G A B R I E L A
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E T W O R K U
S AA Philippine-US Women's Solidarity Mass Organization, est. 1989
STATEMENTS and RELEASES
from Gabriela Women's Party Re. Liza Largoza Maza
27 May 2006NEWS RELEASE
27 May 2006For Reference: REP. LIZA LARGOZA MAZA 0920-9134540; Tels: 9316268, 9315001 loc 7230;
Jang Monte (Public Information Officer) 0917-8226635MAZA WELCOMES US LAWYERS' PROBE; GABRIELA MEMBER HELD AT GUNPOINT IN BATASAN COMPLEX
Gabriela Women's Party Representative Liza Largoza Maza welcomed today a delegation of prestigious women lawyers from the US. "We thank them for showing much interest and concern over the ongoing political persecution and the worsening human rights situation in our country. They have come amid very dangerous times and we appreciate very much their support," Maza said in a press conference today in Quezon City.
Facing the media during the press conference were lawyers Rachel Lederman (co-chair of the National Lawyers' Guild Post-9/11 Committee, she won a million-dollar lawsuit against the city of San Francisco for illegally rounding up protesters), Vanessa Melendez Lucas (Children and Family Justice Center's Children's Immigration Law practice) and Merrilyn Onisko, (Co-chair of the National Lawyers Guild Middle East Sub-Committee). Set to arrive are Tina Monshipour Foster (Center for Constitutional
Rights, Guantanamo Global Justice Initiative), and Jill Soffiyah Elijah (Deputy Director of Criminal Justice Institute of Harvard Law
School)According to Maza, since Arroyo came into power in 2001, 1,331 cases of human rights violations involving women have been documented. 68 women were slain under the Arroyo regime, 35 of which are members of Gabriela and its allied organizations. Since then, much international support has been raised over the spate of activist and journalist killings, the filing of fabricated charges against progressive partylist representatives.
MOTORCYLE-RIDING DEATH SQUAD IN CONGRESS?
"Women who identify themselves as members of Gabriela are being singled out and held at gunpoint or worse, killed. This country is not a safe place, not even Congress," said Maza.Maza revealed that a Gabriela Youth member, Rema Castro, unaware that Congress operated on a four-day work week, came to pick up materials from the office of Rep. Cynthia Villar and the Committee on Higher and Technical Education yesterday at around 8:00am.
She found the Batasan Complex virtually deserted save for some armed men in fatigue detailed as Congress security. She was pushed to the ground and held at gunpoint by an unidentified assailant, wearing a white shirt, jeans and combat boots near the North Wing lobby. Holding a shotgun, the assailant said "Mga salot kayo! Kayo ang dahilan ng gulo!" then backed off in a motorcycle after Castro attempted to call the last dialed number on her mobile phone.
"Do the motorcycle-riding killers have access to Congress?" Maza asked, as she noted that most of the reported incidents of killing were perpetrated by suspected military men riding a motorcycle. "This incident confirms that we are targets of this regime." said Maza. She will call for an investigation on the incident on Monday. "We will get to the bottom of this." #
STATEMENTS and RELEASES
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