HK activists pay tribute to Filipinos who died defending rights

By Danilo A. Reyes

 

Participants write solidarity messages on a tarpaulin used at the event

Expressed in various art forms, the Cultural Night held on Dec 10 at KUC Space in Jordan to mark International Human Rights Day, turned emotional as it paid tribute to Filipinos who died defending human rights.

Among the victims honored at the event were Ericson Acosta, a community organiser who was also a poet and a singer; and Joseph Jimenez, a peasant organizer, who were both killed on Nov. 30 this year on Negros Island in the Visayas.

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Acosta and Jimenez were last seen alive when arrested by the military but died a few hours later, in circumstances their friends believe were due to an armed encounter. They became the latest addition to the growing list of leftist activists killed across the country.

Ramon Bultron, Migrante International’s deputy secretary general, who himself was subjected to overt surveillance and threats, said that “red tagging” or the labelling of leftist activists as communists, has intensified the attacks on leftist activists.

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Bultron said the worsening abuse is a continuing reminder that the “rights on paper,” the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948, is still an ongoing struggle to realise these rights, and many have died defending it.

Bultron says he's a victim of red-tagging of activists

In a statement sent to the SUN Hong Kong, Cristina Palabay, secretary general of Philippine-based human rights group Karapatan, said that the rising number of victims were no longer due to extrajudicial killings alone, but also political imprisonment.

Since Ferdinand Marcos Jr. took over as president in June 2022, the number of political prisoners has gone up to 828 as of the end of last month. Among them, 96 are sickly and 77 are elderly.

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On top of this, Palabay said about 10,000 civilians have been displaced and the lives of 3,000 others were put in danger because of indiscriminate shooting by soldiers in the countryside during military operations.

During the event, black and white photos of those who died defending human rights in the Philippines were put on display, along with the date on when each had died, and how.

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Deaconess Joyous Prim paid tribute by reciting a poem she wrote, “5 months in,” in which she portrayed the almost daily calls for help from activists in the Philippines since Marcos Jr. took office.

Prim was one of the organisers of the event hosted by the Hong Kong Campaign for Human Rights and Peace in the Philippines (HKCAHRPP), a coalition of Hong Kong-based human rights defenders.

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Another participant, American activist Sienna Christie, paid tribute to the late Zara Alvarez, a human rights defender and teacher on Negros Island whom she met during a visit in the Philippines years back.

Christie’s song, “Name of a List,” was provocative and emotional, as it recounted her personal encounter with Alavarez when she was still alive.

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Prim and Christie’s tributes were a reminder that the people on the placards were not just  numbers nor names, but were human beings who cared for others.

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Mas giginaw pa simula sa Sabado, ayon sa Observatory

Ang babala para sa inaasahang pagbagsak ng temperatura sa Sabado

Kung gininaw ka noong mga nakalipas na linggo, mas giginawin ka simula sa darating na Sabado dahil ang temperatura sa umaga ay bababa pa sa 11 degrees Celsius mula 14 degrees, ayon sa Hong Kong Observatory.

Ito ay dahil sa pagdating ng malamig na hanging dala ng winter monsoon mula sa hilagang China.

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Ang weather system na ito ang papalit sa northeast monsoon na dumadaloy ngayon sa Hong Kong at nagdadala ng maaiwalas na papawirin, na siyang dahilan ng pag-init sa hapon kahit na maginaw sa umaga.

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Kasunod ng weather system na ito ay ang pagdating sa Miyerkules ng mga ulap na nagbabadya ng ulan sa Hong Kong.

Pero pagdating ng Sabado, magiging maaliwalas ang panahon, pero mas maginaw ang hangin dahil sa pagdating ng winter monsoon.

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Kaugnay nito, nagbigay ng payo ang Observatory kung ano ang gagawin upang maiwasang mapahamak dahil sa malamig na panahon:

• Magsuot ng makapal na damit bilang proteksyon ng katawan laban sa ginaw.
• Magbukas ng kahit isang bintana upang makapasok sa bahay ang sariwang hangin.
• Kung hindi maiiwasang lumabas, huwag magbabad sa maginaw na hangin at humanap ng masisilungang mainit-init kapag gininaw.



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• Maging alerto sa kapakanan ng matatanda, lalo na ang mga naninirahang mag-iisa, dahil sila ang mas madaling maapektuhan sa ginaw.



