The Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR) is calling on Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel “Babe” Romualdez to provide support to Filipinos who are being victimized by actions of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) amidst the Donald Trump administration’s intensified crackdown on migrants.

When he was released from detention on July 18, Filipino green card holder and labor leader Maximo Londonio criticized the Philippine government for not providing him any support. The Philippine government merely gave USD 300 to the Northwest Detention Center (NWDC) located in Tacoma, Washington in relation to Londonio’s case.

On July 19, it was reported that more than 18 Filipino workers who hold valid 10-year visas were handcuffed, removed from a cruise ship at the Port of Norfolk in Virginia, sent back to the Philippines and banned from entering the US for the next 10 years. Today, July 21, Romualdez held a press briefing about the ongoing official visit of his cousin, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, to the US.

The Philippine government, through its embassies abroad, should provide legal, welfare and other forms of support to overseas Filipinos in distress. By failing to support Londonio, the most high-profile Filipino victimized by ICE so far, Romualdez is showing a shameful obeisance to the Trump administration and its widely-despised anti-migrant campaign.

Overseas Filipinos are suffering from the Marcos Jr government’s renewed drive of puppetry to the US, currently ruled by one of its most extreme right-wing presidents. Human rights should be non-negotiable, but the Marcos Jr government chooses to sacrifice these to curry Trump’s favor.

Londonio and the more than 18 Filipino workers suffered from various human rights violations. They were denied due process and were punished for reasons unknown to them. Londonio endured 27 days of solitary confinement out of the 57 days that he was detained. Solitary confinement is seen by human rights experts as a form of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, and even a form of torture when it takes place over a prolonged period.

The detention of Londonio for a felony he committed in 2002, the sentence for which he has already served, reeks of discrimination, blacklisting and persecution. Seen in relation to his work in the labor movement, his detention can also be seen as political repression.

Londonio and the more than 18 Filipino workers have surely suffered from trauma and humiliation because of what ICE has done to them. The 18 Filipino workers stand to lose a large amount and income opportunities because of their deportation and banning from the US. The Philippine government should provide support to ICE victims, and Romualdez should lead the way.