OFW group urges PNoy: Tell Mubarak to resign

Reminding the President that he is the son of a democracy icon, a migrant leader on Tuesday urged the chief executive to call for the resignation of embattled Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. “Baka po nakakalimutan ni President Aquino na ang kanyang nanay ay iniluwal ng People Power (Maybe President Aquino has forgotten that his mother was a product of People Power)," said Migrante International chairperson Garry Martinez in an interview with GMANews.TV. He likened the clamor for Mubarak to step down to the People Power revolution in 1986 that led to the downfall of former President Ferdinand Marcos and catapulted Corazon Aquino — the mother of President Benigno Aquino III — to power. Former Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr., Benigno III’s father, returned from his US exile on Aug. 21, 1983 and was shot and killed as he was being led by military escorts out of his plane on the tarmac of then the Manila International Airport. That incident led to a series of protest marches that developed into People Power and culminated in the forced exile of then strongman Ferdinand Marcos, his family and close associates to Hawaii on Feb. 25, 1986. As in the Philippine uprising, Egyptians are now calling for the end of their leader’s autocratic rule. Mubarak has held the reins of power in Egypt for the past 30 years. Prayers, concern, hopes for peace Commenting on the political turmoil in Egypt, the Palace has said so far that it asks for prayers, expresses concern, and hopes “for a peaceful and just resolution to the political unrest currently taking place" in the North African country. Martinez reminded the President that one of the factors in the downfall of Marcos was the international community’s withdrawal of support. But a Cabinet official on Monday said the government is not keen on issuing an official statement on whether the Egyptian leader should resign. "We are not focusing on the political aspect of this," Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Rafael Seguis said in a press conference. He said the government is more concerned about the welfare of Filipinos in the Middle Eastern country. Martinez said, however, that Mubarak’s resignation is the key to peace and therefore the safety of Filipinos in Egypt. “Ang pagtigil ng violence ay ang pagbaba ni Hosni Mubarak (The end of violence is when Hosni Mubarak steps down)," he said. World leaders take a stand On Sunday, the leader of one of Mubarak’s staunchest allies — United States President Barack Obama — stopped short of calling him to resign but urged him to administer an “orderly transition" to democracy in his country. Reuters quoted US State Secretary Hillary Clinton as saying that Egypt’s presidential elections in September must be “free and fair" — which, the report said, “could be seen as a message to Mubarak that Washington will not accept him seeking re-election, or trying to anoint his son Gamal as his successor." Meanwhile, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday said Mubarak must “listen to people’s outcries and extremely humanistic demands," also stressing the importance of the ballot box. “Pumosisyon na siya (He should position himself)," Martinez said of the Philippine president. “Sana huwag nang maging ‘play safe’ ang Pangulong Aquino (I hope President Aquino would stop playing safe)." Philippine passports withheld The migrant leader expressed concern for the welfare of over 6,000 Filipino workers caught in the middle of the political turmoil in Egypt. In a statement, he relayed reports from Filipino workers in Egypt “who are worried because they have surrendered their passports to their employers upon arrival." “Filipino nurses and workers employed by the Dar Al Fouad Hospital in Giza, for instance, have already packed their bags and are awaiting evacuation but their passports are still being withheld by the hospital," he said. In another interview. Carmelita Dimzon, administrator of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, told GMANews.TV the Egyptian employers have no right to hold Filipino workers’ passports, and all the workers have to do is to claim their passports back. She said they can also ask the help of the Philippine embassy in Egypt. — VS, GMANews.TV