INIWAN SA ERE

Naghimutok ang dalawa sa 12 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) na dinakip noong nakaraang Biyernes bunsod ng pagdalo sa idinaos na Katolikong misa sa Saudi Arabia dahil tumanggi diumano ang Philippine Embassy na pirmahan ang kafala, o written guarantee para sila’y mapalaya.
Magugunita na ang 12 OFWs ay dinakip ng mga tauhan ng Commission for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice at dinala sa police station sa Rawdah district.
“There were assurances that the Philippine Embassy would sign a kafala for us, but it never came,” paghahayag ng isa sa dalawang OFWs na nagtatrabaho bilang engineer sa isang local company sa Saudi.
Napilitan na lamang umano silang umasa kani-kanilang employer para mapalaya at bandang alas-tres ng madaling-araw noong Sabado, Oktubre 2 ay ibinalik na ng pulisya ang kanilang iqama (resident/work permit).Ayon pa sa Pinoy engineer, Sabado na ng hapon siya pinalaya habang ang kababayan niyang doktor na kasama rin sa nahuli ay pinakawalan na kinagabihan.

“The embassy’s refusal to sign a kafala for us is not a good sign for OFWs. It means that we cannot depend on our embassy for total help and protection if needed,” ayon pa sa Pinoy engineer. source:abante

Walang Pinoy na nasawi

Walang Pinoy na nasawi o nasaktan  sa lindol na yumanig sa Joetsu region sa Niigata Prefecture sa Japan nitong Linggo ng umaga, Oktubre 3,  ayon sa ipinarating na impormas­yon ng Philippine Em­bassy sa Tokyo sa Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) kahapon.
“According to Japanese civil authorities in charge of foreign nationals, no Filipino national was reported killed or injured in the quake,” pahayag ng RP Embassy.
Hindi rin umano naglabas ng anumang tsunami warning ang Japanese civil authorities sa mga baybayin ng mga naapektuhang rehiyon.
Gayunpaman, nanatiling nakaalerto ang kinauukulan para sa mga aftershock.
Naitala ang lakas ng lindol sa 4.7 magnitude sa Richter scale at yumanig bandang alas-9:26 ng umaga (Japan time). source: abante

Tonight I Wanna Cry by: Ryan Toledo

directed by: Tiki

Fraternity offers reward for info on attackers

MANILA, Philippines—A fraternity based at Ateneo Law School has put up a P200,000 reward for information that will lead to the identification of those behind the grenade attack on the last day of bar examinations on Sept. 26, which left 47 wounded.

The Fraternal Order of Utopia Sunday condemned “in the strongest terms the irresponsible act of the perpetrators” outside De La Salle University, venue of the bar exams.

“Utopia hopes that those responsible for this unforgivable crime will soon be apprehended and brought to justice. Utopia commits its all-out support to the on-going investigation being conducted by the Supreme Court,” Utopia said in a statement.

The blast occurred during the traditional revelry on Taft Avenue called “salubong” to greet the law graduates who had just finished the grueling exams. Two of the 47 injured lost their limbs.

The Manila Police District (MPD) has yet to name a suspect in the blast, and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Supreme Court have each started a parallel probe.

Rey Nathaniel C. Ifurung, a Utopia member, said no one from his fraternity had been wounded in the blast, but its members were very concerned over the gruesome violence.

“We were also in that tambayan (meeting place) for the salubong. It could very well have been us who got hurt,” he said in a phone interview.

Ifurung said Utopia decided to put up the P200,000 reward during its recent homecoming, and that the members would chip in to cover the amount. He said the police had already been informed about the reward offer.

The Supreme Court welcomed the Utopia initiative, saying efforts to bring those behind the blast “to the bar of justice should be a concerted effort.”

“With this offer, it is hoped that we can put a closure to this mishap at the soonest possible time,” Supreme Court spokesperson Midas Marquez said in a text message.

The fraternity includes Chief Justice Renato Corona and Associate Justices Roberto Abad and Arturo Brion, Court of Appeals Presiding Justice Andres Reyes Jr. and six other justices of the appellate court.

