STAUNCH ENVIRONMENTALIST A FORMER JOURNO
September 2017 THE CANBERRA REPORTER | 3
EXPATRIATES
COVER STORY
She walks the
talk for others
STAUNCH ENVIRONMENTALIST A FORMER JOURNO
Photos from the silent protest and solidarity run by Edna Mendoza , Jenny Sunga-Amparo and Ronnie Holmes . Photos in the placards used are from Bogsi Panaligan , the editorial cartoon by Heng ( New York Times ).
Expatriates rail against killings without justices
ANU STUDENTS IN SILENT PROTEST , RUN
By JENNIFER AMPARO
FILIPINO students and their families held a silent protest and a solidarity run recently at the Australian National University ( ANU ) calling for due process for suspects of drug-related crimes , using hashtags # DUprocess and # StoptheKillings . Scholars and community running club members joined the 25 August Global Day of Action and Black Friday Protests against extrajudicial killings in the Philippines , adding their voices to the chorus of condemnation over the consequence of the bloody ‘ war on drugs ’ being waged in the country . The hashtags call attention to the death of thousands in the war on drugs and the culture of impunity of law enforcers emboldened by Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte ’ s heavy-handed approach . The 25 August Action demonstrated an outpouring of support for the families of recent victims of the Duterte administration ’ s ‘ war on drugs ’, including that of 17-year old Kian Delos Santos . “ Here in Australia , there are many
OFWs who support the education of young people like Kian back in the Philippines ,” said Regina Macalandag , a PhD candidate at ANU . “ As scholars abroad , we value both education and the hard work and sacrifice that OFWs do to send money back to the Philippines . “ The government is willing to give due process to Duterte ’ s son , who is accused of smuggling drugs . Why the double standards when it comes to the poor ?” Another PHD candidate RRisa Jopson said : “ We ran today to show our solidarity with the marginalised who have been exploited and killed under public policies that should have instead served and protected them ,” said Risa Jopson , also a PhD candidate at ANU . Emerson Sanchez , a PhD candidate in Politics at the University of Canberra , said : “ We call for an end to the war on drugs . It is a war against the poor . Stop the killing of fellow Filipinos .” Kian was gunned down by police officers in Caloocan City . He was one of 82 people killed by police on August 16 , 2017 in what has been regarded as the bloodiest crackdown since the ‘ war on drugs ’ campaign started . •
Migrante rally at the Consulate
MEMBERS of Migrante Australia launched a rally at the entrance of the Philippine Consulate General building on Wentworth Avenue in Sydney ’ s CBD recently to send a message against the killing by police of 17-year-old high school student Kian Loyd de los Santos on suspicion of illegal drug possession . •
Arguably the Filipino-Australian community ’ s most active political campaigner with solid credentials for elective office in Canberra has been the wind beneath the wings of many community causes and activities in the ACT .
By MARILIE BOMEDIANO
GINNINDERRA ’ S Indra Esguerra , a former community radio journalist and small business owner , has developed a strong Canberra-wide network and remarkable skills in campaigning , lobbying , negotiation and media . A staunch environmentalist , Esguerra has campaigned in Canberra for issues affecting society for more than 25 years . “ I used to be a forests and wilderness campaigner , then to stop uranium mining ; but soon I realised that many of our problems were related to other problems ,” she says .
“ I found single-issue campaigns confining and moved into general politics and campaigned to get members of the Greens Party elected to parliaments .”
Esguerra been a policy adviser for the ACT Greens in the ACT Legislative Assembly since 2005 , advising the party on issues such as the environment , transport , animal
INDRA ESGUERRA goes on the campaign trail in Canberra .
welfare , business , multicultural affairs and health .
Among her key achievements at campaigning were : saving a number of forests in southeast NSW , now protected in national parks ; pushing the ACT Government to introduce greenhouse gas reduction targets , roll out lake and waterway improvements across Canberra , triple-bottom line assessment to be required for ACT Government cabinet decisions , and a ban battery-caged hens . Along the way Esguerra discovered the joys of producing and presenting campaign current affairs stories in the media . She joined local community radio station 2XX as a journalist , presenter ; then as producer and eventually as its station manager for a time .
Esguerra also sat on national community radio funding boards . A Centennary Medal for services to multicultural community was awarded to her in 2003 .
In 2004 , Esguerra co-founded a small retail and online business in Canberra , focusing on sustainable and ethical products .
“ We specialised in sustainable clothing such as wool , organic cotton , bamboo , hemp , silk and , controversially , possum fibre from New Zealand ,” she says . “ I really enjoyed this fantastic opportunity to work with companies to change the fabrics they were using to create more sustainable products .”
Esguerra was the ACT election candidate for the Seat of Ginninderra 2016 , and missed out by about 700 votes ; and was the ACT Greens candidate for Seat of Fraser in 2010 , gaining 19.84 percent of the vote - a 6 percent swing . She also ran as a Senate support candidate in 2013 . Esguerra is the current chief of staff to the two Greens MLAs : Minister Shane Rattenbury , and Caroline Le Couteur . Minister Rattenbury is the only Greens Minister in Australia .
The political campaigner had a multicultural upbringing , born in Canberra to a Filipino father and German mother who met in Canberra while attending the Australian National University ( ANU ).
Esguerra grew up in Canberra , attended Canberra public schools and the ANU , majoring in Resource and Environmental Management , Human Ecology , and German ). “ I love living in Canberra ,” she says . “ Growing up in Canberra gave me a love of the natural world around us - our hills , valleys , rivers and lakes . “ I now have two school-age boys , and spend any spare time I have looking after my chooks and garden , or trying to keep up with the busy arts and music scenes here in Canberra .” •
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Law expert on South China Sea disputes to lecture at the ANU
By CECILIA FLORES
A LEADING expert on South China Sea issues will present a lecture at the Australian National University ( ANU ) on Wednesday , September 27 , 2017 . The Philippines ’ Justice Antonio Carpio ( in picture ) will tackle the issues covering the implications of the current disputes on the region ’ s maritime security and the interest of outside powers . The lecture , jointly hosted by the ANU Coral Bell School of Asia Pacitic Affairs , the ANU School of regulation and Global Governance , and the ANU Philippines Project . Mr Carpio will examine the merits of various claimants in the disputed areas and present scenarios for mutually acceptable resolutions .
The South China Sea disputes have become one of the most contentious international legal disputes in the world at present .
The Philippines and China have competing claims over a large maritime area in the SCS . China ’ s claim also clashes with those of several coastal states in Southeast Asia , but the Philippines ’ claim is the only one which has gone as far as being referred its claim to the UN ’ s Permanent Court of Arbitration ( the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea ). In July 2016 , the Tribunal ruled in favour of the Philippines . One year on , China continues to ignore this ruling , and the Philippine Government has pursued a diplomatic détente in order to work around the seemingly intractable disagreement . Many commentators have provided their interpretations of competing claims by various claimants , but very few have had direct experience in formulating a legal case with this kind of international significance . Admission to the lecture is free and open to the public . •