[asia-apec 1409] Philippines: Women's Day Protest

[BAYAN]

Philippines: 

CALLS FOR ESTRADA'S RESIGNATION RING ON WOMEN'S DAY

An estimated 15,000 women together with supporters joined nationwide 
protest actions led by the militant women's group GABRIELA in commemoration
of 
March 8 International Day of Women.

Reverberating with calls for President Joseph Estrada's resignation, almost 
20 separate women's protest actions of GABRIELA chapters and member 
organizations took place in Baguio City, Bicol, Cavite, Cebu, Davao City, 
General Santos, Isabela, Iloilo, Pampanga and the National Capital Region. 
This year, women in Batangas, Laguna and Mindoro Occidental joined the ranks 
of GABRIELA women in a militant commemoration of March 8.

In Manila alone, 3,000 protesters led by GABRIELA marched from Welcome 
Rotonda to Mendiola in a wave of purple banners calling for President 
Estrada's ouster.

"Women all over the country have had enough of the daily tortous life of 
dealing with scarcity, of being subjected to various forms of degradation 
just to survive. A government that does not move towards resolving this 
situation of crisis must step down" said GABRIELA Secretary General 
Liza Largoza Maza.

Leaders of GABRIELA marched the street in purple shirts forming the words 
ESTRADA RESIGN!  This regime's political patronage of the 
Marcoses and underworld "kumpadres", endorsement of the VFA and ushering the 
return of martial law are blows aimed to knock women out" added Maza.

The women protesters, in a program held in Mendiola, displayed the 
many ways women intend to oust the current administration. An oversize 
prescription pad diagnosed President Estrada as "mentally and 
psychologically unfit" and recommends the president's "forced 
resignation". A satire judgment meted out lifetime imprisonment with "no 
conjugal visits from legal spouse or otherwise". Carrying large replicas of 
a woman's shoe, eraser, schoolbook (entitled GO BACK TO SCHOOL), 
hammer and broomstick, the women's group shoved the reclining 
Estrada effigy from its pedestal and burned the seal of the 
President of the Republic of the Philippines.

Aside from GABRIELA's member organizations, the militant women's group was 
joined by the Sandigan ng Manggagawa sa Shoemart, SAKAMAY, COURAGE, ACT, 
Kilusang Mayo Uno, Kilusan ng Magbubukid sa Pilipinas as well as other 
organizations under Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN).

In Bohol, some 2,000 members and supporters of GABRIELA  staged a die-in and 
a noise barrage this afternoon in protest of the intensifying militarization 
in the area under the government's OPLAN MAKABAYAN which has displaced a 
number of women and thier families from their homes and livelihood. While 
in Iloilo City, GABRIELA women staged a "Hukumang Bayan" (Peoples' Court)
at the Freedom Grandstand with the Estrada administration standing in trial 
for its crimes committed against the Filipino women.

"March 8 traces its roots from thousands of women workers dissatisfied with 
their working situation in New York and Europe more than a century ago. 
Today, Filipino women are continuing this tradition of militancy in the 
midst of people's growing discontent over the inutile and despicable Estrada 

administration and women clamoring for a substantial change in our lives" 
said GABRIELA chairperson Sr. Mary John Mananzan.