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• Siguruhing maayos ang air heater bago gamitin, at paandarin sila na malayo sa mga bagay na madaling magliyab, upang maiwasang magkasunog.
  
  
  
• Huwag magsisiga upang painitin ang loob ng bahay, upang maiwasan hindi lang ang sunog kundi ang pagtaas ng carbon monoxide na nakamamatay.
• Siguruhing may pumapasok na sariwang hangin sa bahay (lalo na sa kubeta) kapag gumagamit ng lumang water heater na tumatakbo sa gas.

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• Kumain ng mas maraming pagkain na mayaman sa carbohydrates, gaya ng kanin, tinapay at iba pa.
• Mag-ehersisyo upang magpainit ng katawan.
• Mag-ingat laban sa trangkaso, na kapanahunan tuwing tag-lamig, sa pamamagitan ng pagpapabakuna at pagpapanatili ng kalinisan sa katawan..

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HK records over 14k Covid cases

 By The SUN

It's the 4th straight day that the daily tally has topped 10k

Health authorities on Saturday said they had recorded 14,377 new Covid-19 infections, including 698 imported ones.

Another 21 Covid patients have died.

Among those recently reported as having come down with the coronavirus was Labour Secretary Chris Sun, who had been in isolation since Friday after one of his family members tested positive.

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The daily tally was significantly higher than the 13,924 reported on Friday, and marked the fourth straight day that the caseload had topped 10,000.

However, a health expert said Hong Kong should now be regarded as living with Covid-19 because he estimates that over 90 percent of people living here may have been infected already.

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Dr David Hui said that although the daily tally has gone up to more than 10,000, most of the patients only have mild symptoms, and only about 20 are in serious or critical condition.

With its high vaccination rate, the city has already built a barrier against severe symptoms. But there is still a need to boost vaccination to further maintain the low number of people getting seriously ill because of Covid.

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He suggested that the anti-pandemic rules be eased some more, saying that because of the high transmissibility of the Omicron variant, the number of infections is bound to go up.

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Mga migrante sa HK at Middle East, nanawagan na ibasura ang OEC

 Ng The SUN

Sa simbahan naglalagi ang mga tumutulong sa mga OFW na makakuha ng OEC

Nagkaisa ang mga migranteng manggagawa sa Hong Kong at Middle East na ipanawagan ang pagbabasura sa overseas employment certificate (OEC) dahil diumano ay hindi naman ito kailangan, at sobrang pasakit sa kanila ang pagkuha nito.

Isinagawa ang panawagan sa isang online na pagpupulong nitong Biyernes na ipinatawag ng Migrante International.

Sa kanyang pangunang salita, sinabi ni Dolores Balladares Pelaez, pinuno ng United Filipinos in Hong Kong (Migrante), na dahil malapit na ang Pasko at nagluwag ng mga patakaran kontra sa Covid-19 ang HK ay maraming OFW ang nakatakdang umuwi sa Pilipinas, at dahil dito ay kailangang kumuha ng OEC.

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Pero hindi sila basta-basta makakakuha nito dahil kailangan nila ng appointment bago sila makapasok sa Philippine Overseas Labor Office o Polo, sabi ni Pelaez.

“Marami ang gustong kumuha ng OEC mula sa Konsulado, pero dahil wala silang appointment ay hindi sila natulungan,” dagdag niya.

Ipinarating na raw ng grupo niya kay Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople ang kanilang pakiusap na tanggalin na ang OEC pero wala daw silang sagot na natanggap.

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Dahil maraming reklamo ang natatanggap nila mula sa mga OFW na kumukuha ng OEC ay nagdesisyon ang Unifil-Migrante kamakailan na magprotesta laban dito tuwing araw ng Linggo, na siyang araw ng pahinga ng maraming migrante.

Ayon naman kay Marites Palma, na nagtatag ng grupong Social Justice for Migrant Workers, sa tinagal-tagal niya sa Hong Kong ay hindi pa rin nawawala ang problema sa OEC. Mas lumala pa raw nang i-“digitize” ito dahil marami sa mga may edad na katulad niya ang hirap sumabay sa makabagong teknolohiya.

