Makabayan bloc supports Liza Maza’s resignation from NAPC

Members of the progressive Makabayan bloc on Monday expressed support to former lawmaker Liza Maza's resignation as chair of the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC).

In a statement, Gabriela Women's Party lauded Maza's "clean and commendable record" as head of the anti-poverty agency.

Maza herself served as representative of the Gabriela Women's Party from 2004 to 2010.

"Secretary Maza had become the last ray of progressive politics in Duterte’s roster of officials which is dominated by militarists and misogynists," Gabriela Women's Party Representative Emmi de Jesus said.

"With Secretary Maza rejoining the people’s movement, we are confident that she will have more latitude in advocating women’s rights and in pursuing socio-economic reforms which she advocated in NAPC,” she added.

Maza cited the government's decision to terminate the peace talks with communist rebels as among the reasons for her resignation.

Another reason is the return of Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the Marcos family to the forefront of Philippine politics.

Gabriela Women's Party Representative Arlene Brosas said Maza's resignation will send a strong message against the Duterte administration's efforts to "sabotage" the peace process.

"By shutting all the venues for the resumption of peace negotiations, the Duterte regime has also shattered any possible opportunity to discuss the much needed genuine agrarian reform and national industrialization – socio-economic reforms which are close to Secretary Maza’s heart," she said.

For his part, Bayan Muna party-list Representative Carlos Zarate said Maza's resignation no longer came as a surprise as Duterte "has practically abandoned all the substantial reforms he claimed to undertake," including the peace negotiations.

This, he said, was aggravated by the supposed revival of the charges against Maza and three other former lawmakers in connection with the alleged murder of supporters of Akbayan Party, as well as the return of Arroyo and the Marcoses to power.

"We support the resignation of Liza and we welcome her as she rejoin the peoples' movement for substantial and meaningful change outside the confines of the present flawed bureaucracy," Zarate said. — Erwin Colcol/RSJ, GMA News