GABRIELA ON THE BATASAN BOMBING
NEWS RELEASE
14 November 2007
Reference: Emmi de Jesus, Secretary General, 371-2302 / 0917-322-1203
GABRIELA ON THE BATASAN BOMBING
GABRIELA National Alliance of Women condemns in the strongest possible terms the bombing in Batasan Pambansa (House of Representatives) last night which killed Marcial Taldo and injured three other members of Gabriela Women's Party including Representative Luz Ilagan. (Marcial Taldo is GWP Rep. Ilagan's driver). We call for an immediate and independent probe on the bombing, fully aware of the inutility of the PNP on resolving matters of grave concern.
The haste by which Manila Police through National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Director Geary Barias and National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales state that the bombing was intended for Basilan Representative Wahab Akbar and that the motive is personal is highly suspect. Their statements were baseless and irresponsible and could only be motivated by an immediate need to divert suspicions from the real perpetrator and mastermind of this heinous crime. They have employed the same ploy in the Glorietta 2 explosion and they are doing it again.
The bigger question that should be resolved on the Batasan bombing, just as in the Glorietta 2 explosion, is "who stands to gain?" The Glorietta 2 explosion came at the time when the Malacañang bribery case was exposed. The Batasan bombing came the day before Pampanga Governor Panlilio was set to testify on the bribery in the Senate and the day before the House Justice Committee Hearing on the impeachment case.
There is a political crisis and it is rooted from Malacañang, where sits a President whose authority has long festered through electoral fraud, graft and corruption, economic sabotage and unequalled human rights violations. We cannot expect for the truth to come out and for justice to be served for as long as there sits in Malacañang a lying, cheating, stealing and manipulative president.
For Marcial Taldo and the other victims of last night's bombing in Batasan, justice must be served.
GABRIELA Philippines
35 Sct. Delgado St, Brgy. Laging Handa
Quezon City, 1103 Philippines
TeleFax: (632) 374 44 23
E-mail: internationalrelations@gabrielaphilippines.org
GABRIELA is a grassroots-based alliance of more than 200 women's organizations, institutions, desks and programs in the Philippines. We seek to wage a struggle for the liberation of women and the rest of our people.
News References :
Congress bombing:
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/topstories/topstories/view_article.php?article_id=100700
Glorietta Bombing:
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view_article.php?article_id=95462
Malacanang Bribery:
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view_article.php?article_id=94677
