Filipino Expats Qatar

Press Release
22 July 2008

Migrante ME deplores Arroyo and oil companies’ recent “rollback” trick

“We are not born only yesterday!” thus declared today by an alliance of overseas Filipino workers’ organizations in the Middle East on the rollback of P1.50 per liter in the price of diesel after raising it by P3 per liter just a few days ago.

“As a sector battered by the weekly increases of oil, OFWs and their families along with the rest of the Filipino people cannot be fooled anymore by the Arroyo regime and oil companies' own scripted “rollback” trick so as to appease the more enraged Filipino people that is demanding for her removal from office,” said John Leonard Monterona, Migrante Middle East regional coordinator.

“This is classic trick by the Arroyo regime-oil companies’ tandem in cahoots with one another to profit billions of pesos by taking advantage of the unstable prices of crude oil in the world market at the expense of the struggling Filipino people,” Monterona added.

Migrante’s Monterona said OFWs in the Middle East and around the world are closely monitoring the unprecedented weekly oil price increases pushing up the prices of basic commodities and petroleum products amidst the comeback of relatively strong peso against the dollar last week.

“Many OFWs especially those who are only earning an average of US$250 per month mostly construction workers, domestic helpers and those in the service industry, cannot help but hope and pray for a higher dollar-peso exchange only to be surprised that their meager income will proceed to the rising prices of foods and basic commodities,” Monterona averred.

“OFWs “Katas ng Saudi” no more; it is being siphoned by the parasitic Arroyo regime’s “Katas ng VAT”, Monterona added.

Monterona further said local workers’ income being constant and flat to a minimum wage that could hardly cope up the P871 cost of living per day with prices of petroleum products increase on a weekly basis, many of them, to include the unemployed and underemployed, will be forced now to look for a job abroad accepting low wages just to survive their families.

“Due to wrong economic policies embraced by the Arroyo regime compliant to “neo-liberal” policies of Globalization, privatization and deregulation, many workers have been displaced and causing havoc to the livelihood of the people,” Monterona added.

A clear example is the passage and implementation of the Downstream Oil Industry Deregulation Law in 1998 that allows giant oil companies to hike oil prices according to their own wishes.

Monterona said it is not a surprised that Petron Corporation and Pilipinas Shell earned a combined P70 billion in net profits as revealed by Cebu Congressman Eduardo Gullas and they are not be surprise as well if the Arroyo regime would be fooling its people by its scripted “rollback trick” to get its huge share of “Katas ng VAT”.

Migrante ME said worker’s demand of P125 wage increase across the board is fair and reasonable in time of soaring prices and economic crisis aggravated by the Arroyo administration.

“Likewise, overseas Workers’ demand to scrap the fees charge to their remittances is fair and reasonable to provide them economic relief. Who is not fair and unreasonable is Mrs. Arroyo perceived to be the most anti-people and anti-OFW president the Philippines ever had.” Monterona added.

For reference:
John Leonard Monterona
Migrante Middle East regional coordinator
Mobile No.: 00966 564 97 8012