Page 12 - Hello Philippines February 2016 'B' issue

12 www.hello-philippines.com IMMIGRATION / OFNEWS February 2016 / Fortnightly – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition

Scheañmerpeisonrienmg eOmFbWererdighfotsr
MEMBERS of both the Senate and conditions for Filipino workers through and concerns he had fought for,” Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said
House of Representatives on Monday their security of tenure,” Poe said in a Escudero said. Señeres will be remembered for his the esteemed and respected colleague
praised OFW Family Club party-list statement. “Our prayers are with him “unwavering dedication and sincere and legislator who had worked hard
Rep. Roy Señeres for his dedication to and his family.” “Our deepest condolences to his service to our nation onto the very to uphold and protect the rights of
improving the lives of migrant workers family. I appeal to our people to pray end.” migrant, and evel local, Filipino
and ordinary employees. Poe’s running mate, Senator Francis for the eternal repose of Ambassador workers,” he said in a statement.
Escudero, said he is saddened by the Seneres, as well as for strength for his “He is a great loss to our overseas
Senator Grace Poe said Señeres, demise of the former ambassador a day loved ones during this difficult time,” Filipino workers’ community having Señeres was supposed to run
who passed away on Monday morning before the campaign season for those he added. spent most of his life to champion their for president under the Partido ng
at the age of 68 due to complications seeking national posts in the May concerns as well as those of the labor Manggagawa at Magsasaka until he
from diabetes, left behind a legacy “as elections kicked off. Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” sector,” Belmonte said. withdrew his candidacy last Friday for
a champion of the welfare of OFWs MarcosJr.saidSeñereshadchampioned health reasons. n Xianne Arcangel / KBK, GMA
(overseas Filipino workers).” “I am deeply saddened and shocked OFWs’ rights as a diplomat and fought Isabela Rep. Rodolfo Albano III said
by the sudden demise of Ambassador for laborers’ rights as chairman of the he considers Señeres a champion of the News / Published / February 8, 2016 / 6:01 pm
“He will be remembered for Roy Seneres. He is a big loss to the National Labor Relations Commission. rights and welfare of Filipino migrants.
his cause to make better working OFWs and their families, whose causes
In the House of Representatives, “I am saddened by the demise of

Pro-OFW group alarmed over DFA chief’s resignation amid MidEast crisis
A pro-OFW group on Wednesday that there is a massive retrenchment of announced several economic reforms,
expressed alarm over the resignation OFWs in the Middle East, Migrante is still including budget cuts and austerity
of Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del urging the government to come up with a measures.
Rosario in the face of the reported mass definite plan to address a possible OFW
retrenchment of OFWs in the Middle East. crisis in the Middle East. Baldoz said there has been a
1.11-percent decrease in job orders from
“While his reasons for quitting may “There remains no clear blueprint from Saudi Arabia in the last two months —
be personal and we respect that, we are the Philippine government on what it plans or 2,621 in December 2015 to 2,346 in
anxious about its repercussions now that to do in the event of massive retrenchment January 2016.
we are faced with an imminent catastrophic and displacement of migrant workers,”
situation wherein millions of OFWs in the said Martinez, the group’s first nominee. Decrease in jobs orders were also
Middle East may face mass retrenchment reported by Philippine labor officials in
and repatriation,” said Garry Martinez of “Like before, the government is Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab
Migrante party-list in a statement. downplaying the potentially collosal Emirates.
consequences of the crisis on the lives and
“With Del Rosario’s resignation, how welfare of our OFWs, not to mention its Migrante party-list has recently
can the government assure our OFWs negative effects on the domestic economy,” launched a “crisis hotline” for OFWs
and their families that it will be ready for he added. who will be affected in the ongoing
an imminent crisis in the Middle East? crisis in the Middle East. The hotline
Kumbaga sa karera, nagpalit ng driver sa There are two million OFWs in the can be reached through mobile number
kagitnaan ng byahe,” Martinez said. Middle East, most of them in Saudi Arabia, 0932-5829439 or email address
which suffered a record high state deficit mideastcrisishotline@gmail.com. n
Though the Department of Labor and last year due to crashing oil prices.
Employment (DOLE) has already denied KBK, GMA News / Published / February 10, 2016 /
The Saudi Arabian government had
6:33pm

