Press Release
April 30, 2020

Dispatch from Crame No.785:
Sen. Leila M. de Lima's statement on the Request of DOLE to Deport Taiwan Caregiver Elanel Egot Ordidor

4/30/2020

Gaano ba karupok ang pagkapangulo ni G. Duterte na kailangan patahimikin ang mga kritiko? Bakit naging prayoridad ng ating Labor Attache na pigilan ang malayang pagpapahayag ng opinyon ng isang simpleng caregiver?

Ito ay ilan lamang sa aking naging katanungan nung mabalitaan ko na pinapa-deport ng ating Labor Attache sa Taiwan na si G. Fidel Macauyag matapos siya tumanggi tanggalin ang kaniyang mga posts sa social media na naghahayag ng kaniyang saloobin laban kay G. Duterte.

Mr. Macauyag even has the gall to threaten Ms. Ordidor with criminal cases, supposedly for cybercrime, never mind the fact that he has no evidence to substantiate his claims. It appears that her only "sin", if I may call it that, is that she spoke against Mr. Duterte. As far as I know, Philippines is still a democratic country and freedom of expression is still protected by our Constitution, in spite of the best attempts at authoritarianism by this administration.

It is to our great shame that Taiwan, a younger country which, like us, is built on principles of democracy and freedom, lectured our Labor Attache on upholding human rights. According to reports, Taiwan rejected the move to deport Ms. Ordidor and said that she has the right to free speech.

Mabuti pa ang Taiwan, pinangangalagaan ang karapatan ng ating manggagawa doon, samantalang ang gobyerno pa natin ang naniniil sa kanila. Ginagalang diumano ng Malacanang ang karapatang magpahayag ng mga kumanta ng "Iisang Dagat" pero hindi maigalang ang kaparehong karapatan ng kapwa natin Filipino.

Our OFWs are heroes and the least we can do for them is to respect their rights, including the right to expression and to petition our government for redress of grievances. That our Labor Attache prioritizes silencing dissent over looking out for the welfare of our OFWs in Taiwan is truly disappointing and infuriating. He has no business being there. ###

(Access the handwritten version of Dispatch from Crame No. 784, here: https://issuu.com/senatorleilam.delima/docs/dispatch_785)

News Latest News Feed