今天, 菲傭團體簽名反對菲律賓政府強制要求海外傭工交社會保障稅款.
菲律賓的 Overseas Workers Welfare Administration 一直以來強制性地徵收海外傭工的稅款, 並曾經動用款項支持總統Arroyo的競選經費. 上月, 菲律賓政府又提建議, 要求海外傭工要負擔國內的社會保障制度經費.
菲傭團體指, 若菲國政府強制立法, 它們將發動大型的對抗行動.
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“Not another OWWA”
HK OFWs warn of “deluge of protests” if mandatory SSS contribution goes through
Filipino domestic helpers today warned the Philippine government that it will face “massive resistance” if the recent proposal of the Social Security System (SSS) to make OFW contribution to the said agency mandatory is implemented.
“We warn the Arroyo administration that we are gearing up for a deluge of protests if, once again, we are made milking cows of this government,” declared Eman Villanueva, secretary general of the United Filipinos in Hong Kong (UNIFIL-MIGRANTE-HK).
“Not another cent should be taken from us. There should not be another OWWA whose fund, entirely from contributions of OFWs, is now nowhere to be found.”
UNIFIL, together with other allied federations, yesterday launched an HK-wide signature campaign against the said proposal. Within the day, they were able to gather around 7,000 signatures of OFWs opposed to the plan.
The proposal was revealed by SSS executive Henry Templo last July 23. According to Templo, the plan was drafted in order to increase the capitalization and profit of the SSS.
“It is very evident that this new move is just another way to get more money from the OFWs on top of all the fees that the government is already collecting and the OWWA Fund, regularly collected from OFWs, that is being squandered even by Arroyo herself,” Villanueva added.
The group feared that the government will again look for ways to “circumvent laws and ram into our throats” the implementation of the plan.
“Mush as like what they did to the transfer of the OWWA Medicare to PhilHealth that led to the use of the money for GMA’s election campaign, and the OWWA Omnibus Policy that opened the floodgates for government plunder of the OWWA, we are afraid that the desperation of GMA and her government for more cash will make the proposal go the same way,” he intoned.
However, Villanueva said that they will be watchful of the development of the proposal.
“Instead of cooking up more profit-generating scheme from OFWs, this government must answer first the controversy surrounding our billions in the OWWA Fund. It must be held accountable for the slow services to OFWs, such as those for Filipinos in Lebanon, because the money intended for the purpose has been spent elsewhere,” he said.
UNIFIL said that they will continue to collect signatures from OFWs in HK, seek the participation of other Filipinos in other countries, and submit the petition to the Philippine government as well as the Senate and Congress.#