Progressive women's organisations in the Philippines commemorate International Women Human Rights Defenders Day by paying tribute to women human rights defenders killed under the Arroyo regime. Manila, the Philippines. 28/11/2009.
Particularly commemorated were two women human rights defenders who lost their lives along with 25 journalists and several other civilians in what is now called the Ampatuan Massacre. Groups from Tanggol Bai, Gabriela Women’s Party, KARAPATAN (the Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights) hold a demonstration at the Mendiola Bridge near the Presidential Palace.
“If they can kill lawyers, (they can) practically (kill) anybody. If they can kill judges where cases are pending then they can do that to ordinary people.” These were the words of Atty. Connie Brizuela, as recalled by Girlie Padilla of Tanggol Bai. "Brizuela is a member of National Union of Peoples Lawyers (NUPL) and the Gabriela Network of Professionals in North Cotabato. A feisty human rights lawyer, she took the cases of the abused and marginalized, including cases of violence against women . She did so in the midst of various death threats. Her body was found among those massacred in Maguindanao, her face mutilated
beyond recognition." Padilla with teary eyes further explained.
"Another lawyer, Atty. Cynthia Oquendo was a no stranger to the struggle to end the plight of poor Filipinos; she was a Gabriela Youth organizer as an undergraduate student, she continued to be an activist in Cebu as a law student and after graduation, practiced law in her hometown in Polomolok, South Cotabato. She was believed to have been raped along with the rest of the 22 other women victims of the gruesome carnage in Maguindanao. Her life was snuffed out at the young age of 35." Rep. Liza Maza of Gabriela Women's Party expounds.
In a statement, KARAPATAN, said that "under the US-Arroyo regime, there are 1, 115 victims of extrajudicial
killings, 50 of these were women human rights defenders; 10 of them disappeared out of the 203 victims of enforced disappearance while 61 have suffered illegal detention out of the 1,934 victims of the same violation."
They further explained that "These brutal killings and gross and systematic violations committed by the US-Arroyo regime are engendered by its mad and criminal
counter-insurgency program called Oplan Bantay Laya (OBL). OBL will supposedly end the insurgency in the country. But this program has been the bloodiest and most vicious counter-insurgency plan unleashed by a Philippine president who ironically happens to be the second woman to assume the position. OBL lumped together the armed resistance fighters and the unarmed legal activists and leaders of people’s organizations as “enemies of the state” and 'front organizations' of communist groups so that mere labeling of individuals has led to their eventually being killed or disappeared."
"On International Women Human Rights Defenders Day, let us honour the memories of our fellow human rights defenders who have selflessly given their lives and worked hard to defend the rights of our fellow Filipinos, especially the poorest and the voiceless people of our land." said Marie Hilao Enriquez, chairperson of KARAPATAN.
More than 50 women staged a die-in at the Mendiola Bridge to signify their protest and condemnation of human rights violations committed against women and the people. With raised clenched fists, they shouted, "Stop the killings! Stop human rights violations, especially those against Women Human Rights Defenders! Put an end to the murderous US-Arroyo regime!"
