dumarating na deportees," Regalado said.
She said they're only functioning based on what their agencies can do without coordinating them with the government that is supposed to be their partner, adding that representatives from the agencies involved in the said committee didn't even mention on how the RP-Malaysia working group is working.
The migrant leader also said member agencies of the inter-agency committee themselves are not coordinating their actions regarding the deportation of thousands of undocumented migrant Filipino workers in Sabah, Malaysia.
Citing the Department of Labor and Employment, which heads the committee, she said it's only concerned on how the deported undocumented Filipinos can go back to work in Sabah and the same goes with the DFA, whose job is to process working visas so that deportees can go back to Sabah.
"The government is putting band aid solutions to long standing problems regarding the issue. The problem is that Filipinos keep coming back to Sabah because they can't find jobs in the Philippines. They also seek refuge because of the historic and ongoing war in Mindanao," she said.
Regalado also scored the so called livelihood projects of government agencies for the deportees.
Migrante together with Grabriela Party-List Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan, Engender Rights Inc. Executive Director Atty. Clara Rita Padilla and Arleen Alonzo of the Association for the Rights of Children in Southeast Asia (ARCSEA) is conducting a fact-finding on Sabah deportees in the city.
The fact-finding mission arrived here on Friday and conducted an ocular inspection of the Center for Displaced persons for deporteesin Barangay Mampang, this city that is run by the Department of Social Work and Development.
In its initial findings, the group found out that most of the deportees still staying at the center are from Mindanao and that cases of deaths, suicide and violations of human rights were left unrecorded especially if this occurred during detention in Malaysia.
For her part, Gabriela Rep.Ilagan expressed her support to file charges before the UN if the evidence gathered proves neglect on the part of the national government to protect the rights and welfare of deportees.
She said the national government up to now, has yet to present any concrete system to address the problem on why the deportees continue to go back to Malaysia to work. (HG)
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