Subject: AN OPEN LETTER TO SAVE THE LIFE OF FLOR CONTEMPLATION
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We implore your support for the cause of Flor Contemplation, a Filipina
domestic helper in Singapore who has been sentenced to die by the Singapore
High Court on account of murder of another Filipina domestic helper Dalia
Maga and the drowing of four year old Nicholas Huang son of Mega's employer
in a pail of water. The murders took place in 1991.
Flor Contemplation is scheduled to be hanged on 17 March. While Philippine
government has been fully aware of the case since its ocurrence, it was not
only until about two weeks ago when the news of verdict hit Manila
newspapers. Apparently, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs has
been careful not to let news about it break out. Now , as public pressure
mounts, it is compelled to act on the case. According to them, President
Ramos has already filed an appeal but was rejected by the Singaporean
government.
As in past cases, the Philippine government cannot be relied upon to act
strongly for the protection of our overseas contract workers. It is not to
its own interest to stop a labor export program that is in fact a way of
bailing out our economy from its bankrupt rule. Today, the remittances of
Philippine migrant workers constitute one of the top dollar earners for the
Philippine economy.
It is thus, with the support of people's organizations, the general public
and friends and supporters overseas that we seek to save Flor
Contemplation' life.
Even the relatives of Delia Maga do not belive that Folr Contemplation
could have committed the murder as they where described to be very close
friends. Relatives of the two women belive they were the victims of frame
up.
At present, Contemplation's four young children have been flown to
Singapore to be with their mother. Contemplation herself does not konw her
fate yet, as according to newspapare reports, it is standard practice in
Singapore not to inform the convicted person until two days before her/his
execution.
Migrante, an alliance of migrant organizations and Hayan, the center for
the patriotic and national democratic movement in the Philippines, with the
all-out support of Gabriela a nation wide alliance of women's organizations
in Philippines are espearheading a campaign calling for a stay of scheduled
execution of Flor Contemplacion and a reinvestigation of the Huang-Maga
murders to determine the real culprits.
We grieve over the death of Flor Maga and Nicholas Huang.
But we also assert that it is Flor Contemplation's basic human right to
have a fair trial.
We also assert that both Maga and Contemplation are both victims of the
bigger issue of the unjust and imbalanced global economic developement that
forces many Third World people, women in particular, to migrante and brave
hostile conditions in order to escape poverty.
We also pin the bigger accountability on both the Singaporean and
Philippine governments, neither of whom have really instituted guarantees
for the protection of migrant workers and themselves are the biggest
violations of migrants ' rights and welfare. The Ramos government has in
the past, even cuddled the perpetrators of abuse against migrant Philippine
government has still refused to forge bilateral labor agreements with
receiving countries guaranteeing the protection of migrant rights. Yet, it
also refuses to implement genuine economic and political changes in our
country in order to stem the tide of migration.
We appeal to you to circulate this letter and enlist the broadest possible
support for:
1 The stay of the March 17 execution of Folr Comtemplation
2 A reinvestigation of the Huang-Maga murderes.
Please write letters of appeal to the respective Singaporean embassy in
your country or to Ong Teng Cheong, President of Republic of Singapore.
We also ask you to write the Philippine government addressed to President
Fidel V. Ramos , Malacanang, Manila expressing your conceren over the
inadequate action of the Philippine government over the Contemplation case.
