Ma. Theresa Bonoan-David the Queen of Taurpaulin Congresswoman

In a personality based political system there is a tendency for politicians to become self-centered or worse becomes a full blown narcissist.

The problem with seeing your face plastered in every conspicuous places of the district one represents is that shameless self-promotion becomes a habit. Once self-promotion becomes a habit if one does not watch or be at least conscious about it, they tend to become out of touch and worse becomes dumb.

Manila Representative Ma. Theresa Bonoan-David maybe one of those who may have been so fixated with her face. Her picture splattered all over her district without even taking into consideration (or was that lack of consideration) that her constituent are probably having a withdrawal from seeing her face too often.

What was she thinking or was she even capable of thinking? Her numerous tarpaulins states she is a lawyer so you would think she knows what she is doing and yet she was able to piss off a lot of OFWs that may even surpass Zubiri’s relative, self-proclaimed fashionista Malu Fernandez.

Bonoan-Davids kuligs este colleagues passed Republic Act (RA) 8042 or the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995 with an initial funding of a measly P1M. RA 8042 was created and established as an Emergency Repatriation Fund under the administration, control and supervision of Owwa.. The genius that she is Ms. David felt that there is a need to amend the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995 with her “brilliant” House Bill 6195. According to some liepapers in the said house bill it will require Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) to pay $50 to the OWWA before leaving the country. Funny how the liepapers worded it in such a way that it does not sound a requirement that one cannot leave without paying the additional fee if this dumb bill passed. The lies este the Congresswoman further states the rationale for her bill:

There are millions of OFWs all over the world which the Philippine government is mandated to protect and safeguard under RA 8042 but it seems incapable to efficiently help distressed OFWs due to financial constraints.

Under the bill, distressed OFWs can be repatriated during wars, epidemics, disasters or calamities, natural or man-made, and other similar events.

The bill will also establish and maintain an up-to-date database and locator system of OFWs necessary for their repatriation, as well as the necessary disaster preparedness and mitigation measures.

Sounds almost too good to be true but what she did not consider was that at present OFWs are already required to pay $25 to OWWA before they can leave for their contractual work outside of the country. According to Migrante Middle-East in a press release Ms. Theresa Bonoan-David is mis-informed and her proposal is definitely an anti-OFW bill, to quote:

Rep. Bonoan-David proposal is ill-advised. She may be misinformed because the issue is not about lack of funds. The OFWs trust funds held in trust to OWWA is now about P13-B and is earning, and yet the OWWA does not have enough programs and welfare services to OFWs and their dependents including the proper use of its Emergency Repatriation fund.

The OWWA has not been transparent on the real status of the OFWs trust fund and where it is being spent,” Monterona averred.

Monterona continued that such proposal is clearly an anti-OFW. “For one, it is just an added burden to already overburdened OFWs. The proposal is also against the mandate of the Migrant Workers Act of 2010 or RA10022.

If the Congresswoman is really serious in reaching out to the OFW community she should come up with a bill that will ensure transparency at the OWWA. Perhaps, she must first have her staff do some research as in finding out if OWWA can’t really afford to repatriate OFWs since they have trust funds worth P13 Billion? Does she not know how to count, how can she rationalize the US$50 additional burden when the OWWA just requires $25? How about doing the math or does she count like the increBedol Comelec of the Garci Back door operator dagdag bawas formula?

Rep. Ma. Theresa Bonoan-David deserved what Eat Log says:

Pinuno mo na nga ng poster mo ang buong Maynila, kikikilan mo pa kaming mga OFW. (You already saturated the whole of Manila with your posters and now you will even extort OFWs.)

The OWWA trust funds coming from the OFW's $25 contribution for so many years now worth P13Billion has not been accounted for properly especially during the reign of Arroyo. How can Rep. David even think of charging OFWs double and on top of what they are paying now truly shows her dense predatory attitude towards our modern day milking cows errrr heroes. Until Rep. David has not pulled her dumb amendment out it is best to sign the petition,  tell your friends to do the same and share it with your network.

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Update: Rep. Ma. Theresa Bonoan-David seems to have come to her senses, she has now withdrawn her sponsorship as the principal author of House Bill 6195.

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Overseas Filipinos modern day heroes