GABRIELA NETWORK HOLDS MACAPAGAL-ARROYO RESPONSIBLE FOR CYCLE OF VIOLENCE; CONDEMNS BOMBING AT PHILIPPINE CONGRESS

PRESS RELEASE: November 13, 2007
CONTACT: Dr. Annalisa Enrile, National Chairperson
619-316-0920; chair@gabnet.org

GABRIELA NETWORK HOLDS MACAPAGAL-ARROYO RESPONSIBLE FOR CYCLE OF
VIOLENCE; CONDEMNS BOMBING AT PHILIPPINE CONGRESS

"The bombing at the Philippine Congressional Building is an
escalation of the policy of violent political repression initiated by
the Government of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo," said Dr. Annalisa Enrile,
national chair of GABRIELA Network, a US- Philippines women's mass solidarity organization.

The bombing resulted in the death of Basilan Representative Wahab
Akbar and Marical Talbo, driver of Gabriela Women's Party
representative Luz Ilagan, who was herself injured. Also killed was
Maan Gale Bustalino , a member of the staff of Negros Oriental
Representative Pryde Henry Teves. Representive Teves was injured as well,
along with bodyguards and drivers of several other representatives,
including GWP's Liza Maza.

The circumstances of the bombing are highly suspicious, particularly
in the consequent portrayal of Rep. Akbar as an "Abu Sayyaf"
partisan; and highly suspicious in that the most injured are
opponents of the Macapagal-Arroyo regime. "It's interesting that this
attack takes place during the third impeachment hearing of President
Arroyo. The assassination of political luminaries and leaders falls
squarely into the Bantay Laya paradigm," Dr. Enrile continued, citing
a Philippine military plan that echoes Operation Phoenix, a program
of assassinations instituted during the American War in Vietnam,
resulting in some 50,000 community people killed. Over 1000
extrajudicial killings have occurred against activists and supporters
since Gloria Macapaga-Arroyo took office in 2001.

The women's organization called for an end to the presence of US
troops in the Philippines, which it characterized as a major factor
in the escalation of political violence in the archipelago and for
the Filipino people to end the Visiting Forces Agreement with the US
military.

"Wherever the US military goes, an escalation of political violence
occurs. The more violence, the greater the military's share of the
US budget, the more profit to multinational corporations
manufacturing weapons -- this is the very simple equation behind
this strange US policy so desirous of war and violence," GABNet
pointed out.

Violence against women as a strategy of war is escalating
worldwide. From Iraq to Palestine to Haiti to Darfur, women are
bearing the brunt of militarization and the so-called war against
terror. It seems highly coincidental that Gabriela Women's Party was
so targeted.

GABNet called on all its supporters and allies to mount a pressure
offensive to help jump-start all stalled peace talks in the
Philippines. The organization also expressed its sympathies and
condolences to the families of the killed and injured.

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