 |
| Lestari called Duterte 'evil' |
By Daisy CL Mandap
About 50 members of various migrant and community
organizations staged a protest outside the Philippine Consulate in Hong Kong
today to denounce President Rodrigo R. Duterte ahead of his third State of the
Nation Address in Manila
Most vocal in their criticism of President Duterte were two
foreign nationals who expressed solidarity for Filipinos, including Indonesian
Eni Lestari, chair of the International Migrant Alliance, who said the
Philippine president is “turning to be an “evil leader.”
“We in the international community believe Duterte should
not be supported anymore,” Lestari said, citing among his alleged misdeeds the
killing of innocent Filipinos in the name of the drug war, and his blatant
disrespect for women.
Ma Wan Ki, a local Chinese who is secretary general of the
International Confederation for Human Rights and Peace in the Philippines
 |
| Ma blasted at the extra-judicial killings |
“He has done nothing except for the (shedding of) blood of
the innocents,” said Ma.
Pastor Joram Calimutan, who represented the Promotion of
Church People’s Response, blasted Duterte’s failure to address the problems of
Filipinos, particularly the looming economic crisis brought about by heavy
borrowing and rampant corruption.
“Walang ginagawa ang kasalukuyang administrasyon para
matigil ang krisis, at sasabihin pa na istupido ang Diyos,” said Calimutan, who
also decried other church people who
continue to openly support Duterte despite his anti-religion and
anti-god rhetoric.
He also sounded alarm bells over Duterte’s alleged plan to
bring in 10,000 construction workers in China as part of his “build, build,
build” campaign, even if there are millions of Filipinos who don’t have jobs.
 |
| Pastor Calimutan spoke for church people |
Speaking for Filipino migrant workers was Dolores
Balladares, chair of United Filipinos in Hong Kong ,
who called out the Philippine leader for failing to deliver on his campaign
promise to provide them with a better life.
“Sona (a play on Sona) ngayon ang mga ipinangakong
trabaho?”, said Balladares. “Tayong mga migrante ang patunay na ang mga
ipinangakong pagbabago ay hindi nangyari.”
She cited as an example the so-called iDOLE or OFW ID, which
was recently scrapped by Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III amid allegations
of misuse of the congressional funding for the project.
She also harped at Duterte’s failure to have a real
consultation with Filipino migrants during his Hong Kong
visit in April, preferring instead to party with local Chinese business people
who own employment agencies, often seen as a bane to OFWs.
A bigger protest is set to be held this coming Sunday, Jul
29, to assess Duterte’s SONA and what it means to Filipinos, particularly
migrant workers.
