Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Filipino Caregiver Community Splits Over Ruby Dhalla

An email written Joyce Rodriguez, and made public by Juby Cervantez, a registered director of the Caregiver Resource Centre, the nanny rights group that has been most aggressive in their pursuit of Ruby Dhalla for her alleged wrong-doing in Nannygate (for example, they were instrumental in getting the Villeneuva letter into Media hands and have called for Dhalla's resignation):

May 25, 2009

To the Filipino Community:

No amount of smear campaign or false allegations can erase the hard work, kind support and commitment Dr. Ruby Dhalla has given and continues to give to the Filipino Community in Brampton . Dr. Dhalla is the outspoken advocate for human rights and the rights of women, immigrants, seniors and the youth. In one way or another, Dr. Dhalla has touched the lives of many Brampton Filipinos. If I let what I read in the media affect my way of thinking, then I am prejudging Dr. Dhalla and not giving her a chance. If I let the allegations from the two caregivers and the Toronto Star smear campaign die a natural death, then I have just done our own community a disservice.

I feel that these caregivers are being manipulated, used and abused by people who stand to gain politically and financially. Why should I sit on the sidelines and watch and let this happen? So that other caregivers can do the same, and so that other politically-inclined individuals can also manipulate other caregivers. So that another family can be hurt and damaged? Do you want your daughter, sister, niece, mother, or aunt to be manipulated like these two caregivers? It is time to stand for the truth and tear down the smear campaign against Dr. Dhalla.

I think these two caregivers were promised, or were tricked into believing, that they would get protection regarding their immigration status in return for the allegations that they have presented. They did not think about the extent of damage they are doing to the Dhalla family and other families; they did not even consider the repercussions their actions might have on the caregiver program as a whole. They are selfish individuals and all they wanted was landed immigrant status. There are proper and honest ways of achieving landed immigrant status, and damaging a family is not one of them.

They have allowed themselves to be pushed and manipulated, at the expense of the caregiver community, the Filipino community, and many employer families. They have set a poor example to the caregiver community and to the Filipino community as a whole.


Now, many prospective employers will have second thoughts or be scared of sponsoring caregivers. They have crushed the hopes and dreams of many families in the Philippines and elsewhere. The community has many unanswered questions directed to these two caregivers. With their statement wanting to be left alone and to go back to their normal lives, where does that leave the community?

I acknowledge that abuses in the caregiver program are rampant and have been happening for the longest time with both the Canadian and Philippine governments doing nothing to stop the abuses. I have seen, heard and read about abuses of non-payment of wages, short-payment of wages, long hours, non-caregiver duties, inadequate sleeping quarters, dummy employers, unscrupulous agents, released-upon-arrival caregivers, physical and sexual abuses, and under-the-table jobs. There are many community agencies working towards reform for the caregiver program. Dr. Dhalla is one of the MPs who acknowledge that the program needs to be reformed. Are we just going to throw away the hard work that various community agencies have done towards these reforms? We are making inroads towards these improvements. We need Dr. Dhalla’s support for the good of many.

So let us stand and support Dr. Dhalla and her family in this trying time. If we truly want reforms in the caregiver program, let us not care who gets the glory, let us cast away all political ambitions, let us forget financial gains, and let us stand as a united community in support of the very people who have supported us.

Joyce Rodriguez
Brampton Filipino

Ms. Juby, in addition to offering her support for Ruby Dhalla via the act of distributing this email, has "withdrawn" from her position at the Caregiver Resource Centre.

(Update: Terry Olayta informs me that Ms. Juby's resignation from the CRC is unconnected with the Dhalla affair.)

Meanwhile, the story continues to perculate in the MSM: Nanny quit, made sham claims, first boss says.

13 comments:

Karen said...

Isn't Terry Olayta the person who was slated for the Commons Committee this week but was a no-show?

bigcitylib said...

Yep.

