Page 14 - Hello Philippines January 2016 'A' Issue

14 www.hello-philippines.com IMMIGRATION / OFNEWS January 2016 – No. 01 • UK & Europe Edition

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SENATOR Grace Poe on Tuesday
on the importance of migrant vote in Commission on Elections. candidacy for senator in 2013 that she citizen, a requirement for those
took her case before migrant workers 2016 polls held at the University of the She said many Filipinos are abroad established her residency in the country running for president, because her
Philippines, Quezon City. in November 2006, Poe falls short by parents have yet to be identified.
and their families as she cited what she because they have to earn a living. She, a few months of the required 10-year
“Kapag kayo ay umalis at nagpadala however, said that there are Filipinos residency under the constitution. Happy for Digong. Poe is hoping
believes is a supposed double standard ng pera dito, nagbigay ng pasalubong who return to the country to help that the Comelec will also give her a
kayo ay bagong bayani, pero pag kayo whenever they have an opportunity to Poe’s camp has maintained that chance to run in the 2016 elections as
in the treatment of Filipinos working ay tatakbo na ay hindi na kayo bayani. do so. the entry on residency in her COC for she lauded the poll body’s decision to
Sa tingin ko doon nagkakaroon ng hindi senator was “an honest mistake.” accept the certificate of candidacy of
aboard. patas na pagtingin,” she added. “Maraming magagaling na Filipino Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.
ang umuuwi at nagtatayo ng negosyo The senator said their her life in the
“Kung merong grupong Poe is facing disqualification cases sa atin, nagbibigay ng oportunidad o US was difficult but she added that she Duterte’s COC was accepted by the
before the Supreme Court and the nagsisilbi. Ang pagmamahal sa bayan and her husband managed to provide Comelec but Chairman Andres Bautista
nakikisimpatya sa citizenship case ay hindi po determinado lamang ng for their children. She said her husband said he could still be disqualified
teritoryo, kahit saan tayo, tayo ay had a good job. depending on how the disqualification
ko ay kayo dahil alam ninyo kung nanatiling Filipino,” Poe said. case against him would be resolved.
“Pero noong bumalik ako sa Pilipinas
papaano manirahan sa ibang bansa,” “Mas lalo nga tayong Filipino noong 2005, yun po ang panahon ng “Ang palagi ko naman pong posisyon
kapag andun tayo sapagkat mas nami- ibang administrasyon, kamamatay ay dapat pahalagahan ang tinig
Poe said when asked during a forum miss natin ang bayan natin at kapag lang ng tatay ko. Maraming issue ang ng taumbayan. Para sa akin, kung
bumabalik tayo dito para bang ayaw na nilabanan natin,” Poe said. malinaw naman ang intensyon, bigyan
rin nating umalis,” she said. ng pagkakataon,” Poe said when asked
“Hindi po yun ang panahon na if she would find it unfair for the
‘Honest mistake’. Poe lived in the US madali dito para sa amin pero nakita Comelec to cancel her COC when it
to work until the mid-2000s when her ko kailangan nating ipaglaban ang accepted Duterte’s.
adoptive father Fernando Poe Jr. died. ating paniniwala at hustisya din kaya
bumalik ako dito,” she added. “Masaya nga ako na natanggap ang
Aside from her questioned kanyang COC dahil marami siyang
citizenship, another issue being raised The question on her citizenship is tagasuporta, maraming naniniwala na
against her qualification to run for based on her being a foundling. dapat mabigyan siya ng pagkakataon,”
president is her supposed lack of she added. n Amita O. Legaspi / NB, GMA News /
residency before May 2016. Petitioners against her presidential
candidacy argued that she can’t be Published / December 18, 2015 / 8:31 pm
Having stated in her certificate for considered a natural-born Filipino

