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PRESS STATEMENT<br><br>
May 31, 2006<br><br>
<br>
We, the all-women US lawyers' legal mission, came to the Philippines
<br>
in response to growing international concern over the extrajudicial <br>
killings and political persecution of women's rights activists, <br>
political leaders, members of the opposition and the Batasan
6.<br><br>
Our presence in the Philippines is an affirmation of international <br>
sisterhood and the imperative for women to help each other amid <br>
worldwide growing repression and political persecution. In this <br>
country, such deliberate constriction of public space for women is <br>
symbolized by the persecution of women's organizations and their <br>
leaders, such as GABRIELA and Gabriela Women's Party, and <br>
Congresswoman Liza Maza, the representative of the women's sector in
<br>
Congress. <br><br>
During this mission, we had the opportunity to:<br><br>
• Hear the first hand accounts of victims
of human rights <br>
violations and their families. They courageously shared their <br>
experiences of tragedy, violence and suffering. With barely any hope
<br>
for justice, many continue to live in fear;<br><br>
• Observe court proceedings, study legal
documents and examine <br>
the charges and the so-called evidence against the Batasan 6, all of
<br>
which we find baseless and violative of provisions in the Philippine
<br>
Constitution and international instruments ratified by the <br>
Philippine government;<br><br>
• Be informed of the actions and the
positions taken by the <br>
Philippine government on the extrajudicial killings and political <br>
persecution. In the midst of a situation that persists and <br>
escalates, we find the government's response to be purely <br>
perfunctory, insignificant and calculatedly confusing.<br><br>
The condition has become increasingly dire with the abdication of <br>
responsibility by those in power. It appears to be the Arroyo <br>
government's policy to criminalize dissent, including by denying <br>
critics and opposition parties access to the legislative
process.<br><br>
The government's conflation of legal political dissent with the <br>
armed revolutionary movement does not bode well for the growth and <br>
development of true democracy and democratic processes in the <br>
Philippines. <br><br>
On another level, the rebellion allegations implicating members of <br>
the Joint Monitoring Committee undermine whatever progress has been <br>
made on the peace process and violate the Comprehensive Agreement on
<br>
Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law <br>
(CARHRIHL).<br><br>
Our conclusion is that democracy in the Philippines is threatened by
<br>
this erosion of civil, political and human rights—which are the
hard-<br>
won legacy of the struggle against the Marcos dictatorship. <br><br>
We return to the U.S. determined to help focus international <br>
attention on the Philippines situation, to help mold public opinion <br>
and thereby contribute to efforts to end political killings and <br>
persecution. <br><br>
We will actively seek various international venues, including the <br>
United Nations, to ensure that those who have made violations of <br>
human, civil and political rights for the people of the Philippines <br>
be held accountable.<br><br>
Furthermore, as citizens and taxpayers of the United States of <br>
America, we intend to question our government's propensity to pour <br>
military aid to this distressed country, to the detriment of aid to <br>
the more critical areas of health, housing and education. <br><br>
We thank GABRIELA and Gabriela Women's Party and all the women and <br>
men who made our mission successful. We are also appreciative of the
<br>
invaluable assistance of Gabriela Network USA and the Vanguard <br>
Foundation. <br><br>
<br>
Tina Monshipour Foster<br>
Center for Constitutional Rights <br><br>
Rachel Lederman<br>
National Lawyers Guild<br><br>
<br>
Vanessa Katherine Lucas<br>
National Lawyers Guild<br><br>
Merrilyn Onisko<br>
National Lawyers Guild<br>
International Association of Democratic Lawyers<br>
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<font size=3 color="#FF0000">The Freedom Archives<br>
522 Valencia Street<br>
San Francisco, CA 94110<br>
(415) 863-9977<br>
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