Migrant groups move to obtain justice for slain Filipino domestic worker in Canada

Migrant groups move to obtain justice for slain Filipino domestic worker in Canada

An alliance of organizations composed of overseas Filipinos and their families today said its member organizations, especially those in Canada, Hong Kong and Baguio are working together to ensure justice is obtained for Jocelyn Dulnuan, the Filipino domestic worker found slain in her employer’s home in Ontario.

“Jocelyn’s case highlights yet again how the Arroyo administration exacerbates the injustices suffered by overseas Filipino workers. It is incumbent upon the DFA to cover the cost of repatriating Jocelyn’s remains. Further, it must also ensure that Jocelyn’s killer(s) are brought to justice,” says Maita Santiago, Migrante International Secretary-General.

Santiago said that soon after learning of Jocelyn’s murder, Migrante International’s member organizations Migrante-Ontario, Migrante-Metro Baguio and groups under the UNIFIL-MIGRANTE-HK have been in close contact with Jocelyn’s family. A Jocelyn Dulnuan Support Committee (JDSC) was also formed by SIKLAB-Ontario, her family and other organizations last week.

The JDSC members include: Asosacion Negrense, AWARE/Gabay, Community Alliance for Social Justice (CASJ), Ifugao Association, Migrante-Ontario, DAMAYAN Migrant Resource and Education Centre, SIKLAB, Ugnayan ng Kabataang Pilipino sa Canada-Toronto (UKPCTO), United Filipinos for Nationalism and Democracy (UfiND), Philippine Independence Day Council (PIDC) and Philippine Press Club of Ontario (PPCO).

“Jocelyn and countless other migrant workers like her prop up the ailing Philippine economy by infusing more than US$12 billion annually into the country’s dollar reserves. The DFA reportedly has a repatriation fund of P45 million and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration fund, to which Jocelyn contributed to before going to Hong Kong, stands at around P8 billion,” she added.

According to the BSP, remittances from overseas Filipinos in Canada last year amounted to approximately US$591 million.

“Attempts to off-load the responsibility for Jocelyn from one government agency to another or onto the Filipino community is simply unacceptable. We also demand that the DFA make public what concrete steps it is taking to ensure that a thorough investigation is undertaken by Canadian authorities so that Jocelyn’s death does not become another statistic in a ‘mysterious death’ file,” said Santiago, referring to the many cases of unsolved murders committed against overseas Filipino workers around the world.

The Filipino community in Canada numbers over 240,000 with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration documenting the deployment of 6,468 workers there in 2006.

Maita Santiago
MIGRANTE INTERNATIONAL