Solon urges govt to protest US hospital’s ‘English-only’ policy

A partylist lawmaker on Wednesday urged the Philippine government to file a diplomatic protest against the U.S. government in connection with the policy of a California-based hospital discriminating Filipinos. “We should file a diplomatic protest because this hospital is violating human rights," Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño said in a weekly news forum. He was referring to the Delano Regional Medical Center, which requires its Filipino employees to speak English at all times. The hospital bans Filipinos from speaking Tagalog in the work place, even during break time, while its other foreign employees are allowed to speak Spanish and Hindi. The 52 Filipino nurses and medical staff have already filed a complaint against the hospital. (See: Filipinos sue California hospital over English-only rule) "The government should make the US government feel that we do not tolerate discrimination and racism in the workplace, especially that there are a lot of Filipino nurses and doctors on US soil," he said. He added that speaking one’s native language is related to the right to free expression, which should be protected at times. “Otherwise, this could be a dangerous precedent," said Casiño. Akbayan partylist Rep. Walden Bello, chairman of the House Committee on Overseas Workers, for his part, urged Filipino associations in the United States to file criminal and civil charges against the hospital administration.—Amita O. Legaspi, GMANews.TV