Organizing Centre for Social and Economic Justice

Organizing Centre for Social and Economic Justice
672 E. Broadway
Vancouver, BC, Canada
V5T 1X6

February 8, 2010

Ambassador Brilliantes
130 Albert Street, Suite 606
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
K1P 5G4

Dear Ambassador Brillantes,

I am writing on behalf of the Organizing Centre for Social and Economic Justice, an alliance of grassroots community organizations with hundreds of members in Vancouver, Canada, to convey our strong condemnation of the abduction of 43 health workers by the Philippine Army and Philippine National Police on February 6 in Rizal, Philippines.

This criminal abduction, and the baseless and slanderous accusation that these health workers are ‘enemies of the state’ or involved in some kind of criminal activity, are an affront to people everywhere concerned with peace and social justice. The health training which was being conducted in Rizal is part of the ongoing work of legal and legitimate health organizations in the Philippines who work tirelessly to improve the health of poor and marginalized communities throughout the country.

As health workers, community organizers, union members, students, and concerned community members we join the call for the AFP and PNP to immediately and unconditionally release the abducted health care workers and cease and desist the labelling, harassment and intimidation of progressive organizations and individuals engaged in grassroots health work and advocating for social justice in the Philippines.

We ask you to convey our concerns to the appropriate authorities in the Philippines.

Sincerely,

Beth Grayer
Zailda Chan
Aiyanas Ormond
Martha Roberts
Dave Hendry
Erika Fuchs
Azar Mehrabadi
Rocio Vasquez
Yuly Chan