News Release – August 31, 2005
References: Connie Bragas-Regalado, Chairperson
Contact Numbers:  Telefax - 926-2838 and 0927-2157392
Vince Borneo, Information Officer, 0927-7968198
 
Sto. Tomas is lying
Denial cannot cover up squander of OWWA funds
 
The militant MIGRANTE International today criticized Labor Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas for her “bare-faced lying” for trying to deny that the health care funds of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) held in trust at the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration were used in the campaign of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the 2004 elections.

“Obviously, Sto. Tomas was incensed at the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism report which said that a total of two billion pesos from the OWWA-Medicare fund and the road users' tax was used in the Presidents 2004 campaign. With regard to OFW funds that were accessed by the administration in 2003 to 2004 benefited Macapagal-Arroyo and her lackeys in the labor portfolio, among others,” MIGRANTE International Chairperson Connie Bragas-Regalado said.

“The contributions of the overseas Filipino workers to the OWWA has always been intact and will never be used for activities other than those which benefit the OFWs and their families, Sto. Tomas asserted on Tuesday.

“Sto. Tomas tries to justify the “recent” 530,382,446 peso transfer of OFW-Medicare funds to Philhealth despite firm opposition from MIGRANTE, other migrant groups and legislators in both houses of Congress. But she is at the head of the squandering of OFW funds at the OWWA as chair of its Board of Trustees. Also, health care services have either been short-changed or not actually rendered,” Bragas-Regalado said.
 
Migrante said that Sto. Tomas ordered the suspension of OFW Medical reimbursements as specified in the minutes of a January 16, 2004 OWWA Board of Trustees meeting. The said minutes also say that OWWA employees who proceed to give out reimbursements will face disciplinary action. Another OWWA document says pending medical reimbursement claims of 281 OFWs (amounting to P1.124 million) and the reimbursement checks of 180 OFWs, amounting P726,000 were being withheld in 2004.

She hastened to add that “this illegal transfer is part of the amended impeachment complaint of which MIGRANTE International is a co-complainant. We would also like to debunk Sto. Tomas' baseless claims that OFW contributions are intact with the following fact:
 
Pres. Macapagal-Arroyo ordered the Department of Foreign Affairs on March 12, 2003 to charge OWWA US$293,500 to cover the Philippine government's so-called preparations for the then impending US invasion of Iraq.  This was evidenced by her handwritten “Ok charge to OWWA” note on the memo requesting the funds. Sto. Tomas alleges that these have been audited but cannot produce a report for this fund release that did not benefit OFWs and their families.
 
“Liars cannot defend corrupt practices and the raiding of OFW trust funds. We were never consulted for any of these illegal transfers and releases. Sto. Tomas cannot debunk the PCIJ report and will always be remembered as an anti-labor and anti-OFW labor secretary who should be booted out along with the anti-OFW president in Malacanang,” Bragas-Regalado ended. #

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