Marcos urged to veto bond provision in Magna Carta for Seafarers

MANILA, Philippines — The Association of Marine Officers and Rating Inc. (Amor Seaman) on Thursday urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to veto the execution bond provision added in the final version of the Magna Carta Bill for Seafarers.

The group underscored its effects on the country’s seafarers.

“Sinasabi ng gobyerno na kami ang bagong bayani ng bayan, pero ano ang ginagawa niyo? Patuloy kaming ginigipit at pinahihirapan. Saan namin kukunin ang P200,000 na cash bond na ilalagak namin bago kami makakuha ng claims ‘pag nagkasakit kami,” said Amor Seaman Spokesperson Atty. Rey Tranate in a statement.

(The government says that we are the modern heroes of the country, but what are they doing to us? They continue to make us suffer. Where will we get the P200,000 cash bond we would have to deposit before we receive our claims when we get sick?)

The controversial bond reinserted in the Magna Carta Bill prohibits immediate release or payment of disability claims to any complainant seafarer. The seafarers would have to pay for a bond first equivalent to their disability claim to get their benefits after.

Tranate further stressed their rejection of the provision, saying that the cash bond would be difficult to earn.

“Kaya kailangan pigilan ang bond. Cash bond muna na P200,000 bago makakuha ng claims, eh sa loob ng 5 hanggang 10 taon eh patay na kami noon,” he said.

(That’s why we should prevent the bond. A cash bond of P200,000 is required before claims can be processed, but in 5 to 10 years, we’ll likely be dead by then.)

READ: Group lauds DOLE, DOJ for opposing bill imposing bonds on disability claims

“Wala kaming trabaho; san namin kukunin yan. Wala kaming security of tenure sa batas na yan, contractual kaming lahat. Hindi ba dapat gobyerno ang bahala dyan sa cash bond para makakuha kami ng disability claims pag kailangan namin ng tulong mula sa gobyerno?” added Tranate.

(We don’t have a job, so where will we get that money? We don’t have security of tenure in that law because we are all contractual. Shouldn’t the government be in charge of the cash bond so we can get disability claims when we need it from them?)

The Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers was certified as an urgent bill by President Marcos last September 23.

The removal of the execution bond was ratified in May but it did not reach Malacañang for signature. The bicameral committee then produced the third version of the bill, reinserting the controversial provision, which was ratified last Wednesday.

Bayan Muna Chairman Neri Colmenares contested the move of the government to bring the bill back to the Senate after it was sent to Malacañang following its approval from the bicameral committee.

“Unconstitutional ‘yan. Saan ka nakakita ng bill na naaprubahan na ng bicameral conference committee na dinala na sa Malakanyang at pagkatapos ay ibabalik sa Senado? Kahit makarating sa Korte Suprema yan, mali ‘yang ganyan,” Colmenares noted.

(That’s unconstitutional. Where else did you see a bill that got approved in the bicameral conference that is already brought to the Malacañang to be returned to the Senate? Even if it reaches the Supreme Court, that is wrong.)

READ: Group questions escrow provision in proposed Magna Carta for seafarers