“While none of our members were involved in the incident, we felt that it’s our responsibility as lawyers to help the victims whose aspirations of becoming lawyers may have been affected by this,” said Antonio Bernardo, Utopia’s alumni president.

Marquez said that the probe body headed by Associate Justice Martin Villarama Jr. would look into the reasons behind the attack, including fraternity war, involvement of those implicated in last year’s massacre of 57 people in Maguindanao and destabilization moves against the Aquino administration.

The inquiry will be closed to the public. A media briefing will be conducted after each session. Corona has directed the panel to submit its findings on Oct. 15.

Marquez said the panel met on Friday to go over some documents and watch the video footage taken by the court’s security division.

Villarama has directed the MPD, NBI and the high court’s security office to submit a copy of the latest report of their investigation to the committee.

At least five witnesses are expected to show up on Monday at the start of the court inquiry, Marquez said Sunday.

“Some of the witnesses are law students and barristers who were there in the area where the explosion occurred,” he said. “Most of them had already given their statements to the law enforcement agencies investigating this. They will just be asked for details.”

In Cebu City, classmates and friends of Jed Carlo Lazaga at the University of San Jose Recoletos, scheduled a nationwide prayer vigil Monday night. They said Lazaga had been falsely implicated in the bombing. With a report from Nestor P. Burgos Jr. and Chito A. Aragon, Inquirer Visayas

 Large-scale trafficking of Pinoy workers to US busted


MANILA, Philippines—A syndicate involved in large-scale human trafficking of Filipino workers to the United States has been busted, Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz said Thursday.

Baldoz said charges against ZDrive Inc., a Laguna-based private employment agency, and US Opportunities, an employment services company owned by a certain Mike Lombardi, are already being prepared.

The labor chief identified the 18 victims as Rodolfo Andrade, Ferdinand Antigo, Dennis Belda, Peter Cabusao, Jhoanne Davocol, Eduardo Deytiquez, Lheniehl Florida , Jimmy Hinayo, Theodore Jastillana III, Orlando Lavarnez, Enrico Edmundo Lising, Michael Angelo Maghirang, Jason Magundayao, Wilfredo Mislang, Imie Ramos, Henry Sejera, Regie Tesoro, and Roberto Verzo Jr.

“According to our investigation, the victims were illegally trafficked to the United States and were forced to endure sub-human and sub-standard conditions of work,” she said.

According to the victims, after ZDrive recruited them sometime in 2009, they arrived in the US in winter. In the unfamiliar environment, they were compelled to work in a forest farm under subhuman conditions and forced to sleep in trailers without water and electricity.

Worse, they were allegedly subjected to threats and intimidation, made to rake and bail pine leaves in the dead of winter, and forced to plant 1,800 pine tree seedlings a day on measly, subhuman wages equivalent to $40a week. According to the US Department of Labor, the federal minimum wage for covered non-exempt employees is $7.25 per hour effective July 24, 2009, consistent with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Many states also enforce their minimum wage laws.
Eventually, they found the courage to escape but in good faith, got in touch with ZDrive.

However, instead of helping them, ZDrive instructed them to work in various hotels and entertainment facilities where they were paid below the minimum wage and their wages subjected to illegal deductions.

ZDrive had recruited the unsuspecting victims, who were unwittingly made to pay large fees in exchange for the promise of lucrative employment as food and beverage servers in the United States. During the processing of their applications, however, they were compelled to pay for various requirements such as medical fees, visa application fees, and placement fees. When their passports, with the approved visas, were delivered to ZDrive, allegedly through a certain Julius Bana and a certain Robert Refugio, the agency explained that the total costs they would be shouldering amount to P250,000, which are way beyond the normal legal requirements for OFWs.

Furthermore, ZDrive allegedly demanded that the victims pay the difference between the P250,000 and the expenses already incurred for visa and other fees, so that if a victim had already expended P50,000, he or she would still be required to pay the additional P200,000 to ZDrive. For those who did not have the means to raise the required fees, ZDrive allegedly referred them for loans to their partner lending companies identified as the AsiaLink Finance Corp. and the PJH Lending Corp., for which they were required corresponding collateral such as real estate properties.

