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Saturday, March 01, 2003
15,000 join Church-led rally v. Iraq war
MANILA -- About 15,000 people marched across the streets of the Philippine capital on Friday in the biggest protest here in recent weeks against the prospect of a US-led war in Iraq.
The demonstrators including students, leftist militants, priests and nuns marched on a seaside park for a prayer rally led by anti-war Roman Catholic Bishop Teodoro Bacani.
Various women welfare groups, led by Innabuyog-Gabriela, also came together Friday in Baguio City to voice their opposition to the impending war in the Middle East and the "ongoing militarization in the country."
Demonstrators in Manila were joined by Vice President Teofisto Guingona, three senators, and one member of the House of Representatives.
Guingona quit President Arroyo's Cabinet last year and has since campaigned against US President George W. Bush's preemptive doctrine against international terrorism.
Arroyo herself is a strong supporter of Bush.
A police spokesman said an estimated 15,000 people joined the peaceful gathering, making it the largest anti-war demonstration in the Philippines in recent weeks.
Bacani read a message to the crowd by Cardinal Jaime Sin, the highest-ranking Catholic prelate in the mainly Roman Catholic Philippines, who urged Filipinos to remain "a people of peace."
"We just have to trust in God," he said. "Let us pray that the leaders of the world may uphold peace."
The Church leadership in the anti-war protests in the country is consistent with Pope John Paul II's campaign to persuade Bush and allied nations against resorting to force to rid Iraq of its alleged weapons of mass destruction.
In a press conference in Baguio City, Lana Linaban, spokesperson of Innabuyog-Gabriela, said war has been most detrimental to Filipino women and children.
"Right now, Filipinas are going through an economic crisis because of the support the government is giving to the US and its tough stance against Iraq." She also cited the clashes between government and Moro separatist rebels in Mindanao.
Linaban said the budget allocated for social services, welfare development and employment decreased because the national government opted to fortify the national defense budget.
"The budget for the defense department is 65 percent higher than that of social services and 58 percent higher than the education budget."
The "all-out-support" given to the US by President Arroyo only proves that the country is indeed being militarized, she added.
"This is evident in the recent approval of the Balikatan 03-1 military exercises. The government may continue to deny it but Pentagon officials have admitted that the Americans are here to engage in combat operations."
Linaban also disclosed that Innabuyog-Gabriela is coordinating with another NGO, the Migrante International, to see to the welfare of Filipina workers in the Middle East.
"Thirty-five percent of our OFWs are deployed in the Middle East. Of these 35 percent, 65 percent are women. We have to do everything we can to assure that they will be safe."
However, Linaban said Filipino workers in the Middle East were reluctant to come home, saying they will even be more miserable here than in the foreign countries where they worked. "How can this not be the case? They claim that they will have a hard time looking for a job here, which is true."
Speaking on behalf of the women who are victims of war displacement and abandonment, Imelda Tabiando, also of Gabriela, said that majority of women and children caught in the middle of a military struggle become victims of soldiers and military personnel are deployed in their areas.
"Our women are constantly being victimized by the infidels in the military. They are given false hopes of getting married but when the military operations end so do their relationships," Tabiando said.
She said they are handling 104 cases of abandoned children and 99 cases of abandoned women, all as a result of military operations in the different parts of the region.
"This just proves how undisciplined the military can be. They come into the villages as friends but in truth they abuse our women."
Reacting to the allegations, Lt. Col. Elmer Quiros of the AFP-Civil Relations Services said the military does not condone this wrongdoing by their men.
"We are more than willing to help you with these cases. You can go to any of the judge advocates in your respective areas and then file a formal complaint. If not, maybe you can coordinate with our office."
In line with the celebration of International Women's Month, Innabuyog-Gabriela and other women groups, including Gabriela Youth and women's organizations of the University of the Philippines, are scheduled to hold a series of activities, including the staging of the theatre act "Vagina Monologues" to promote women's welfare and rights. AFP/Sun.Star Baguio |
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