Philippines
26.09.03
Urgent Interventions
Phillipines: Open letter to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
OPEN LETTER TO GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO
PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES
To,
Ms. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
President of the Republic of the Philippines
New Executive Building, Malacañang
Palace Compound, J.P. Laurel St.
San Miguel, Manila, Philippines
Fax no.: +632 929 3968
Email: opnet@ops.gov.ph
Geneva, September 26th 2003
Ms. President,
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by the Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP), a member of the OMCT network, of the forced removal and intimidation of vendors and drivers at the Cebu International Port. As a result of this decision, 981 families and 5886 persons have been deprived of their means of subsistence and face hunger and deprivation.
OMCT would like to draw your attention to the fact that since August 22, 2003 the Cebu Port Authority has banned the entry of vendors and trisikad (bicycle cart) drivers in to the port and locked all the gates except those for passengers, cargo trucks and other vehicles. It was reported that the Cebu Port Authority used police members and security guards carrying long firearms to intimidate and threaten the people, who made a living from small jobs such as selling items of food or driving bicycle carts, to leave the area. A thousand families had to move outside the new security zone and have lost their only means of subsistence, which was to sell goods and services to persons frequenting the port.
The Cebu Authority decided the phasing out of all vendors and drivers for security reasons as they fear terrorist attacks against the second largest and busiest port of the Philippines. One factor prompting the operation was that the community of informal workers operating in the port would "made it conducive hideouts and havens for terrorists within and under the noses of likely targets". Such a move, however, deprives these persons of their means of livelihood without any alternative solution. Despite promises by the Cebu Port Authority to offer them alternative jobs at several port departments, so far no real alternative has been put forward. Moreover, in such a case, the majority of small vendors and drivers would not be provided for as only those who have skills would be offered another job.
While OMCT does not question the legitimate concerns of your government to ensure security, we believe that the implementation of such measures should respect the principles of proportionality and necessity. Given their disproportionate effect on the informal workers who used to work in the port, along with the fact that these workers haven’t been presented with any alternative solution; this raise serious concern regarding these measures’ compliance with both principles.
OMCT would urge your government to ensure and guarantee that the implementation of measures to maintain the security of the Cebu International Port do not disproportionately affect the workers and their families, as is currently the case.
We thank you in advance for your careful consideration of this matter.
Yours Sincerely,
Eric Sottas
Director
PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES
To,
Ms. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
President of the Republic of the Philippines
New Executive Building, Malacañang
Palace Compound, J.P. Laurel St.
San Miguel, Manila, Philippines
Fax no.: +632 929 3968
Email: opnet@ops.gov.ph
Geneva, September 26th 2003
Ms. President,
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by the Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP), a member of the OMCT network, of the forced removal and intimidation of vendors and drivers at the Cebu International Port. As a result of this decision, 981 families and 5886 persons have been deprived of their means of subsistence and face hunger and deprivation.
OMCT would like to draw your attention to the fact that since August 22, 2003 the Cebu Port Authority has banned the entry of vendors and trisikad (bicycle cart) drivers in to the port and locked all the gates except those for passengers, cargo trucks and other vehicles. It was reported that the Cebu Port Authority used police members and security guards carrying long firearms to intimidate and threaten the people, who made a living from small jobs such as selling items of food or driving bicycle carts, to leave the area. A thousand families had to move outside the new security zone and have lost their only means of subsistence, which was to sell goods and services to persons frequenting the port.
The Cebu Authority decided the phasing out of all vendors and drivers for security reasons as they fear terrorist attacks against the second largest and busiest port of the Philippines. One factor prompting the operation was that the community of informal workers operating in the port would "made it conducive hideouts and havens for terrorists within and under the noses of likely targets". Such a move, however, deprives these persons of their means of livelihood without any alternative solution. Despite promises by the Cebu Port Authority to offer them alternative jobs at several port departments, so far no real alternative has been put forward. Moreover, in such a case, the majority of small vendors and drivers would not be provided for as only those who have skills would be offered another job.
While OMCT does not question the legitimate concerns of your government to ensure security, we believe that the implementation of such measures should respect the principles of proportionality and necessity. Given their disproportionate effect on the informal workers who used to work in the port, along with the fact that these workers haven’t been presented with any alternative solution; this raise serious concern regarding these measures’ compliance with both principles.
OMCT would urge your government to ensure and guarantee that the implementation of measures to maintain the security of the Cebu International Port do not disproportionately affect the workers and their families, as is currently the case.
We thank you in advance for your careful consideration of this matter.
Yours Sincerely,
Eric Sottas
Director