News Release - January 3, 2005
Reference: Connie Bragas-Regalado, Chairperson
Contact Numbers: 259-1145 and 0927-2157392

5-year Moratorium is not a solution
DOLE should do its research on New Japan immigration law; find alternative employment for Filipino women

"The Macapagal-Arroyo administration is not addressing the issue of human trafficking with its intent to ask the Japanese government for a 5-year moratorium on stricter immigration rules that would hit most of all overseas Filipinos in Japan."

Thus declared the MIGRANTE Sectoral Party on the recent statements of Labor Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas on the new Japan immigration policy "which will replace the Philippine government's certification of an artist's qualifications with two years of training in a specific field of entertainment."

"This just shows that Sec. Sto. Tomas does not know the real impact of the new Japanese law on Filipinos in Japan. She is also lying since Japanese law cannot supplant any law of the Philippines, including artist accreditation. This also shows that the Philippine government is not sincere in putting a stop to the trafficking of Filipino women," MIGRANTE Sectoral Party Chairperson Connie Bragas-Regalado said.

Migrante on Saturday called on the Macapagal-Arroyo government to "appropriately respond to the Partial Amendment of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (Law No. 73 enacted by the Japanese Diet in its 159th session on June 2, 2004) that will ride roughshod on victims of human trafficking in Japan starting January 4, 2005."

"It seems that Sec. Sto. Tomas is harping on the wrong solutions and is deceiving the public in the process in saying that government 'has concern for Filipino women who are forced to work as entertainers in Japan.' Firstly, the said Immigration Control aims to immediately decrease the number of the estimated 250,000 'illegal foreign residents' that include at least 31,000 Filipino overstayers, 82,000 Filipino entertainers, and thousands of Filipino wives whose residency status can be revoked by the Japanese government starting December 2, 2004," Bragas-Regalado said.

The Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act and its latest amendment is the Japanese government's reaction to a supposed "deterioration of public security" and "to address rampant human trafficking."

"This new law will criminalize entertainers, trainees, Filipina wives and undocumented Filipinos (also called 'bilogs') who comprise the bulk of Filipinos in Japan. Technically, most of all the 304,678 Filipinos in Japan may be subjected to the harsh penalties and procedures of the new Japanese law. The Human traffickers will go scot-free, continue wreaking havoc on the lives of foreign residents, and continue to amass more profits out of the blood and sweat of Filipino migrant workers. It actually does not address the human trafficking problem being perpetuated by both the Japanese and Philippine governments for so many years," Bragas-Regalado added.

Migrante also reiterated that "when issues and laws of 'public security' - a euphemism for anti-terror legislation - crop up, victims of human trafficking, undocumented migrant workers and foreign residents become targets of inhumane procedures that include warrantless arrests, jail terms, steep fines and deportation."

"Contrary to the statements of Sto. Tomas, the new law mandates that human trafficking victims will be deported as illegal aliens under after being meted bigger fines that range from 2 million Japanese Yen (P1.1 million) to 3 million Japanese Yen (P1.65 million at current exchange rates of P0.55 = 1 Yen), and jail terms. This shows that the Japanese authorities will further penalize Filipino victims of human trafficking," Bragas-Regalado said.

The US State Department's 4th Annual Trafficking in Persons Report ably exposed Japan and the Philippines as Tier-2 watchlist countries for not doing enough to fight human trafficking, stating that "the Philippines is a source, transit, and destination country for persons trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor" and Japan as a "destination country for Asian women and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation."

"In this light, both the Philippine and Japanese governments are in fact perpetrators in the trafficking of Filipinas. Seeking a moratorium on the new immigration law and looking for other country-destinations to deploy Filipina entertainers are only staving off an impending tsunami of further abuse and criminalization of our compatriots in Japan. The Philippine government must exact all measures to protect the democratic rights and welfare of Filipinos in Japan who are targets of the new immigration law," Bragas-Regalado said.

Long term legislative and practical solutions, according Migrante, are the better option in solving human trafficking.

"Migrante strongly suggests that Patricia Sto. Tomas does her homework and the Macapagal-Arroyo administration create and implement measures for the creation of stable job alternatives and livelihood opportunities for our people, especially our women, so that they are not forced into the web of human trafficking in Japan and elsewhere in the world," Bragas-Regalado ended. #