[News] US Women Lawyers Mission to the Philippines: Findings

[Anti-Imperialist News]

PRESS STATEMENT

May 31, 2006


We, the all-women US lawyers' legal mission, came to the Philippines
in response to growing international concern over the extrajudicial
killings and political persecution of women's rights activists,
political leaders, members of  the opposition and the Batasan 6.

Our presence in the Philippines is an affirmation of international
sisterhood and the imperative for women to help each other amid
worldwide growing repression and political persecution. In this
country, such deliberate constriction of public space for women is
symbolized by the persecution of women's organizations and their
leaders, such as GABRIELA and Gabriela Women's Party, and
Congresswoman Liza Maza, the representative of the women's sector in
Congress.

During this mission, we had the opportunity to:

•      Hear the first hand accounts of victims of human rights
violations and their families. They courageously shared their
experiences of tragedy, violence and suffering. With barely any hope
for justice, many continue to live in fear;

•      Observe court proceedings, study legal documents and examine
the charges and the so-called evidence against the Batasan 6, all of
which we find baseless and violative of provisions in the Philippine
Constitution and international instruments ratified by the
Philippine government;

•      Be informed of the actions and the positions taken by the
Philippine government on the extrajudicial killings and political
persecution. In the midst of a situation that persists and
escalates, we find the government's response to be purely
perfunctory, insignificant and calculatedly confusing.

The condition has become increasingly dire with the abdication of
responsibility by those in power. It appears to be the Arroyo
government's policy to criminalize dissent, including by denying
critics and opposition parties access to the legislative process.

The government's conflation of legal political dissent with the
armed revolutionary movement does not bode well for the growth and
development of true democracy and democratic processes in the
Philippines.

On another level, the rebellion allegations implicating members of
the Joint Monitoring Committee undermine whatever progress has been
made on the peace process and violate the Comprehensive Agreement on
Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law
(CARHRIHL).

Our conclusion is that democracy in the Philippines is threatened by
this erosion of civil, political and human rights—which are the hard-
won legacy of the struggle against the Marcos dictatorship.

We return to the U.S. determined to help focus international
attention on the Philippines situation, to help mold public opinion
and thereby contribute to efforts to end political killings and
persecution.

We will actively seek various international venues, including the
United Nations, to ensure that those who have made violations of
human, civil and political rights for the people of the Philippines
be held accountable.

Furthermore, as citizens and taxpayers of the United States of
America, we intend to question our government's propensity to pour
military aid to this distressed country, to the detriment of aid to
the more critical areas of health, housing and education.

We thank GABRIELA and Gabriela Women's Party and all the women and
men who made our mission successful. We are also appreciative of the
invaluable assistance of Gabriela Network USA and the Vanguard
Foundation.


Tina Monshipour Foster
Center for Constitutional Rights

Rachel Lederman
National Lawyers Guild


Vanessa Katherine Lucas
National Lawyers Guild

Merrilyn Onisko
National Lawyers Guild
International Association of Democratic Lawyers

The Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 863-9977
www.freedomarchives.org 
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