Gabriela urges women to fight threats and violence


Women’s group Gabriela on Thursday urged Filipino women to stand up against threats, violence, vilification, and red tagging in commemoration of the International Human Rights Day.

In a statement, the group raised concerns over state violence against women activists and human rights defenders that have “alarmingly intensified.”

“Just for being women, we are one of the frontline targets of state violence,” Gabriela said.  President Duterte has identified Gabriela as one of the many front organizations of the Communist Party of the Philippines.

In the past weeks, the Duterte administration arrested and detained several women activists, one of whom was Amanda Echanis, who was arrested and detained with her month-old baby, over what Gabriela said were “trumped-up charges.”

Police said Echanis, the daughter of slain peasant leader Randy Echanis, has firearms and grenades in her home.

Gabriela said it demands justice for women activists who have a “target of vilification and red-tagging.”

It also gave its support to nursing mothers who were arrested with “dubious warrants and trumped up charges.”

Aside from Echanis, the group also calls for the release of Cora Agovida, Reina Mae Nasino, and other women political prisoners.

Nasino gave birth while under police custody on July 1. She and her baby, River, were separated on August 13 despite the child needing to be breastfed. The court junked Nasino’s appeal to care for her child, who died on October 16 because of acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Gabriela accused the President of having a “chronic fear” of dissenters, mothers, and women, but said that the “heightened attacks on women human rights defenders stem from the power imbalances between the rich and the poor, between the powerful and the powerless.”