- Target:
- Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs
- Region:
- Japan
The Philippine Embassy in Tokyo imposes higher fees on applications for lost passport which they rationalize as a form of penalty for careless handling of the passport.
Since March 11, 2013, the embassy and the Consulate General's Office in Osaka, Japan began imposing this new schedule of fees. MIGRANTE Japan and the Philippine Center for Migrant Concerns (PCMC) believe that it is wrong to ask migrants to pay for services that they rightfully deserve and more than what is legally and morally right.
Therefore, we are submitting this petition to correct this injustice to Filipino migrants in Japan.
On March 11, 2013, the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo and Consulate General's Office in Osaka, Japan began implementing a new Schedule of Service Fees which they say is in compliance with the Department of Foreign Affairs as stated in TK-118-OUA-2013 dated 25 February 2013. With this, the following schedule of fees for passport applications took effect:
Regular E-Passport Y 6,180.00
Amendment Y 2,060.00
Replacement of Lost E-Passport Y 15,450.00
At first glance, one can immediately notice a huge disparity in the cost of applying for a regular E-Passport and replacement of lost E-Passport. Embassy officials justifies the higher cost as “a penalty for careless handling of the passport."
MIGRANTE-Japan and the Philippine Center for Migrant Concerns (PCMC) view this as an outright "kotong" (illegal collection). The Philippine Embassy and Consulate General's Office are actually penalizing us, Filipino migrants in Japan, for losing a passport which we paid with our own money.
This "illegal imposition" is serious matter to us because we , as migrants in Japan, have endured decades of lackluster service and indifference from embassy officials and staff who often treat us with disrespect and attend to our needs without air of concern.
The money we earn in Japan comes from our own sweat and blood. Nobody has the right to exact money from us for nothing.
We, therefore, OPPOSE this new schedule of fees and the imposition of penalty for lost passport as highly irregular, ergo another form of state exaction.
The cost of a lost passport should not differ from the cost of a regular passport, and therefore, we DEMAND uniform cost for all types of passport applications and a REFUND for those who paid more than what is legally and morally right!
NO TO HIGH PASSPORT FEE!
NOT TO STATE EXACTION!
MAKABULUHANG SERBISYO HINDI NEGOSYO!
PROTEKSYON HINDI KOLEKSYON!
You can further help this campaign by sponsoring it
The NO TO 'KOTONG'! NO TO HIGH PASSPORT FEE! petition to Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs was written by Migrante Japan and is in the category Civil Rights at GoPetition.