Joint Press Release
Dalde Family and Kalayaan Centre Organizations

Immigration’s bureaucratic red tape prevents grieving relatives of murdered Filipino man from attending funeral

May 24, 2008

The grieving family of Charle Dalde, the 24-year old Filipino man who was stabbed in Richmond last April 14, 2008, would like to proceed with Charle’s funeral but the funeral is presently stalled.  The Dalde’s have been waiting for relatives, whom Charle was close with, in the Philippines to be granted visitor visas.  But Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) advised the family that they may have to wait another month before any decisions are made.

The Dalde family and other members of the Filipino community are critical of the CIC for its bureaucratic red tape when it comes to emergency visa applications.  “My family has suffered the tragic and violent loss of my eldest son, also suffered police harassment, now bureaucratic matters prevent my family in the Philippines from saying their final goodbyes,” states Cezar Dalde, father of Charle.

The Daldes applied for visas for their relatives in the Philippines with all required supporting documents.  According to the Daldes, the Philippine Consulate in Canada has completed the steps necessary to approve the applications but the CIC appears to be stalling, or is treating the application on a non-urgent basis.

Cezar Dalde states "it is so disgusting that they are treating our application as a regular processing matter. Considering the facts that the sole purpose of my relatives in coming to Canada is to attend the burial of Charle, not to engage in any illegal and undesirable activities in Canada."
 
Members of Filipino organizations within the Kalayaan Centre assert that the bureaucratic red tape is an example of CIC’s many policies that are racist, restrictive, and exploitative.  Dinah Estigoy, member of the Philippine Women Centre of BC, cites the recent story in local media of the racial profiling and criminalization of the Vinluan family.  The brothers of Faustino Vinluan, a lung cancer-stricken senior, were denied vistor’s visas because CIC deemed the two brothers who live in the Philippines would illegally extend their stay in Canada.  Vinluan died without seeing his two brothers.

Estigoy, also cites the Live-in Caregiver Program, CIC’s labour program that imports live-in domestic workers, 95% of whom are Filipino women.  “The LCP is an anti-woman, and racist program. It perpetuates the underdevelopment of our community.  We are forced to be separated from our families and are forced into indentured servitude,” asserts Estigoy, a former live-in caregiver.  Charle’s mother, Harlyn Dalde, also came to Canada under the LCP in 1997.

“CIC and the federal government should recognize that my family and my wife, has contributed alot already to Canada,” states Dalde. “We hope they will consider the urgency of our application so that we can lay my son to rest with everyone who was closest to him present.”
 
On the night of Charle’s fatal attack, the Dalde family received a call from Richmond Hospital that their son was in critical condition.  But the RCMP prevented Charle's parents and brother from rushing to their dying son. In the hallway of their apartment building, the RCMP, with weapons drawn, handcuffed the Dalde family to the floor and raided their apartment without warrant or explanation.  After 15 minutes, the RCMP released them, but it was too late. Charle had already died from his multiple stab wounds.
 
The Dalde family were also barred from seeing their dead son at the hospital. Even though the family pleaded to see Charle's body, they were refused that request. Cezar, Charle's father, states: "From what I know, it is the protocol that police officers and physicians are supposed to let the family identify the victim's body to be sure that it is their relative. What if the victim is not my son?"#

A community forum will be held in Richmond’s City Hall on June 12, 2008.  More details will be announced soon.
 
For more information or to arrange an interview with the Dalde family please contact: Leah or Dinah

Kalayaan Centre organizations:
Filipino Canadian Youth Alliance – BC
SIKLAB Overseas Filipino Migrant Workers Organization
Philippine Women Centre BC
Filipino Nurses Support Group
Sinag Bayan Cultural Arts Collective

Address: 451 Powell Street, Vancouver, BC V6A 1G7

Telephone: 604.215.1103

Email: ukpc_fcya@kalayaancentre.net, siklab@kalayaancentre.net

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