Thursday, August 23, 2007

Malu, Oh Malu

For those of who you don't know Malu Fernandez until now, Google her name.
Anyway, she has seen the light, she has issued a public apology and has resigned from her job. Here is her apology in full, which I lifted from cyberspace.

Statement from Malu Fernandez on the OFW Controversy
I am humbled by the vehement and heated response provoked by my article entitled 'From Boracay to Greece!' which came out in the June 2007 issue of People Asia. To say that this article was not meant to malign, hurt or express prejudice against the OFWs now sounds hollow after reading through all the blogs from Filipinos all over the world. I am deeply apologetic for my insensitivity and the offensive manner in which this article was written, I hear you all and I am properly rebuked. It was truly not my intention to malign hurt or express prejudice against OFWs.
As the recent recipient and target of death threats, hate blogs, and deeply personal insults, I now truly understand the insidiousness of discrimination and prejudice disguised as humor.
Our society is bound together by human chains of kindness and decency. I have failed to observe this and I am now reaping the consequences of my actions. It is my fervent hope that the lessons that Ive learned are not lost on all those who through anonymous blogs, engaged in bigotry, discrimination, and hatred ( against overweight individuals , for example ) I take full responsibility for my actions and my friends and family have nothing to do with this.
To date I have submitted my resignation letters to both the Manila Standard and People Asia, on that note may this matter be laid to rest.



Just for the record, I am just one of the countless affected by Malu's hurtful writings. My Tita Malou, Tito Bobong, Tita Kathy, cousin Kathlyn are OFWs.
My father-in-law was an OFW. Scores of my wife's aunts, uncles are OFWs.
Every Filipino has a relative who is an OFW.


There are quite a few people in this world I describe as "sui generis".
From my book, Malu is one of them.

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Pinoys kidnapped in Iraq

You may have heard of the fifty one Pinoys who were "kidnapped" to Iraq to work on the construction of the United States Embassy in Bagdhad.
The story was that Filipinos were recruited supposedly to work in Dubai as hotel staff, telephone repairmen, etc.
But they were brought to Bagdhad instead as construction workers.
This was exposed in a congressional hearing in the U.S.
Click the following links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlPanioiqCM&mode=related&search=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evRPwwyno_c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OPHyJacQGg&mode=related&search=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzS-zfFgeL0&mode=related&search=