No word of what happened, but there's a message from Terry to the caregivers message board from right in the middle of the committee proceedings

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/caregiverresourcecentre_canada/message/984

...so I doubt he/she even made it to the hill. (Ignore the message time stamp; it isn't correct)

Karen said...

Hmmm. Do we know who called her/him as a witness?

bigcitylib said...

Well, I suppose the committee. But I don't know who on it, or what the sanctions are if you don't appear. Probably aren't any.

Karen said...

Well, yes the subcommittee would have finalised the list with agreement from all parties, but someone on that subcommittee put his/her name forward.

I just couldn't remember if it was mentioned which party put the name out.

Dykstra was gunning for Dhalla and Ignatieff during that meeting.

I know! I was shocked too! ;)

Gerrard787 said...

Ms. Dhalla had to get ahead of this story, and quickly, if she ever had any hope of containing the damage. But with three nannies and two professionals all saying the same thing about you, that is nigh impossible.

Liberals decry that this story is largely being decided in public . But why? The nannies, being foreigners, were likely terrified of filing formal complaints. And as foreigners, their complaints would likely have received little attention as events demonstrated.

Even when two Liberal cabinet ministers heard *directly* from the nannies, the best response they could muster for Ms. Dhalla's two former nannies was to give them a pamphlet and a 1-800 number.

How sad for the nannies.

Gene Rayburn said...

"Liberals decry that this story is largely being decided in public ."

Well that's mainly because the Conservatives prefer guilty until proven innocent and trial by media. Cause when you don't have policies or vision all you have is mud.

ch said...

I would have thought filing a formal complaint would be a lot safer than issuing press releases and having media interviews.

This story has become very complex, with Roswell's statement implying that Gordo abruptly left his job and started at the Dhalla's right after, which is when Alvarez said she recruited Gordo. Seems that her job with Roswell was legal as he had done all the paperwork for her to come work for him.

On one hand, Gordo might have left a legal, better paying and better working conditions job, for the hope of improved chances at getting immigrant status sooner because Dhalla is an MP. On the other hand, Alvarez herself, also interested in residency status, was leaving the Dhallas at the same time she was bringing Gordo in. There certainly seems to be some information missing here.

Gerrard787 said...

"Well that's mainly because the Conservatives prefer guilty until proven innocent and trial by media." - Gene

LOL. Coming from a Lib who prefers the odious predetermined 'justice' meted out by HRC's?

Cons have always been consistent on these issues. They are best handled by our criminal and civil justice system.

It is unfortunate Ms. Dhalla is having to fend off accusations like this in public. Still, she is getting a much fairer hearing in public then our HRC's would dole in private.

What's sinking Ms. Dhalla is the number of complainants.

"I would have thought filing a formal complaint would be a lot safer than issuing press releases and having media interviews."- ch

Good point ch. Hard to know the mind of an immigrant in their position. Experiences in their home country may have led them to distrust complaining to government.

It would be interesting to know more of the backstory here.

Ti-Guy said...

Paul's comment, with insane, ignorant, zoophilic assertions bolded:

LOL. Coming from a Lib who prefers the odious predetermined 'justice' meted out by HRC's?

Cons have always been consistent on these issues. They are best handled by our criminal and civil justice system.

It is unfortunate Ms. Dhalla is having to fend off accusations like this in public. Still, she is getting a much fairer hearing in public then our HRC's would dole in private.What's sinking Ms. Dhalla is the number of complainants."I would have thought filing a formal complaint would be a lot safer than issuing press releases and having media interviews."- ch

Good point ch. Hard to know the mind of an immigrant in their position. Experiences in their home country may have led them to distrust complaining to government.

It would be interesting to know more of the backstory here.(the only things he's interested in are bawdy photos in National Geographic showing the spider's spinnerets and...everything!)

Unknown said...

I think that community made a good work helping this people towards this problem, just as Generic Viagra did with me.

Anonymous said...

I think to be honest they have been manipulated to other people actually I've heard they have manipulated people with their generic viagra purposes they should change the mentality.

Unknown said...

Honestly i really like Filipino because they are so professional especially in care giving.


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