Filipino, Indian shot dead in Canada convenience store robberies
A 41-year-old Filipino was killed Local police said Bhangu’s killing day of the deadly robberies on unrelated
in a convenience store robbery in happened at around 3:30 a.m. charges. another Filipino, described the incident as Philippines. As of Saturday (Philippine
Edmonton, Canada last December 18, a “nonsense type of murder” for “a few time), a total of 669 people have raised
the Global News Canada reported. Google Maps estimates the distance Mac’s issued a statement on the same bucks.” a little over half of the target amount
between the two stores’ locations at day of the incidents. of $50,000. n Rie Takumi / ALG, GMA News /
The report identified the Filipino roughly 7.3 kilometers. Vale set up a GoFundMe page for the
as Ricky Massin Cenabre, who was “This is a sad day in the history of expenses of Cenabre’s family back in the Published / December 26, 2015 / 11:21 am
shot dead by armed men at the Mac’s CBC Canada named the three suspects Mac’s. My heart aches for the many lives
convenience store at the corner of in the fatal burglaries as Laylin Delorme, impacted by this tragedy and especially
108 Street and 61 Avenue in south 24; Colton Steinhauer, 27; and a 13-year-old for the families of the two victims. We are
Edmonton. boy. doing all we can to support our people and
to reach out to those in need,” Western
The incident happened at around The suspects have been charged Canada Vice-President of Operations,
3:42 a.m. with two counts of first-degree murder, Bonnie Birollo, said in the statement
robbery, with a prohibited restricted quoted by Global News Canada.
The report said that before Cenabre’s firearm, being disguised with attempt, and
shooting, an Indian migrant identified other offenses. Humble. Cenabre, a native of Bohol,
as Karanpal Singh Bhangu was also shot was described by a local news outlet as a
dead by the same group of gunmen at Delorm, Steinhauser, and the minor “humble man” who worked to get his wife,
another Mac’s store at the corner of 32 were prohibited from possessing firearms Editha, and 16-year-old son to Canada.
Avenue and 82 Street. due to prior criminal activities. The minor
was scheduled to appear in court on the Richard Vale, a friend of Cenabre’s and

Miriam urges formation of task force to prevent abuse of OFWs
SEN. Miriam Defensor Santiago
on Saturday called for the creation of of a task force aiming to prevent the to reach out to their families for a Gawidan recently testified before Her employers, Lim Choon Hong
a multi-agency task force that would maltreatment of OFWs. certain period. Singaporean court that her employers and Chong Sui Foon, also had her sleep
focus on reports of abuse against only fed her instant noodles and bread in a small store room and only allowed
overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). “We defeat the purpose of She added that help desks should from January 2013 to April 2015, her to shower once or twice a week at
documenting all OFWs if their records be put up in Philippine diplomatic post leading her to shed 20 kilograms. their condominium’s public toilet.
Santiago, chair of the Senate foreign waste away in archives. Locating OFWs abroad.
relations committee, made the call days reported missing is a difficult task, but If convicted, Hong and Food will
after news of a Filipina domestic helper it is the responsibility of government, face up to 12 months in jail and or a
allegedly starved for an entire year and especially to those whom it calls fine of up to $10,000 under Singapore’s
forced to work without pay in Singapore. modern-day heroes,” Santiago said. Employment of Foreign Manpower
Act.
“I fear that Thelma Gawidan is She said that the multi-agency
not an isolated case. How many other task force should be composed of the “Fortunately, Thelma was able
Filipinos in foreign countries endure Department of Foreign Affairs, the to escape from what appears to be
the same fate only so that they can Department of Labor and Employment, modern-day slavery. But what would
send money to their loved ones at the Philippine Overseas Employment have happened if she remained in
home? The government must find out Administration, and the Overseas that situation, or if she got caught
and help all of them,” the senator said. Workers Welfare Administration. while trying to escape? We have heard
similar stories; we do not like how they
The senator said she will file a Santiago said that through the end,” Santiago said. n Rie Takumi / ALG, GMA
resolution next year for the creation task force, the government should
proactively seek OFWs who have failed News / Published / December 19, 2015 / 3:44 pm