Anti-Malu Fernandez sentiments filled the Philippine blogosphere the past few weeks as a reaction to her controversial column “From Boracay to Greece” where she wrote that she “wanted to slash [her] wrist at the thought of being trapped in a plane with all of them,” referring to the OFWs in Dubai.

The Filipino Press Club-Dubai, group of Filipino professional journalists from the print, broadcast and web-based media in the United Arab Emirates, has also issued a statement calling for an apology and disciplinary action against Fernandez.

“We strongly demand that the publishers of People Asia and Manila Standard Today to take full responsibility and do the right thing: give Ms Fernandez and her editors a disciplinary action and apologise to the people insulted by these articles,” the group said.

The official website of People Asia also reported that their September issue will carry Fernandez’s statement in lieu of her column.

Some bloggers earlier linked to Fernandez’s supposed statement, which was posted in Geocities.com. Below is the full text of what appears to be Fernandez’s statement:

Statement from Malu Fernandez on the OFW Controversy

I am humbled by the vehement and heated response provoked by my article entitled ‘From Boracay to Greece!’ which came out in the June 2007 issue of People Asia. To say that this article was not meant to malign, hurt or express prejudice against the OFWs now sounds hollow after reading through all the blogs from Filipinos all over the world. I am deeply apologetic for my insensitivity and the offensive manner in which this article was written, I hear you all and I am properly rebuked. It was truly not my intention to malign hurt or express prejudice against OFWs.

As the recent recipient and target of death threats, hate blogs, and deeply personal insults, I now truly understand the insidiousness of discrimination and prejudice disguised as humor. Our society is bound together by human chains of kindness and decency. I have failed to observe this and I am now reaping the consequences of my actions. It is my fervent hope that the lessons that Ive learned are not lost on all those who through anonymous blogs, engaged in bigotry, discrimination, and hatred ( against overweight individuals , for example )

I take full responsibility for my actions and my friends and family have nothing to do with this. To date I have submitted my resignation letters to both the Manila Standard and People Asia, on that note may this matter be laid to rest.

I remember the long hours we had to endure inside the freezing, tension-filled newsroom as we awaited Angelo’s fate, just about a month ago. Looking back, I could only imagine now the agony his family felt. More vividly, I could still remember the smiles on our faces when we finally saw Angelo looking shaken but alive on our television screens.

Weeks after Angelo’s release, Middle East special envoy Roy Cimatu has been reportedly looking into camps that may be safe for Filipino workers to work in. And now recently appointed OFW czar Noli de Castro has been “negotiating” with US ambassador Francis Ricciardone. The US is apparently alarmed that there are no more Filipino truck drivers who are willing to risk their lives to bring the soldiers their goods.

After lambasting our country’s efforts to save the life of one overseas Filipino worker, America is now patting our backs, urging us to send our people to work for them.

Meanwhile, the miserable unemployed demand the lifting of the ban, insisting they would rather die in Iraq than for their families to die of hunger.

In a job fair held in Manila yesterday, one computer science graduate applied for a job as a fast food crew.

Now I know what the word desperate really means. For a minute there I wanted to puke.

The Filipino Youth for Peace issued this open letter to Australian Prime Minister John Howard in response to his government’s verbal attacks against us. The group said:

Mr. Howard, you accuse the Filipino people of weakness for the way they responded to the hostage crisis. May we take the liberty to tell you that it is those who see no course for themselves other than to unflinchingly hug the tails of imperial mass murderers who are the real weaklings. It is they who, above all, risk the lives of their countrymen for a war that is not worth the life of even a louse, much less that of an innocent human being.

You need not look to the Philippines to find weakness, Mr. Howard. You need only look in the mirror.

It would not happen if only the government listened to an earlier call by cause-oriented groups.