Dispatch from Crame No.947:
Sen. Leila M. de Lima on incessant hiring of Chinese workers amid the pandemic

10/20/20

Despite an estimate of over 27 million unemployed Filipinos, plus over two hundred thousand repatriated OFWs, this regime still has the gall to continue prioritizing the employment of Chinese nationals over our kababayans, in a time when millions are experiencing worse hunger, joblessness and other forms of hardship because of the pandemic.

During a Senate hearing on the DPWH's 2021 budget, it was confirmed that there are construction projects which employ Chinese nationals. And as if to put salt in our wounds, reports claim that these Chinese workers make up HALF of the workforce and are paid way MORE than their Filipino co-workers.

This comes as no surprise, however. Although he showered the public with lofty pro-worker promises and pro-Filipino rhetoric during his campaign, Duterte, after being elected President, wasted no time getting in bed with his Beijing-based masters by contracting billions worth of questionable contracts with the terms hidden from public review and scrutiny.

And now, more than four years into his term, his administration still employs Chinese laborers in a market where every job position they take could have fed a Filipino family.

So, kung hindi ang manggagawang Pilipino, sino ang nakikinabang dito?

Habang tayo at ang mga susunod na henerasyon ay lugmok na sa trilyon-trilyong inutang ni Duterte, kumukubra naman ang tropang pastillas na ilegal na nagpapasok ng mga ilegal na Tsino, kumikita ang mga manggagawang Tsino na pinapasweldo nang mas malaki sa kontratang binabayaran ng Pilipino, at lumalago ang mga kumpanyang Tsino na kulang o hindi pa nga nagbabayad ng tamang buwis.

Isama pa natin ang mga politikong pinopondohan ng Beijing para sa susunod na halalan.

Tatak Duterte: Teritoryo at negosyo, ibinibigay sa Tsino. At ngayon, pati ba naman mga proyekto ng gobyerno? ###

Access the handwritten copy of Dispatch from Crame No. 947, here: https://issuu.com/senatorleilam.delima/docs/dispatch_947