NYCHRP’s LIGHTS FOR RIGHTS on Arkibongbayan.org!!

LIGHTS FOR RIGHTS
International Human Rights Day
December 10, 2011
Times Square
(Red Stairs on 47th and Broadway)

Assemble at 4:40pm
Program at 4:59 SHARP

Bring your banners, signs, blue glowsticks, flyers– demand for human rights!

Endorse Lights for Rights NYC—Commemorate International Human Rights Day on December 10, 2011

REFERENCE: Yoko Liriano (New York Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines; Coordinator) 808-216-7191; ytliriano@gmail.com; www.NYCHRP.info; www.lights4rights.org

Greetings of peace,

This year, International Human Rights Day comes at a time when a national movement for economic equality and fairness is spreading across the US. As people from all walks of life in the US unite against corporate greed, let us also remember the millions of civilians around the world whose lives have been taken by US military and counter-insurgency operations throughout history such as Operation Condor in South America, Operation Brother Sam in Brazil, Operation Phoenix in Vietnam, Operation Enduring Freedom in the Philippines and countless other covert CIA operations in Latin America, Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

Under Obama, war, militarism and counter-insurgency continue to be an integral part of US foreign policy to ensure the protection and advancement of the US corporate minority’s interests worldwide.

Here in the belly of the beast, we see the effects of this minority interest through the siphoning of public funds for war, militarism, and counter-insurgency, instead of investing in jobs, our education, housing, healthcare and our other basic human needs. At the same time, the state answers growing public outcry and resistance with intensifying political repression and the denial of civil rights.

Human rights encompass ALL facets of rights which shall remain inalienable according to the United Nation’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

We are calling on all those who firmly believe in human rights to commemorate International Human Rights Day on December 10, 2011. Join us as we fill the streets with flowing candlelight in honor of all those who have fought for their rights. Call for justice for those taken victim to human rights violations.

All people have the inalienable right to:
-Life, Liberty, Dignity, and Security
-Freedom of Ideas, Belief, Expression, and Assembly
-Humane Treatment
-Adequate Land, Food, Shelter, Health Care, and Education
-A Living Wage Job, Means of Livelihood, and Decent Working Conditions
-Due Process
-Freedom from oppression and exploitation

Lights for Rights NYC aims to unite all those who stand for equal civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of all people, not just for the privileged.

JUSTICE FOR ALL VICTIMS OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS! ##
END TORTURE! ##
SURFACE THE DISAPPEARED! ##
FREE ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS! ##
STOP FBI AND GOVERNMENT REPRESSION! ##
LEGALIZATION FOR ALL! ##
STOP HUMAN TRAFFICKING! ##
WORKERS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS! ##
MONEY FOR JOBS AND EDUCATION, NOT FOR WAR AND OCCUPATION! ##
US TROOPS OUT##
END ALL WARS OF IMPERIALIST AGGRESSION! ##

New York Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines (NYCHRP) is a NYC-based grassroots community organization that shares the vision of human rights advanced by the growing mass movement for social justice in the Philippines. NYCHRP engages in advocacy work to educate, organize and mobilize Filipinos and solidarity allies to take progressive action in upholding and supporting human rights of Filipinos and all people throughout the world.

To endorse the Lights for Rights (individual leader or organization), go to www.LIGHTS4RIGHTS.org.

To become an individual or organizational member of Lights for Rights, send an e-mail to: ytliriano@gmail.com.

Hold ctrl (windows) or command (mac) while clicking link to open in new tab:

Report from Fact Finding Mission of Fr. Fausto

Proposed Resolution for House of Representatives Regarding Fr. Fausto

Justice for Father Pops!

Press Release
October 19, 2011

References:
Jun Cruz, National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON), info@nafconusa.org;
Jackelyn Mariano, BAYAN USA Northeast, bayanusa.ne@gmail.com

Human Trafficking Continues Under Aquino Administration, US Watchlist Ranking Deceiving
Fil-Ams Call for Investigation, Shutdown of Trafficking Operations

Filipino-Americans under the banners of two national alliances– the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON) and BAYAN USA– are joining forces and calling for broad multi-ethnic cooperation and support to stop the epidemic of labor trafficking, a form of human trafficking, from developing countries such as the Philippines to the United States. They state the Philippines so-called improved ranking on the US Watchlist of countries on Human Trafficking is deceiving and hypocritical as aggressive labor trafficking operations from the Philippines to the US continues under the administration of Philippine President Benigno S. “PNoy” Aquino III.

Under the joint campaign initiative “Communities United Against Labor Trafficking” the two alliances are calling attention to the government-facilitated Labor Export Program (LEP) and the culpability of its various departments such as the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) which have dealings with foreign recruiters undertaking labor trafficking operations, such as the US-based SentosaCare LLC.

In 2006, NAFCON took the lead in assisting and advocating for the Sentosa 27+, a group of Filipino nurses and one physical therapist subjected to illegal recruitment from Manila to New York. Contracted in Manila by the Sentosa Recruitment Agency, the health workers were to work as staff nurses for SentosaCare-owned healthcare facilities in the US, while these facilities processed their H1-B work visas.

However, upon their arrival, a Sentosa representative informed the 27 that no work was available for them in their respective contracted facilities. They were hoodwinked to accept work instead as agency nurses, in which they faced workplace discrimination, abuse, lower wages and benefits, and wage theft.

