SIKLAB-Canada
Press Release

Overseas Filipinos in Canada call for vigilance against electoral fraud and violence as they get set to vote on Monday, May 14

May 13, 2007

(Vancouver, B.C.) – Overseas Filipinos in Canada are set to vote in the May 14 elections in the Philippines for senators and congress representatives.  Citing a recent survey, a national group of overseas Filipinos said that those surveyed are voting against the candidates supported by Philippine President Arroyo.  Instead, they will mobilize the vote to support progressive political parties, such as Gabriela Women’s Party-List, Bayan Muna and Anakpawis.

“Overseas Filipinos in Canada need strong and progressive voices in the Philippine Congress so we throw our full support behind these party-lists,” says Glecy Duran, Vice-Chair of SIKLAB – Canada, an organization of Overseas Filipino Workers in Canada with chapters in Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal.  “Filipino migrants continue to face exploitation and harassment in Canada, but the Arroyo regime does nothing to protect their rights and welfare,” she added.

Nominees of Gabriela Women’s Party-List include re-electionist Congress Representative Liza Maza (who has visited Vancouver to meet with Filipino women migrants) and Flora Belinan (a former domestic worker).  Under the Philippine constitution, 20% of the seats in Congress can be filled by party-lists who must represent marginalized and underrepresented sectors such as women, workers and peasants.

Filipinos are currently the fourth largest visible minority community in Canada.  Also, Filipino women make up over 90% of those entering Canada as live-in caregivers under Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP).

Gabriela Women’s Party-List along with Anakpawis were instrumental in introducing an important resolution in the Philippine House of Representatives directing a special committee to conduct an investigation into the abuses experienced by Filipino domestic workers under the LCP of the Canadian government.

This is the second time that overseas Filipinos in Canada can vote in the Philippine elections.  Because of a lack of information from the Philippine consulate about these elections, SIKLAB said that many overseas Filipinos in Vancouver were effectively disenfranchised.  However using the modern technology of text messaging, these potential voters in Canada are gaining a positive response from their families in the Philippines who say they will definitely vote for the progressive parties.  The Philippines is known as one of the text messaging centers of the world.

The Monday elections are being followed closely by overseas Filipinos.  “President Arroyo is only in office because she cheated in the last elections,” stated Duran.  “We are alarmed at reports of interference by the Philippine military in the run-up to these elections and we are calling on our members to ask their families to be vigilant and protect the vote.  The regime of President Arroyo must not be allowed to cheat the Filipino people again,” declared Duran.

She notes that the Chair of the group, Roderick Carreon, is currently in the Philippines to participate in an International Observers’ Mission.  The mission is composed of foreign observers hoping to support community-based efforts to counter the cycle of election fraud and violence in the Philippines.  Media reports state that 100 people have already been killed in electoral violence.

SIKLAB – Canada plans to hold public education activities analyzing the results of the elections and its implications for the Filipino community in Canada in June.

-    30 –

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact Sean Parlan at ph: 604-215-1103 or e-mail: siklab@kalayaancentre.net