Solidaritas Perempuan members march to the Philippine Embassy in Jakarta April 2006/ photo by Gita of SP

Today, there is no doubt that Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's government has been totally exposed as a militarist, undemocratic, illegitimate government. The call from the broad peoples' movement for Arroyo to resign as president of the Philippines is becoming louder and more widespread. In response, we witness an unbelievable escalation of killings, disappearances and harassment of activists and members of the democratic movements. According to the data from Karapatan (Alliance for the Advancement of People's Rights), the documented extra-judicial killings have reached 725 since the beginning of Arroyo administration in 2001. This means an average of 145 extra-judicial killings a year under Arroyo.

Other forms of silencing of resistance are also being employed - making activists disappear, and filing legal charges.

APWLD members and allies in the Philippines fall victim to this harassment.

Elisa Tita Lubi, member of the APWLD's Programme and Management Committee of, and a member of Women's Participation in Political Process Task Force (WPPP TF) is on Arroyo's list of 51 people accused of rebellion which is a nonbailable offense in the Philippines. With her on the list is Liza Masa, a party-list representative to the House of Congress, and a close friend of APWLD. Tita and Liza are both members of GABRIELA Women's Party.

Other leaders of democratic peoples' organisations and NGOs are also facing charges of rebellion. Some of these women human rights defenders are members and close allies of APWLD:

• Rita Baua, International Relations Officer, BAYAN (member of APWLD's Rural and Indigenous Women Task Force 2000-2002)
• Emy de Jesus, Secretary General, GABRIELA
• Carol Araullo, Chairperson, BAYAN - Dinky Soliman of the Hyatt 10 and resigned Secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

These charges were initially filed in February of this year. APWLD issued a Purple Call among its members - Defend Women Defending Rights! Particularly for the Philippines, the call was to drop all charges against Tita Lubi, Liza Maza and other women human rights defenders; and Stop the Persecution of all Filipina women human rights defenders.

Letters of protest from APWLD members across the region were circulated and sent to the Philippine government. In April, some members launched public attention in their own country to raise the issue of political persecution in the Philippines. In Indonesia, the Solidaritas Perempuan (APWLD member) women with big banners calling "Arroyo, Killer!" trooped to the Philippine embassy in Jakarta and delivered their letter of protest to the charges filed against APWLD members, and condemnation of the killings.

In India, Society for Rural Education and Development (APWLD member) went out in the streets of Tamil Nadu, and called for a public petition signing, and asking for Arroyo to resign. In Mongolia, Centre for Human Rights Development (APWLD member) translated the APWLD statement in Mongolian and distributed it to their national media, and sent a copy to the Philippine embassy in the country. In Thailand, the APWLD secretariat and Thai members of the APWLD Programme and Management committee (Virada Somswasdi and Wannee Thitiprasert) organised a Philippine embassy visit in Bangkok. This action was joined by friends and network organisations - Forum Asia, Strategic Initiatives of Pinoys Abroad (SIPA), Focus on the Global South, ALTSEAN, Workers Democracy, among others. The charges were later on dismissed by the courts for lack of merits. But the celebration was short-lived. A week after the dismissal, the Department of Justice filed another rebellion charges against Liza Masa and the rest of the people who were on the list. The rebellion charges were filed against the 6 representatives of progressive Party Lists and 47 other persons for alleged participation in a failed plot to oust President Arroyo in February. This list still includes APWLD members Tita Lubi and Rita Baua. The legal proceedings are ongoing. And so the persecution continues. APWLD receives fact sheets of killings in the Philippines regularly. This has to stop. Arroyo has to go. Sisterhood and solidarity for our friends and comrades in the Philippines are needed now more than ever.

A colorful show of solidarity by SRED / April 2006, Tamil Nadu, India / photos by SRED APWLD with allies and friends at Bangkok Embassy / April 2006 / photos by judy p