Complicating the victims’ sad plight, these companies reportedly resorted to criminally suing the victims-complainants for violation of Batas Pambansa 22, threatening them with foreclosure of the mortgages constituted over the real properties they offered as collaterals for the loans they incurred in exchange for non-existent jobs promised in the US.

Baldoz pledged the complete support of her office so that the victims and their families may get justice.
The syndicates were neutralized after the victims complained to the US Department of Homeland Security. The victims were assisted by US attorney Ellaine Carr, who is affiliated with Catholic charities, and is assisting the victims in the US on a pro bono basis. inquirer.net

Padre Damaso' protester freed on bail

MANILA -  Controversial tour guide Carlos Celdran was freed on bail Friday but could face even more sanctions after disrupting Mass at the Manila Cathedral Thursday to protest the Catholic Church's stance against contraceptives.

Celdran walked free from the Manila Police District Station 5 in Ermita at 4:30 p.m. after posting P6,000 bail before the sala of executive judge Sara Almalin of Metropolitan Trial Court branch 15.

The tour guide was arrested and charged with violating Article 133 of the Revised Penal Code after raising a ruckus during Thursday's ecumenical service at the Manila Cathedral.

Police said Celdran, wearing a dark suit and top hat, started shouting and held up the placard with the word "Damaso" in the the middle of a homily.

"Damaso" refers to Father Damaso, an abusive priest who is a character in Jose Rizal’s novel "Noli Me Tangere."

Celdran has apologized for the manner of his protest but not the content of his message.

"I don't blame anybody for what happened. Wala akong sinisisi. Pinaninindigan ko yung ginawa ko. Wala akong regrets. No regrets at all," he told radio dzMM.

Celdran, a much sought-after tour guide in Intramuros, said he made the demonstration to protest the Catholic Church's position against contraceptives.

"I am a Catholic and born Catholic. Marami Catholic sa Pilipinas who are very disappointed with the position of the church because it is anti-women's rights, anti-gay rights and anti-human rights especially when it comes to reproductive health. Ngayong nasa kulungan ako, we can see na anti-freedom of speech din sila," he said.

"Nakakatakot ang precedent na ito, na they have the power to put people in prison like the time of Jose Rizal. If you protest against the church and the bishops, you get hauled to jail. It sends a very scary message to Filipinos when priests can put you in jail," he said.

In response, the clergy of the Archdiocese of Manila issued a statement condemning Celdran's action and urged the Intramuros administration to make him account for his actions. The clergy consists of 238 priests assigned to 85 parishes, 2 chapels, 3 shrines, and hospitals and schools.

The statement said Celdran "willfully and with premeditation executed his protest inside the Manila Cathedral the church of the Archbishop and the seat of the Archdiocese of the Manila. The church is the Mother Church in the Archdiocese and is the central place for worship of the entire flock of the Archdiocese. This is the church where the past Archbishops of Manila are buried (in its crypt). This is where the Cathedra (seat) and the seal (coat of arms) of the Archbishop of Manila are displayed to symbolize his office, an appointment that comes directly from the Holy See."

The clergy said Celdran showed blatant disrespect for Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Rosales, the Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines Archbishop Edward Joseph Adams and the bishops and priests and representatives of other religions present during the worship service.

It said the tour guide "disrupted the religious proceedings which included reading from the Sacred Scriptures, and preened in front of the altar with his offensive poster. Unstopped (because no one was prepared for such brazen action) he repeatedly pointed his poster towards the religious leaders and at the sacred altar, and at one time even shouted. When he was being peaceably led out of the Cathedral he shouted invectives."

"These actions cannot by any means be considered within the purview of freedom of expression. Instead they were malicious acts directed towards a Faith, a Religion that was represented by its leaders and the faithful gathered. It was desecrating a consecrated place, as every Catholic church or chapel is consecrated by sacred rites. His right to protest in this manner ended after he entered the doors of the Manila Cathedral," the clergy said.

It added that Celdran also showed disrespect to national hero Jose Rizal "by assuming the hero’s looks to perpetuate his shameful deed."

"We demand that the Intramuros Administration make him account for his actions since Mr. Celdran is a tour guide who operates within its confines.  We pray for him that he may receive enlightenment and have remorse for what he has done," it added.  abs-cbn news