FiRE Condemns GMA for Condoning State Violence Against Women
October 25, 2007
Reference: Valerie Francisco, secretary general, Filipinas for Rights and Empowerment, fire.nyc@gmail.com
FiRE Condemns GMA for Condoning State Violence Against Women
It is universally accepted and recognized that violence against women is pervasive and must be stopped. The article 2 of the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women identifies one specific area in which violence commonly takes place as the “physical, sexual and psychological violence perpetrated or condoned by the State, wherever it occurs.”
Many international bodies, state-sponsored violence against women has been and continues to be condemned, nowhere more than the Philippines under the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo regime. The recent release of the Special Rapporteur Philip Alston human rights report cites the Philippine government in a “state of denial concerning the numerous extrajudicial executions in which its soldiers were implicated.”
Gabriela-Philippines cites that since 2001, 96 women were victims of political killings, 76 of them were victims of extrajudicial killings, 29 were victims of enforced disappearance and 22 are political prisoners.On children and minors as victims of human rights violations, Salinlahi Alliance for Children’s Concerns said that from 2001 to August 2007, 59 children and 5 unborn babies have been killed, 11 are disappeared and 82 were victims of illegal arrest/detention.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, on his October 24 visit to New York, dutifully covered up for the rotten GMA regime by insisting that the alarming human rights violations in the Philippines was part of the long standing counter-insurgency. Ermita failed to clarify what insurgency has to do with the increasing poverty level, lack of women-centered health services and extrajudicial killings of women, children and unborn babies.
FiRE lambasts the fascist GMA administration for sending officials to the US to contain the damage that continues to ravage the people's movement in the Philippines. We demand the immediate halt to the political killings and persecutrion perpetrated by the Philippine government! FiRE calls for the complete withdrawal of US military aid to Philippine death squads! FiRE condemns GMA for her heinous attacks on the Filipino people at home and in the US!
STOP THE KILLINGS IN THE PHILIPPINES!
NEVER AGAIN TO MARTIAL LAW!
WITHDRAW US MILITARY AID TO THE PHILIPPINES!
STOP KILLING FILIPINO WOMEN AND CHILDREN!
For more information about Filipinas for Rights and Empowerment (FiRE) is mass-based women’s organization in New York and a member of BAYAN-USA. Please visit, www.firenyc.org or contact us at fire.nyc@gmail.com.
BAYAN-USA is an alliance of progressive Filipino groups in the U.S. representing organizations of students, scholars, women, workers, and youth. Please visit, www.bayanusa.org or contact us at info@bayanusa.org. ###