Upon exercising their right to resign from their employers, SentosaCare LLC filed charges of breach of contract against the health workers.

A Common Problem

“What happened to the Sentosa nurses is unfortunately a common problem here in the US. But their inspiring example to fight for justice and to shutdown SentosaCare LLC has also inspired many other victims of labor trafficking to step forward and fight with massive community support,” states Mara Ibarra, NAFCON spokesperson.

In recent years, NAFCON and BAYAN USA have also provided assistance for Filipinos trafficked to the US as hotel workers, such as the Adman 11 in Los Angeles, the Florida 15 and the Arizona 34—cases which all involved work visa scams in the H1-B and H2-B visa categories.

“In most cases, the victims seek assistance from Philippine consular offices here in the US first, but are not offered help,” Ibarra stated.

Aquino: Failed Economic Policies & Watchlist Ranking

“This is not a Filipino problem. This is a problem of every underdeveloped country in the world with a government milking its overseas workers for remittances to prop up sinking economies they refuse to fix,” states Berna Ellorin, chairperson of BAYAN USA. “In the case of the Philippines, Aquino’s economic policies have failed to eradicate deepening poverty and joblessness, the reasons why Filipinos have no choice but to seek work abroad and often fall into these labor trafficking schemes. At the same time, the Aquino government continues to allow traffickers like SentosaCare LLC maintain their recruitment licenses with the POEA despite public outcry.”

On the Aquino administration’s boasting of its improved ranking from Tier 3 to Tier 2 on the US government’s Watchlist on Human Trafficking, Ellorin asserts—“Philippine government is NOT doing anything to stop human trafficking, as this so-called Tier 2 ranking wants to claim. It is actually pushing it. In fact, the offices and departments of the LEP and their anomalous dealings with recruiters in work visa scams look more like one big human trafficking syndicate raking in profits for the Philippine government and these traffickers than anything else.”

Shutdown Labor Trafficking Operations Now! Stop Human Trafficking!

Under “Communities United Against Labor Trafficking”, one of the key demands of the alliances is for the complete shutdown of labor trafficking operations from the Philippines by way of a Philippine Congressional investigation of the POEA, and the various agencies Filipino workers in the US are implicating in labor trafficking schemes, such as SentosaCare LLC.

A fierce proponent for a Congressional investigation has already been identified House Representative Neri Colmenares of the Bayan Muna Party List in the Philippines. Other allied representatives in the Philippine Congress have already offered their support to the call for an investigation and prosecution of agencies found guilty of labor trafficking from the Philippines.

Additional demands include the immediate release of public funds from the budgets of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and Overseas Worker Welfare Administration (OWWA) in the Philippines for legal defense and relief for Filipino victims of human trafficking to the US, many of who are forced into undocumented status because of work visa scams.

“The Philippine government has the power to right these wrongs and shutdown these labor trafficking syndicates. It also has the ample funds to assist trafficking victims. The Aquino government needs to prove in action, not just in rhetoric, which side its really on—that of the traffickers or the trafficking victims,” Ibarra ended.

A national rally against labor trafficking will take place Friday, October 21st, 9:30am in front of the Philippine Consulate General office in mid-town Manhattan. ###

by The Promotion for Church People’s Response (PCPR) in the Philippines

You who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you (Luke 13:34)

We express our deepest lamentation and indignant cry on the killing of a priest, Fr. Fausto “Pops” Tentorio, PIME.

There is not enough words to express our grief on the untimely death of Fr. Tentorio, an Italian priest and missionary to the Lumad tribes of Arakan Valley, North Cotabato. He was serving the indigenous people in Mindanao since 1978 and was the head of the Tribal Filipinos Apostolate of the Diocese of Kidapawan. He was gunned down in the morning of Oct.17 , 2011 by helmet-wearing, motorcycle-riding gunmen.

We mourn with the PIME congregation and share with them the grief for the lost of a priest whose ministry has been a greater testimony of how the church can always be in the service of those who have been marginalized and made poor by the system.

We grieve with the Lumads, and the indigenous peoples across the country who has lost a man whose life has been a representation of hope, of nurturing our dream , and working together in celebrating the diversity of faith expressions but united in fulfilling the greatest commandment of loving our neighbour.

At this time when alternatives to corporate-agenda of development mocks the option of alternative, Fr. Tentorio dared to promote sustainable agriculture and community-oriented development capacity-building programs. He has been one with the Lumad community and a voice that criticized the military operations. We are certain that it is not the will of God that his life would be snuffed out from us in such undue time. His life, works and ministry has been welcomed and embraced by the tribal communities. The master who directs the bullets aimed at his head, chest and side has lorded over his life, made him a sacrifice offered unto the altar of injustice and hate.

We are greatly disturbed that killings happen and continuously happens with impunity under the current administration of Pres. Benigno Aquino. The pattern of killing of our beloved priests reminds us how the activists, rights defenders, and church peoples were killed under Gloria Macapagal Arroyo . The killing of Fr. Tentorio ushers in a very alarming situation. He was the second church people killed under present government. His death proceeded the killing Rabenio Sungit of United Church of Christ in the Philippines, a staunch advocate and supporter of justice, peace and integrity of creation. Fr. Tentorio is the 31s church people and 2nd Roman Catholic victim of killings since 2001. We have but one call, JUSTICE FOR FR. TENTORIO .

We demand the Aquino government to hasten the investigation and ensure that justice is served. Stop Killing Our Prophets!