Filipino American activists staged rallies outside the United Nations headquarters in New York this week, urging the Philippine government to take stronger action to protect Filipinos facing detention and deportation in the United States. The protests coincided with the UN General Assembly, where Foreign Affairs Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro highlighted the country’s commitment to migrant protection, according to a report from Inquirer.net.
The demonstrations, organized by the Defend Migrants Alliance, accused the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and other agencies of neglect and corruption. Protesters pointed to the case of recalled Los Angeles labor attaché Macy Maglanque, who is under investigation over alleged links to “ghost” flood-control projects worth billions of pesos.
Tanggol Migrante, part of the alliance, denounced the DFA’s response to appeals for help as “unacceptable and nothing new,” insisting that detainees and deportees deserved specific answers and not broad generalizations. “What kind of ‘commitment’ is it when the Consulate cannot even provide an endorsement letter for deportees to receive assistance from DSWD?” the group said in a statement.
The DFA, through Undersecretary Leo Herrera-Lim, countered that Philippine posts continue to make regular visits to detention centers, coordinate with U.S. authorities, and provide financial assistance from the Assistance to Nationals Fund. “The Embassy and Consulates General remain fully prepared to offer all available forms of assistance to Filipino citizens affected by US immigration enforcement, regardless of immigration status,” it said.
Despite this, migrant groups insisted that government inaction was leaving hundreds stranded in detention. BAYAN USA’s Andan Bonifacio slammed reports linking Maglanque to flood-control anomalies, saying, “It is bad enough that our families suffer from flood waters back home while politicians pocket our taxpayer money. To find out the official assigned to protect migrant workers’ rights here may have profited from our families’ suffering is enraging.”
Advocates also detailed reports of detainees shackled for months and denied life-saving medication. Migrante USA’s Jom Dolor said no consular staff had responded to repeated calls. “We have not seen any consular officials at these ports doing ship visits,” he said.
Tanggol Migrante demanded urgent reforms, including medical care for detainees, faster financial aid, reintegration support for deportees, and an independent probe into alleged corruption among DFA and Department of Migrant Workers officials in the U.S. They also called for a full diplomatic protest, warning against what they described as “Trump’s attacks” on migrants.
“Until today, there is not yet a comprehensive or systematic plan in place to defend our migrants,” Bonifacio said during a press conference.
