Balanga Bishop Ruperto Santos, CBCP – ECMI chair, said OFWs will begin casting their votes in the countries of their assignments beginning April 9 and it was but right to give them some early reminders.
Before the “4 Ps” as guides in voting, the Bataan bishop told OFWs of what he termed as “3 Ks” why everyone should vote – Karapatan, Katungkulan and Kinabukasan. Simply put, he said, electing the right official “is our right, duty and our future,” meaning, “to vote freely and actively for the right person who will better lead us for a good and brighter future.”
Santos enumerated the “4 Ps” for the OFWs as “Programa sa trabaho, Pangangalaga sa buhay at sa inyong mga mahal sa buhay na naiwan, Paggalang sa inyo at sa inyong karapatang pantao and Pagpaparusa sa mga nanglinlang, umabuso at nagpahamak sa inyo.”
On the first P, he said that the candidate the OFW should vote for should have an effective, ready and sure program on employment in the Philippines. He said the worker need not seek job abroad if there are ready opportunities with good pay in the country commensurate to the skills and education of the applicant.
Second P – Santos said the OFW should select a candidate who will defend him or her against abuses by foreign employers and recruiters.
About the third P, the prelate said the OFW should be treated with respect, cared for and be thanked for their sacrifices. He said OFWs should not be treated like statistics, tools for interest and remittances.
“Ang pangangalaga sa inyo ay paggalang sa inyong karapatan at kagamitan tulad ng inyong balikbayan boxes na marapat lamang na ingatan at pahalagahan. Ang paggalang sa inyong pantaong karapatan ay pagbibigay ng sadyang tulong sa oras ng inyong kagipitan, pangangailangan, at lalo na sa banig ng karamdaman o bingit ng kamatayan,” the bishop said.
And the last P, Santos said the candidate asking the vote of the OFW should implement laws that will punish those who victimized the worker and be given justice for wrongdoings.
“Sila na ating iluluklok ay nararapat na may mabuting pagtingin sa atin at hindi para sa kanilang sarili. Sila dapat ang magtataguyod ng ating magandang kapakanan at hindi para sa kanilang personal na kaginhawaan o kanilang angkan at kikilos tungo sa inyong muling pagbabalik bayan at balik hanapbuhay sa ating bansa. Ang inyong pipiliin ay yaong kandidatong hindi isinusulong ang pagiging bansang palaging nagpapadala ng manggagawa sa ibayong dagat,” Santos said.
