Leftist Women’s Party GABRIELA on Duterte’s First 100 Days in Critical Support

GABRIELA, leftist women’s party of the Philippines, posted a press release (10/7 on their facebook page, 10/8 on their website) on their position re: the Duterte Administration. They affirmed their support for Duterte’s move towards a more independent foreign policy and his possible break with the USA, citing the abuses that women especially face in the areas around the US bases, such as sex trafficking, rape, and even death. On the question of the drug war their position was more critical; they found the Duterte administration “flawed and wanting when it comes to its solution to illegal drugs and criminality”, and “prod[ed] Duterte to pursue a humane and holistic approach to the problem.” Gabriela representative Arlene Brosas gave the example of a the recent death of five- and four-year-old girls as “collateral damage” and said “the killings have to stop.” Nonetheless, Gabriela affirmed the social, economic, and agrarian reforms underway, as well as the peace negotiations (with the NDF, or national democratic front of the Philippines, and armed communist organization that has been in existence for over 30 years). These, they said, were a more productive way to deal with the drug problem than the current killings. Gabriela Representative Emmi de Jesus summarized clearly: “Creating stable employment by pursuing a blueprint for genuine agrarian reform and national industrialization while providing poor Filipino families with basic social services that will aid them in their recovery from their dependence on illegal drugs is the more humane and holistic solution to the problem of crime and illegal drugs.”

http://gabrielawomensparty.net/content/make-it-real-gabriela-women-suppo...