Join the Dec 12 anti-ChaCha rally at Ayala!

photo courtesy of www.arkibongbayan.org

Babae Laban sa Katiwalian or BabaLa!, a recently formed alliance of women for truth and accountability, and GABRIELA joined today’s inter-faith rally in Makati and announced that the next big rally of women against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will be on March 8, International Women’s Day.

“We call on women from all walks of life- women nurturers who refuse to yield to a culture of lies and corruption perpetrated by the current leadership in the country - to celebrate women’s unity on March 8 International Women’s Day. On March 8, let the women’s unity ring of our determined fight for truth and accountability,” said actor/writer Bibeth Orteza, convenor of BabaLa!, who spoke during the program in Makati this afternoon.

Together with Orteza at the inter-faith rally today are fellow BabaLa convenors Marietta Goco, Amina Rasul, Rev. Sol Villalon, Gabriela Reps. Liza Maza and Luz Ilagan, UP Student Council officer Vanessa Faye Bomibol, and Gabriela Secretary General Emmi de Jesus.

According to de Jesus, they expect about 10,000 women to join the March 8 women’s action which will assemble at Welcome, Rotonda in Quezon and proceed to Plaza Miranda in Quiapo, Manila for the program. Also among the convenors of BabaLa! are former senator Leticia Shahani, Marichu Maceda, Atty. Evalyn Ursua, Atty. Claire Padilla, Atty. Alnie Foja, Dean Connie Paz and Dr. Rose Torres-Yu of University of the Philippines in Diliman.

In the Statement of Unity, BabaLa! said that “(A)s women who have consistently and proudly held the role of safeguarding the formation and upholding of positive values in society, we cannot helplessly stand back and allow Mrs. Arroyo’s morally bankrupt leadership to cast away our future as a nation. We cannot allow a presidency that has survived through cheating, lying, stealing and killing.”

“We join the Filipino people in saying that there is nowhere for Mrs. Arroyo to go but out. Together, we aspire for a future where leaders are true models of good governance and accountability to the people. We are determined to succeed in our united fight to remove her from office now.”

On March 5, BabaLa! will also hold a “Women’s Warning Walk” in Quezon City. ###

References:

Bibeth Orteza, BabaLa!Convenor

Emmi de Jesus, Gabriela Secretary General

We express our deep outrage at a woman, Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo, whose presidency has evolved into arguably the most fascist, dishonest, corrupt, cynical and morally degenerate in this country’s history. She has betrayed the great and resplendent tradition of heroism and integrity of women leaders and shamelessly disgraced the Filipino people.

While most mothers teach their children the value of honesty, this one has taught her family and country the enjoyment of corruption and lies. She has channeled monies originally intended for education, health services, housing programs and other such basic needs that any human being desperately needs, into the pockets of her family and cronies.

While most women teach their students the value of responsibility, this former economics teacher and current Commander in Chief has yet to account for charges of electoral fraud, corruption, enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and the economic dispossession of many of our people. Whistleblower Jun Lozada’s recent detailed account of Malacañang’s trail of insatiable greed, bribes, kickbacks and brazen acts of cover-up (including kidnapping) merely exposes the latest example of Arroyo administration’s penchant for evasion of responsibility and completes the picture of a decadent and desperate leadership.

As women who have consistently and proudly held the role of safeguarding the formation and upholding of positive values in society, we cannot helplessly stand back and allow Mrs. Arroyo’s morally bankrupt leadership to cast away our future as a nation. We cannot allow a presidency that has survived through cheating, lying, stealing and killing.

We join the Filipino people in saying that there is nowhere for Mrs. Arroyo to go but out. Together, we aspire for a future where leaders are true models of good governance and accountability to the people. We are determined to succeed in our united fight to remove her from office now.