Inilahad ni Palma ang kanyang naging karanasan noong umuwi siya sa kanilang bayan sa Isabela para magbakasyon, at nagdesisyon na doon na lang kumuha ng OEC. Nang sabihin sa kanya na kailangan niyang magpakita ng patunay na miyembro siya Pag-IBIG Fund para maka kuha ng OEC ay kinailangan niyang magbyahe ng 100 kilometro dahil walang malapit na opisina ng Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (OWWA) sa kanila.

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Sa maramdaming boses ay tinanong ni Palma kung ano ba talaga ang silbi ng OEC gayong may kontrata at visa naman na maaring ipakita ang isang OFW bilang patunay na siya ay isang lehitimong manggagawa sa labas ng bansa.

Ayon naman kay Marigold, napilitan siyang magbayad na lang ng $60 sa isa sa mga tindahan sa ibaba ng Konsulado para lang makakuha ng OEC. Pero laking gulat niya nang makita na mali ang kasarian na nakasulat sa ibinigay sa kanyang OEC. Ayaw na raw itong palitan nung nasa tindahan.

Malungkot na karanasan din tungkol sa OEC ang ibinahagi ni Ludy na nasa Dubai. Sinubukan daw niyang kumuha nito online, pero dahil hindi siya agad nasagot sa katanungan niya ay nagdesisyon siyang umuwi na lang at doon na asikasuhin ang pagkuha nito.

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Pero muntik na raw siyang hindi nakabalik dahil ayaw siyang bigyan ng OEC sa punong tanggapan ng POEA at wala daw silang record na na verify ang kontrata niya dito. Dahil dito ay pumasok daw sa isipan niya na umalis na lang sa bansa na parang turista para makabalik sa trabaho niya.

“But why would I do that if the government is efficient? It's just so stupid... When our government does this, we will not have a chance to be hired as talents... Companies will rethink why they are hiring Filipinos with all this hassle.” (Pero bakit ko ito gagawin kung napapatakbo nang maayos ang gobyerno? Isa itong kabobohan. Kung ipagpapatuloy na gawin ito ng gobyerno ay hindi na tayo makukuha sa ibang lugar dahil sa ating galing. Mag-iisip na ang mga kumpanya na kuning manggagawa ang isang Pilipino dahil sa aberyang ito.”

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Ayon naman kay Mark Aquino ng Migrante Middle East ay isang kalamidad na gawa ng tao ang OEC, at dahil dito ay nagdurusa ang mga OFW.

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17 arrested in anti-illegal work operations

 

Suspected illegal workers are led to police buses after the raids.

Hong Kong’s campaign against illegal work netted 17 persons in operations conducted on Dec. 5 to 8, the Immigration Department reported today.

Of those arrested, 10 were suspected illegal workers, two suspected employers, three overstayers, one illegal immigrant and one suspected aider and abettor.

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Their arrests were made by Immigration during a series of territory-wide anti-illegal worker operations codenamed "Lightshadow" and "Twilight", and in joint operations with the Hong Kong Police Force codenamed "Champion" and "Powerplayer".

In the Immigration operations, officers raided 53 target locations including commercial buildings, a garage, a massage parlor, a residential building, restaurants and a warehouse.

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They arrested eight suspected illegal workers and one suspected employer. The arrested workers comprised four men and four women, aged 38 to 53. Among them, three women were holders of recognisance forms, which prohibit them from taking any employment. One woman was suspected of using and being in possession of Hong Kong identity cards related to another person.

One man, aged 54, was afrested for employing the workers. One man, aged 22, was also arrested fr aiding and abetting persons who breached the condition of stay in Hong Kong.

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In operations "Champion" and "Powerplayer", officers raided 24 target locations in Central district and New Territories North Region including a garage, a restaurant and a warehouse.

They arrested two suspected illegal workers, one suspected employer, three overstayers and one illegal immigrant.

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The suspected illegal workers comprised two men, aged 31 and 35. Among them, one man was a holder of a recognizance form, which prohibits him from taking any employment. One man, aged 40, was suspected of employing the illegal workers. Three female overstayers, aged 33 to 54, were arrested.

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Furthermore, one male illegal immigrant was also arrested. In addition, he was suspected of using and being in possession of a false instrument. Among them, two suspected illegal workers, two overstayers and one suspected employer were handled by the ImmD. 

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