Pilipino Contract Workers Association president Jun Concillado told the Variety that the 21-day extension from the original Jan. 10 deadline to Jan. 31 gave them additional time to gather more signatures.
“We are very glad of the positive response we got from the nonresident workers and relatives of U.S. citizens in our ‘Justice for the Nonresidents in the Northern Marianas’ campaign,” Concillado said.
He said all the signatures have already been sent to human rights activist Wendy Doromal, who initiated the petition on Nov. 14 last year.
Concillado said the signatures will have to be scanned, reproduced and bound before they can be sent to President Obama, members of the U.S. Congress, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, Labor Secretary Hilda Solis and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.
“It’s a long and tedious process but we are hoping for the best,” Concillado said.
The online petition had a turnout of only 2,602 signatures.
Concillado said they had to go house to house and left signature sheets at restaurants and stores.
They also conducted signature campaigns at the Sabalu Market in Susupe and the street market in Garapan.
Doromal will deliver copies of the petition to the U.S. Congress in Washington, D.C. this month.
