Currents & Breaking News: Sexual, Other Abuses Exposed as Filipino Caregivers Decry Toronto Police Apathy, Indifference

PHILIPPINE VILLAGE VOICE - Redefining Community News
Currents & Breaking News
Volume 4, Issue No. 38
/ News That Fears None, Views That Favor Nobody /

. . . . . A community service of Philippine Village Voice (PhilVoiceNews@gmail.com) for the information and understanding of Filipinos and the diverse communities in North America . . . . . .

The News UpFront: (TOP STORY) as of Tuesday, November 9, 2010
~ A town hall meeting called to improve community policing in Toronto became the venue of a complaint by Filipino caregivers who decry the apathy and indifference of Toronto police because, as they said, "they're merely caregivers". But that's just one of the problems. Other Asian communities have their own stories worsened by language and a seeming lack of cultural sensitivity among law enforcers that lead to mistrust and misunderstanding. Toronto's multicultural landscape where 120 languages are spoken provides a big challenge for authorities. Monday night's town hall meeting with Toronto Police Chief William Blair tried to address the multi-ethnic concerns.

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Terry Olayta and Judith Gonzales (at table) deliver their briefs at the town hall meeting with Toronto Police Chief William Blair and other top-ranking officers on Monday night at police headquarters. Asian diplomats and Asian community leaders attended.

"THEY'RE APATHETIC AND INDIFFERENT TO OUR PLIGHT"
Filipino Caregivers Complain Against Toronto Police

By ROMEO P. MARQUEZ
Member, Asian American Journalists Association

TORONTO - Two Filipino caregivers told authorities of their fears and experiences with police in reporting sexual and other abuses by their employers only to be intimidated and ignored.

The complaint was aired at a town hall meeting called on Monday night (Nov. 8, 2010) by Toronto Police Chief William Blair with Asian diplomats and leaders of the Asian communities at Toronto police headquarters in downtown.

A representative of the Philippine Consulate General in Toronto, Consul Edna May G. Lazaro, wasn't around when the caregivers delivered their complaints. She showed up, however, towards the end of the program.

"We were intimidated by police officers because we are only caregivers," said Judith Gonzales, a co-founder of the First Ontario Alliance Caregivers Canada (OACC).

Her colleague, Terry Olayta, gave a similar damning account before a jampacked audience who also shared their own brushes with police. She claimed being beaten by four police officers on duty while helping a boy in a family reunification program several years ago.

Olayta later on affirmed Gonzales' initial allegations, which she called "sickening". "There are rape cases and sexual abuse that had taken place and continue to do so," she explained.

In many instances the encounters centered on language and lack of understanding of the immigrant's cultural background, which lead to futher misunderstandings between law enforcement authorities and the multicultural communities of Toronto.

Toronto Police Chief William Blair

There are about 120 languages spoken in Canada's largest city alone and, according to Chief Blair, the police have the ability to speak more than half.

Gonzales and Olayta recounted a recent incident in which they "rescued" a Filipino nanny from her abusive employer who practically made her a slave, working 18 hours seven days a week, and imprisoned her at home.

"When another OACC official (Edna Tiosen) intervened, police asked her intimidating questions. Edna was really upset the way the police did the interview," Gonzales explained later after she spoke. She said the initial clash with police showed they had no knowledge about the live-in caregiver program.

Gonzales stressed a recurring fear of police intervention because "it might affect their application for permanent residency once police authority gets involved in their situation."

Quite a number of caregivers, she explained, "are working under temporary working permits, and always have fear that they can deport us back when we leave them. Worse, employers falsely accuse of criminal activities like theft, sexual molestation of our wards, neglect, violence and physical abuse."

"We would like to work with police authorities. We would like to exercise our rights to have a safe and secure work environment. We would like to live safely here in Toronto," Gonzales stated.

For his part, Blair said his department recognizes the problems facing immigrants and has adopted a "don't ask policy" pertaining to heir immigration status.

"We don't want people not to come to us to seek the protection of the police, or seek justice. Our job is not to enforce immigration laws. Our job is to protect our citizens," he emphasized.

Blair said the police are "trying hard to make sure that people trust us". He stated: "regardless of people's immigration, status, they're here and we have the responsibility to protect them".

Blair's assurances are quite comforting, according to those interviewed after the program. Filipino caregivers also feel relieved.
Blair's deputies -- Staff Superintendent Jane Cox and Inspector Francis Bergen of Community Mobilization Unit -- also fielded questions during the town hall meeting.

(This Currents & Breaking News may be posted online, broadcast or reprinted upon request by interested parties. Permission by the author and the editor must be obtained before any re-posting online or re-publication in print or re-broadcast. Copyright by Romeo P. Marquez, Editor, Philippine Village Voice, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Volume 4, Issue no. 38, November 9, 2010. Email at: PhilVoiceNews@aol.com or CurrentsBreakingNews@gmail.com) .

Toronto Police Chief William Blair, S/Superintendent Jane Cox and Inspector Francis Bergen of Community Mobilization Unit with Asian representatives to the town hall meeting.

1 comment:

Romy MarquezNovember 10, 2010 at 2:56 AM
Emailed to PhilVoiceNews@aol.com:

Do all of our kababayan caregivers have the support of Philippine government officials and the Filipino community? As a proven newspaperman, I think you should spearhead the fight for their cause.

Don Azarias
Chicago, Illinois

Currents & Breaking News

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Sexual, Other Abuses Exposed as Filipino Caregivers Decry Toronto Police Apathy, Indifference

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