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Why must women demand Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s resignation?

By Vernie Yocogan-Diano
Secretary General
Innabuyog-Gabriela

July 8, 2005

GMA must step down now that more and more Filipinos through their organizations and institutions are calling on her to do so. A president who won by massive fraud and deceit doesn’t have the moral and political authority to represent the nation.

It is high time that women from all democratic sectors and from all walks of life in the Cordillera should support the growing convergence of Filipino people urging GMA to step down, now. The current situation of violence against women and children should urge each one of us to join this current call and action: 1 Filipino woman is raped every 8 hours or beaten up every 2 hours; 2 women are exposed to acts of lasciviousness everyday; a child is beaten up every 3 hours; a child is abandoned around every 8 hours; 80% of the 4,000 Filipinos who are forced to leave the country daily to work abroad are women and are exposed to various forms and degrees of exploitation and oppression, and more and more women and girls are duped into the sex trafficking business and are forced into prostitution.

This alarming situation of violence against women in the country is both a moral and political issue. It is happening because the GMA government undoubtedly failed to provide a secured and healthy social environment where women and children are respected. In the main, GMA’s leadership has failed to provide any economic relief and reforms. She allowed the country’s economy to sink deeper with the country getting the lowest unemployment rate of 13.7%, a high inflation rate of 8.4%, earned an international record of being the second most corrupt country in the world, incessant increases in the prices of oil products with an average increase of P0.50 per liter of diesel and gasoline per month and the continued devaluation of the Philippine peso.

It is the economic hardship that breeds violence on women and children. Low regard of women and their discrimination will never be corrected if government fails to provide opportunities for the women majority to have a space in public and command respect for women —secured source of food and livelihood, decent jobs, providing opportunities where they develop and exercise their competence in leadership, enabling them to form their democratic organizations and stop the exploitation of women for patronage politics.

Unable to wield unity among Filipinos even among the ranks of the military due to questions of legitimacy as president and on governance, GMA has clung to the US government’s support resulting to accomodation of US economic, political and military interests causing further disaster to the national economy and unity.

As an alternative, we support the formation of a transition council to ensure national governance in the interim while paving the way for the process of election for the executive position. On the other hand, we are also open for constitutional succession. How the succesor (VP de Castro or Senate President Drillon) will deliver his leadership will again be judged by the Filipino people and be ready to face the same fate of ousted presidents if he fails to work out urgent economic and political reforms.

Innabuyog upholds civilian supremacy and is definitely opposed to military junta and adventurism to grab political power.

The transition council should work out the following immediate reforms in its national program: revamp the COMELEC and the electoral system to pave way for a credible elections, stop the killings and political repression, protect the local economy from disastrous globalization, formulate a progressive debt policy which includes negotiation for debt relief with banks and financial institutions and go after corrupt officials.

The country is currently in a delicate situation that requires urgent participation of the broad sections of Philippine society including women.. The first step to save the country is to urge GMA to step down, now. #

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