News

Gabriela Women’s Party Representative Luz Ilagan today called on President Benigno Aquino III to veto legislation seeking to amend Article 202 of the Revised Penal Code.

“The amendment effectively decriminalizes vagrancy yet sustains penalties for prostitution. Pimps are no longer considered vagrants will no longer suffer penalties for their acts while prostituted women are still considered criminals,” explains Ilagan.  read more »

Militant Mindanaoan solon Luz Ilagan of Gabriela Women’s Party today said legislators should look deeper into the real causes of Mindanao brownouts before even considering giving President Aquino special powers to address the power crisis in Mindanao.

“Special powers will not resolve the crisis. On the contrary, special powers, combined with a problematic energy policy powered by private, multinational interests will spawn an even bigger crisis that will result to higher power rates and leave the people of Mindanao in darker ages.”  read more »

A consolidated bill amending the Anti-Vagrancy Act while continuing to criminalize women in prostitution violates the Magna Carta of Women or RA 9710 which clearly recognizes prostitution as a form of violence against women, and prostituted women as victims and as among the most vulnerable women in society," remarked Gabriela representative Emmi De Jesus on the impending passing of the consolidated SB2726 and HB4936.  read more »

“The outright invitation for increased US military training exercises in the Philippines and more frequent dockings by US navy ships in our ports makes President Aquino a co-conspirator to the rape of our national sovereignty. This is US neocolonization in a not-so-subtle form,” said GWP Rep. Emmi De Jesus on President Aquino’s announcement that more US troops would be welcome to rotate through the country.  read more »

“The workers’ call for P125 across the board wage increase is over a decade-old. The workers have carried the brunt of the series of inflationary crises and increases in the prices of oil, utilities and basic commodities. The Aquino government's only response last year was the P22 ECOLA. And now, Malacanang claims that the proposed P125 wage increase is too high. This, once again, is Aquinomics at its worst,” said GWP Rep. Emmi De Jesus in reaction to a Malacañang's rejection of the proposed P125 legislated wage increase.  read more »

Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Luz Ilagan along with fellow RH warriors pressed anew for the urgent passage of the RH bill.

“Women and children are dying unnecessarily with the Aquino government’s failure to deliver much needed healthcare services to women. Hemorrhage, eclampsia and sepsis infections are easily preventable causes of maternal and infant deaths yet Filipino women and infants continue to suffer and die every day because facilities are inadequate and there are no skilled healthcare professionals for childbirth,” said Ilagan.  read more »

“Huwag niyang subukan ang taumbayan. Pres. Aquino is courting the people's rage and fueling discontent with his adamant refusal to remove the 12% VAT on oil. It is an outrage that Pres. Aquino chooses not to heed the poor Filipinos' clamor for relief from high prices of oil and basic commodities when more and more families are going hungry. This is undeniable proof of the anti-poor character of this administration.”  read more »

“As we listen to stories of urban poor women, we see how they suffer most from the social costs of an urban development program that has no heart for the poor,” said GWP Rep. Emmi De Jesus at the forum 'Women and Children Speak Out' held at the House of Representatives on March 19 to commemorate the 20th year anniversary of RA 9282 or the Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992 and the continuing celebration of International Women’s Month.  read more »

“President Aquino should wake up and listen now to the call of the people to scrap VAT and the Oil Deregulation Law. He should stop peddling the illusion that collections from VAT alleviate the condition of the poor. VAT is a burden. Kung gusto talaga ng gubyerno na tulungan ang mahihirap, ibasura niya ang VAT, at bawasan ang mga tax incentives ng mga dambuhalang korporasyon. Ito ang maaaring pagkunan ng pamahalaan ng pondong mawawala kung aalisin ang VAT,” said GWP Rep.  read more »