Women rights defenders suffer Duterte admin abuses —TFDP

As it observes the International Women's Month, the Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP) on Saturday blasted the Rodrigo Duterte administration for "attacks" on women rights defenders

In a statement, TFDP said women rights defender suffer the brunt of all forms of violations as they are being subjected to arrests, ill-treatment, stigmatization, threats, detention, and killings by state functionaries.

“Women human rights defenders suffer the same fate as other human rights defenders who are being harassed and threatened both online and offline, subjected to misogynistic comments and abuses, tagged as enemies of the State, detained, and worse, killed because of their legitimate human rights work,” TFDP claimed.   

It cited a few of its documented cases on human rights violations committed against women human rights defenders by the government and private corporations.

“Just like in the case of Sister Susan Octavio Bolanio, 66 years old, Oblates of Notre Dame (OND) congregation, who has been receiving series of texts messages, red-tagging and associating her with the New People’s Army (NPA). This is because of Sr. Bolanio’s involvement in supporting members and indigenous rights defenders of Tboli-Manobo S’daf Claimants Organization (TAMASCO) in their claim to ancestral domain. She also led the fact finding mission on the reported killings of members of TAMASCO last December 3, 2017 in Barangay Ned, Lake Sebu, South Cotabato,” it said

According to the group, another similar case is that of Myra Opada, who together with Lucille Gesta and Aurelia Parangan, officers and members of the Philippine Light Leather Employees Union (PLLEU) at the Mactan Export Processing Zone (MEPZ) in Barangay Pusok, Lapulapu City, Cebu. They were harassed and tagged as “wanted persons” by MEPZ human resources personnel because of their trade union work at MEPZ.

“The harassment of MEPZ against Opada and her co-union members can be traced from the struggles that these women have been leading in defense of their rights as workers,” it added.

TFDP said it is particularly concerned about women rights defenders who have suffered reprisals and threats for their legitimate human rights work such as red tagging or linking them to alleged rebel groups.

It claimed that such acts have been the government functionaries' way of discrediting and silencing human rights defenders like Sr. Bolanio and Opada. These actions also lead to filing of trumped-up charges against defenders.

The group reminded President Rodrigo Duterte that his way of expressing his disgusts for human rights defenders especially women during his public appearances provokes violence against human rights defenders.

The TFDP, a A mission partner of the Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines (AMRSP), strongly believes that women rights defenders need specific and enhanced protection to make the environment in which they operate a safer place.

It pushes the enactment of the Human Rights Defenders Protection Bill (House Bill No. 8128) by Rep. Edcel C. Lagman, one of the leaders of Mambabatas Para sa Karapatang Pantao (MAKATAO). —LBG, GMA News