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Women turn to People Power

During the commemoration of the first People Power in 1985, the desperate Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo declared the Philippines under State of Emergency in the morning of February 24 after widespread protest rallies were launched and a failed coup de’ tat. Members of progressive partylist organizations are now facing illegal arrests and detention as in the case of Ka Beltran, a representative of Anakpawis partylist. Representative Liza Maza was not spared by this human rights violation. She just missed capture after members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) attempted to disrupt a meeting by the progressive block.

Even the president herself and her cohorts have acknowledged that political parties from the extreme right and the extreme left have united to call for her immediate ouster, which should tell much of the crisis of her political leadership.

As women, where do we go from here?

The militant Gabriela Organization and the Gabriela Women’s Party who took part in the big mobilizations yesterday fervently call on women from all walks of life to bring back the essence of People Power, and take part in the unfolding of another momentous point of our political history.

Red shall be the color of every single day until Mrs. Arroyo leaves Malacañang. The sea of red at the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) affirms that growing progressive sections of the armed forces are ready to join the people’s movement in calling for an end to the Arroyo regime. We refuse to take anymore of a president who implements policies that make every single day a tragedy for our families and us. It is this everyday tragedy of poverty that should compel women to go to the streets and be part of protest actions. We attribute the increasing prices of basic commodities and utilities to the expanded value added tax (E-VAT) law that Mrs. Arroyo have been pushing. All fingers point to Malacanang.

Government efforts to accommodate ousted president Joseph Estrada with offers of temporary release betray a weakening hold on power. The Arroyo government is growing more desperate everyday. It is bending every rule, mangling judicial procedures and preparing political pay-offs. However, this will not be enough. The cracks are growing and are irreparable.

The writing on the wall is clear as red. People Power has been and will be the sole recourse of people who refuse to take anymore of the corrupt and illegitimate government that perpetuates their poverty. Kung nagawa noon, magagawa ulit ngayon! #

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