The Kapisanan ng mga Kamag-anak ng Migranteng Manggagawang Pilipino, Inc. or KAKAMMPI, in cooperation with the Centre for Philippine Concerns Australia (CPCA) and Solidarity Philippines Australia Network (SPAN) held a forum last February 18 on violent deaths and disappearances amongst Filipina immigrants in Australia. Kakammpi is an organization of Filipino migrant workers and returnees. CPCA on the other hand is a network of Filipinos in Australia while SPAN is a network of Australian supporters.

Ma. Fe Nicodemus, Kakammpi chairperson, called for the empowerment of the Filipino migrant workers to enable them to cope with this problem. She also challenged other organizations and agencies to contribute in addressing the problems and mysteries hounding Filipinos in Australia.

Main resource person of the forum was Melba De Guzman-Marginson, a long-time advocate of Filipino migrants' rights in Australia, and currently adviser of the CPCA. She traced Filipino migration to Australia and expounded on the problems, issues and concerns of Filipino immigrants in that country.

A highlight of the forum, albeit quite poignant, were the testimonies of Ester Canonizado and Estrella C. Masigan, mother and sister, respectively, of Rosalie Canonizado, whose body was found inside their burnt house in 1991, with a cord tied around her neck. Her husband, Thomas Keir, was charged of the murder but acquitted for insufficient evidence. He was convicted though of the murder of his first wife, Jean Angela, Rosalie's second cousin, whom Thomas declared to have ran away with her lover in 1988. He is due for sentencing on February 29, 2000. Roses and flowers were offered later in memory of the women victims.

The panel of reactors included: Rachel Gibbs, Senior Migration Officer from the Australian embassy, Ellen Agot, Director of Migrants Integration and Education Office of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO), an agency attached to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), in charge of Filipino immigrants, spouses and fiancees, and the Honorable Patricia Sarenas, chairperson of the Committee on Women, House of Representatives.

Special thanks to Ms. Dee Hunt of CPCA-Brisbane branch and Ms. Nicki Saroca of SPAN for having prepared the materials for the forum.

Issues and Findings

1. In a study conducted by Chris Cunneen and Julie Stubbs in their book Gender 'Race' and International Relations: Violence Against Filipino Women in Australia, in 1997, they concluded that Filipino women in Australia are 6X more likely to be victims of spousal homicide than Australian women in general. The conclusion was based on the data compiled by CPCA of a total of 27 individual cases from 1980-1999. These include 2 disappearances and 25 deaths of Filipino women and children. Eighteen out of 25 deaths were homicides (14 women and 4 children). In all these cases, all the known suspected, accused, or convicted perpetrators were either the women's employer, partner, ex-partner or de facto; and where the ethnicity of the perpetrator is non-Filipino. The children were either born in the Philippines or were the Australian-born children from a Filipino-Australian marriage.
   
   
2. Filipino immigration to Australia is gendered with the majority of women arriving as sponsored spouses or fiancees. This particular type of immigration category facilitates the possibility of greater exploitation and abuse by rendering women particularly vulnerable to their sponsoring partners. As well, it locked women's entry into a low status position. Women could only enter through a relationship with a male immigrant, as a dependant or with sponsorship and a maintenance guarantee.
   
   
3. The nature of abuse can be understood within a general context of male violence, however the particularised image of Filipino women within the first world male fantasy is equally an important issue to address. First world men construct third world women within the framework of racialized femininities. Images of Filipino women have been constructed around racialised notions of 'Asian women's sexuality and personal characteristics displaying compliance and loyalty to the male.
   
   
4. Domestic violence continues to be a significant issue for Filipino women in Australia. The high homicide rate is indicative of the level of this violence.
   
   
5. Filipino women's access to legal protection and service delivery is limited in numerous ways, much of which could be remedied by appropriate government action.

Recommendations

To the Philippine Government:

1. To assess and evaluate the performance of the Philippine embassy and its consulates in Australia in the quest for the Filipino women victims of domestic violence, murder and abuse.
   
   
2. To investigate avenues for appeal on behalf of the relatives of the victims, even if the victims were Australian citizens.

To the Australian Government:

1. To review and restructure its immigration program towards a more socially just and gender fair program. Women should be accepted on merit and the skills category should include affirmative action for women and bilingual/ multilingual applicants.
   
   
2. To evaluate the results of the new measures undertaken by DIMA (Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs) in response to public lobbying on domestic violence and serial sponsorship.
   
   
3. To undertake, through the ALRC (Australian Legal Resources Centre) and HREOC (Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission) , an evaluation of the justice system's performance in relation to the treatment of Filipino and other immigrant women.