Friday, July 09, 2004 Women's groups hold march for rape victim By Lizanilla J. Amarga
WOMEN groups Friday will "march for justice-forum" for all women victims of violence and for Tara, the alleged victim of a gang rape at Limketkai just last month.
Karapatan lady lawyer Beverly Musni told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro Thursday that their newly created Taskforce on Violence Against Women and Children (Taskforce VAWC) would be spearheading the event.
"This is a march for justice-forum. Panawagan ni nato for justice for Tara and all women victims of violence. Imbitado ang tanan nga mo-apil (This is our call for justice for Tara and all women victims of violence. Everyone is invited to join our cause)," she said.
Taskforce VAWC is composed of Xavier University Center for Legal Assistance (XUCLA), Family of Tara and Friends of Tara, Gabriela, Karapatan, Abanse Pinay, Pilipina and Handmaids among others.
Musni said there would be an estimated 100 to 150 individuals who are set to attend the "march for justice-forum."
She said they would assemble at around 12:00 noon to 1:00 in the afternoon at the City Hall grounds and then march towards the Maranatha Fellowship Center located at Burgos-Gomez street adjacent to the regional office of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA-10).
"We would be be bringing with them placards and streamers calling for justice for all women victims of violence who have requested full confidentiality and for Tara," she said.
The women's groups were supposed to stage a rally during the preliminary hearing held on the rape case last month but did not push through with it for unspecified reasons.
A series of hearings would be held on the case about two weeks from now. Three of the five suspects who were ordered released by the court belong to prominent families in the city.
The Regional Trial Court (RTC), branch 23 ordered the release saying that the three suspects identified as J.R. Capinpuyan, Mark Baguasan and Irwin Roy Raypon were arrested around 40 hours after the incident occured.
The victim had earlier refused an offer of marriage by one of the suspects.
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