Fil-Am group slams POEA's support for illegal employment

by Rico Foz
United States Correspondent

The Filipino-American alliance Nafcon (National Alliance for Filipino Concerns) welcomed the Philippine senate probe (date?) on the case of Sentosa 27. Senator Panfilo Lacson also moved that the POEA (Philippine Overseas Employment Agency) be investigated for delayed action on the matter.

More urgently, Nafcon also demanded that all criminal and civil charges be dropped against 27 healthcare professionals falsely contracted to work in various facilities in New York.

The alliance took charge of the case this year, along with the Sentosa 27 themselves and their lawyer, Felix Vinluan. An international campaign for justice and shutdown of both Sentosa Care LLC in Long Island, New York, and Sentosa Recruitment Agency at the Ortigas Center , Pasig, is being coordinated with various nurses associations, labor groups, immigrant rights advocates and Philippine-based groups. In particular, the campaign has generated the support of the National Federation ofFilipino American Associations (NaFFAA), the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA), the American Nurses Association (ANA) as well as the Philippine Nurses Association (PNA).

The Sentosa 27 (26 nurses and 1 physical therapist) moved to work in New York in (date?) but realized that none of the terms of their contracts were being followed. When they filed a case with the Labor Attache in Washington, D.C., this prompted a fierce backlash from Sentosa owner and manager Bent Philipson. He countered civil charges against the 27 for breach of contract.

Ten of the Sentosa 27 resigned from their posts after months of deplorable working conditions and violations of contract. Philipson promptly pressed criminal charges against the 10 for “patient endangerment.” The 10 nurses denied this including the alleged collective walkout. They said they made sure that nurses from the next shift were on hand when they left their posts. They also said that working conditions under Sentosa required inhumane and impossible patient to nurse ratio that reached 100:1. A court date for the criminally charged was set August 23 in Riverhead, NY.

Optimum nurse performance and patient care is already jeopardized under conditions of long hours, no overtime, no backwages, and a high patient-to-nurse ratio, opined Nafcon.

Nafcon is also pushing for another investigation on justice obstruction and political interference by former Philippine Cabinet member Mike Defensor and US Senator Charles Schumer. In 2006, both officials urged POEA Administrator Rosalinda Baldoz to life the suspension issued on Sentosa after the Sentosa 27 filed a case against the said agency.

The Sentosa 27 shows not just another case of rampant contract violations but also the support and protection by US and Philippine government officials of criminal agencies.

For support signatures log on @ www.justiceforsentosa27.blogspot.com