Pinay ‘scammer’ in NZ loses court Veloso recruiters refuse to enter plea on human trafficking case
battle to keep identity secret
THE identity of the Filipino tagged slapped with 284 dishonesty-related THE two alleged recruiters of Mary

behind the visa scam that victimized charges, including multiple counts of Jane Veloso, a Filipino sentenced to

thousands of Filipinos looking for work deception, using forged documents, death in Indonesia for drug trafficking,

in New Zealand was finally revealed supplying false information, and on Thursday refused to enter plea on

by the court months after her arrest, a obtaining visas by forgery for more the qualified human trafficking case

than 1,000 Filipino farm workers. filed against them with the Nueva Ecija

report on NZ City said. court.

Judge Edwin Wylie of the Hamilton She has been remanded on bail Because of this, the Baloc, Nueva

High Court identified the alleged without plea and was ordered to Ecija Regional Trial Court Branch 37

scammer as Loraine Anne Cander reappear in the Hamilton District entered a not guilty plea for Maria

Jayme, 35, in a court decision after Court on March 16. Cristina Sergio and Julius Lacanilao,

rejecting Jayme’s appeal for continued Filipinos with good records who according to Migrante party-list, one of

name suppression. were victimized in the visa scams were the groups supporting Veloso.

Wylie said there was significant given reprieve by the New Zealand Sergio and Lacanilao were arraigned

public interest in the case to warrant government on the condition that they on their trafficking case on Thursday illegal recruitment and estafa charges filed government signed by its president,

the lifting of the name suppression. have confess to falsifying information morning after the court junked with against them. Jeanne Mirer.

The defense had asked the court to in their CV to acquire work visas. finality their motions to defer their Open letter to gov’t In its letter, the group also appealed

protect Jayme’s identity due to threats According to data cited by Stuff. arraignment last month. Meanwhile, with Sergio and Lacanilao’s to the Indonesian government “to

to her and her family. co.nz from Immigration New Zealand, The two were accused of sending arraignment finally pushing through, the keep Mary Jane’s reprieve in effect

NZ National quoted Wylie saying, about 1,900 Filipinos on temporary Veloso to Indonesia in April 2010 with International Association of Democratic for as long as the legal proceedings in

“In my judgment there is nothing to visas work in the dairy industry. n Rie 2.6 kilograms of heroin in her suitcase. Lawyers (IADL) urged the government the Philippines are going on, and/or to

suggest that publication of Mrs Jayme’s Takumi / KBK, GMA News / Published / February 11, 2016 Veloso was arrested and eventually to “exert all efforts to expedite the magnanimously grant her clemency on

name is going to have any effect on / 4:26 pm sentenced to death, but her execution prosecution of Mary Jane’s traffickers in both legal and humanitarian grounds.”

accelerating or extinguishing the risk was put on hold on the last minute in the Philippines.” The IADL is a non-government

of further threats being made.” April last year to allow her to testify “The Philippine government should see organization with consultative status

In their appeal, Jayme’s lawyer, against her alleged recruiters in the to it that Mary Jane Veloso’s cry will not at the United Nations Economic and

Roger Laybourn, cited two death Philippines. drown in all the fanfare of the upcoming Social Council and UNESCO. It has been

threats made against his client and Sergio and Lacanilao, who Philippine national elections, or trifled vigilantly following the case of Veloso. n

her family as reasons to protect her surrendered to authorities last year, with, as it has done in the past years,” KBK, GMA News / Published / February 11, 2016 /

identity. had earlier pleaded not guilty to the the group said in an open letter to the 12:19 pm

Jayme was arrested in October and