NEWS AT A GLANCE

Deportation of Filipino family condemned

The National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON) has condemned what it called the “unjust and inhumane” deportation of the Cuevas family by the United States government.

In its March 26 statement, NAFCON said the Cuevases “were victims of America’s failed immigration policies and chaotic  changes.” After 19 years in the U.S., the family had to surrender to the Department of Homeland Security on April 7 before going back to the Philippines. The Cuevas family migrated to the U.S. post-1986 as political refugees following the fall of the Marcos dictatorship.

The case of the Cuevas family has brought the issue of legalization and the right to stay back into the battleground, NAFCON also said.

According to NAFCON records, there are over 500,000 undocumented Filipinos in the U.S alone.

“U.S. corporations are reaping billions of dollars of super-profits from exploiting human labor, natural resources and debt restructuring from the Philippines,” the statement said.

Due to poverty, 6, 000 Filipinos are forced to leave the country everyday and face threats of exploitation and discrimination abroad. The alliance cited the impact of anti-immigrant hysteria of post-9/11 laws and policies resulting from false pretenses of security and safety.

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Meralco charges highest power rates 

The National Association of Electricity Consumers for Reforms (Nasecore) criticized this week the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) for charging the highest rate among private distribution utilities in the country. 

The consumer group made this statement after studying the unbundled rates of four private distribution utilities approved so far by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).

Pete Ilagan, the group’s president, said that this is the result of the “sweetheart deals” between the Lopez-owned Meralco and its independent power producers, like its sister company First Gas Power. “This is exploitation at its best,” he said. 

Residential consumers of Meralco pay the following rates: Php5.6386/kWh for those consuming 101-200 kwh; Php5.9422/kWh for those using 201-300 kwh; Php6.2285/kWh for consumers using 301-400 kwh; and Php6.7272 for those using more than 400 kwh or an average price of P6.1341/kWh. 

Ilagan also questioned why Meralco is charging different rates to its residential consumers when the other private distribution utilities only charge one rate to all its residential customers.

Residential consumers of Iligan, Davao, Cebu, Dagupan City, Cabanatuan City and San Fernando, Pampanga fall only under one category and pay much lower rates: Php3.2602/kWh for Iligan Light; Php3.5325/kWh for Davao Light; Php4.0404/kWh for Visayan Electric Company (VECO); Php4.6960/kWh for Dagupan Electric (DECORP); Php5.6417/kWh for Cabanatuan Electric (CELCOR) and Php5.1093/kWh for San Fernando Electric (SFELAPCO). All the rates mentioned do not include the national and local franchise taxes.  

Ilagan urged all residential consumers to unite by forming a consumer energy cooperative.  He said that consumer-owned electric cooperatives can participate as a retail supplier of electricity as a deregulated sector once open access starts.

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Jinggoy should apologize to women -- Gabriela

The Gabriela Women's Partylist (GWP) said March 22 that Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KNP) senatoriable Jinggoy Estrada’s statement that he would convert to Islam because the religion allows multiple marriages was an insult and a disrespect to women, particularly Muslim women.

Estrada’s statement, Luz Ilagan, GWP’s chairperson and 2^nd nominee, said is a mockery of Muslim culture and traditions. 

Ilagan said his “careless” statement trivializes such fundamental tradition. "Polygamy may be part of Islamic culture but every union or partnership is considered sacred.”

Ilagan, a former Davao City councilor and Ateneo de Davao professor who integrates with Muslim and lumad women, also said that Estrada's statement only reflects his low regard for women. 

"It would be best that Jinggoy apologize to women, especially Muslim women for his statements as he stand to lose the women's vote not only in Muslim communities but nationwide," Ilagan said.

Jinggoy, a former mayor of San Juan City, is the son of ousted Pres. Joseph Estrada.

  Bulatlat.com

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