MANILA, Philippines – An alliance of Filipino migrant rights groups Friday vowed to launch a massive protest against the “unjustifiable budget cut” on the P100-million legal assistance for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in 2011 budget for the Department of Foreign Affairs submitted by Malacañang to Congress for deliberations.

According to John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator, they will concerted effort to show their disgust to what they called an "anti-OFW and transgression" on the mandate of the Migrant Workers Act by the administration of President Aquino.

He revealed that some OFWs and their organizations have suggested initiating an online petition and signature campaign and issuing a manifesto opposing the budget cut to be signed by OFW organizations and their leaders and members.

“We are convinced that the Aquino administration would only listen to our concern about the unjustifiable cut on OFWs legal assistance funds, among other OFWs concerns, if we will make our actions a concerted effort, internationally, enough for President Aquino to hear even if he is inside Malacañang,” Monterona said in a statement.

Monterona said after the news broke out about the cut in the OFW legal assistance fund during the

DFA budget deliberation in Congress, a considerable number of OFWs and organizations have expressed strong opposition and conveyed their support to join Migrante chapters in the Middle East on its advocacy for an increased government budget for OFWs on-site services and welfare programs.

“Our various Migrante chapters in the Middle East, along with other OFW organizations and the Filipino community in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Libya, and Israel are now consulting on what specific actions to take to show our strong opposition against this first anti-OFW act by the Aquino administration,” Monterona said.

The Saudi-based OFW leader said there are strong negative responses from OFWs and their families who are "disgusted" and who felt betrayed by the President who had promised to provide better assistance and programs to OFWs and their families during his presidential campaign.