Bro. Eddie Villanueva on Thursday slammed the Malaysian government for continuously denying access to Filipinos arrested by Malaysian forces as a result of the ongoing situation in Sabah.
This, as he criticized Philippine government officials for placing conditions in helping Filipinos coming from Sabah.
A victim of the Martial Law who was jailed twice for opposing the Marcos regime, Villanueva said he sympathizes with Filipinos now detained in Malaysia over suspicions that they belong to or sympathize with the group that occupied a village in Lahad Datu and sparked a standoff with Malaysian authorities.
"As a former Martial Law prisoner, I know how it feels to be jailed without cause, without knowing if I will still see the light of day,” said Villanueva, the lone senatorial candidate of the Bangon Pilipinas party.
"I sympathize, especially with the families of those arrested, because they have no way of knowing how their loved ones are doing."
Villanueva stressed that reports of maltreatment against the Filipinos suspected of sympathizing with the Sultanate of Sulu should be addressed immediately.He pointed out that despite the numerous requests of the Philippine government for access to the detainees, these seem to be falling on deaf ears.
"The government has been taking a diplomatic approach from the start, but it does not seem to be working… The government should more aggressively assert its right to gain access to our fellow Filipinos in Sabah," Villanueva said.
"What's taking the Malaysian government so long to give the Philippine government access to the detainees? Malaysia's iron-clad laws have no space for a democratic community.”
Villanueva also called on the Malaysian government to spare Filipino children, women and elderly against forced repatriation. He added that many Filipinos have been living and working in Malaysia for years.
"Filipinos and Malaysians share a common Malay lineage and blood. We are brothers," he said.
Meanwhile, Villanueva lambasted Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte and DSWD Secretary Dinky Soliman for saying that Filipino evacuees from Sabah should have affidavits or documentation before government assistance is extended to them.
"Our government needs to provide humanitarian assistance to those affected by the conflict in Sabah immediately and without any pre-conditions. Ensuring the protection of our fellow Filipinos’ basic human rights takes precedence over such documentary requirements anytime... We are facing a crisis, and this is not the time for bureaucratic wrangling," Villanueva said.
Villanueva likewise expressed concern over the silence of the Commission on Human Rights and its chair Etta Rosales despite numerous allegations of human rights abuses against Filipinos in Malaysia.
"The reported atrocities by Malaysia against Filipinos should prompt the CHR to send a fact-finding team to check on the situation, and forward a communication to the United Nations Human Rights Commission regarding the situation," he said.
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