Women in Canada Outraged of Philippine President Arroyo’s Gruesome Human Rights Violations and Recent Killing of Another Woman Activist

The National Alliance of Philippine Women in Canada (NAPWC) condemns the brutal murder of Inday Estorba, a member of the Gabriela women’s partylist organization and staff of the Women’s Development Centre in Bohol, Philippines.

Inday Estorba, 31, mother of two children aged six and nine years old, was shot dead at close range in front of her home on April 3, 2006 Her husband, Gerry remains in critical condition at the Tagbiliran Hospital. The assailant is a known Philippine Army intelligence agent in the area.

“This is another killing of a woman under the regime of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. There have been hundreds of political killings under her regime and it is not suprising how Arroyo uses political killings to suppress the Filipino women’s resistance against her fascist government.,” Cecilia Diocson, Executive Director of the NAPWC states.

Under Arroyo’s five-year rule, the US-Arroyo regime’s brand of state terrorism has caused the death of over 600 civilians, all victims of extra-judicial killings by suspected military elements and their death squads. Most of those killed were unarmed civilians, many were leaders or members of legal progressive mass organizations.

“It is truly a shame how Arroyo is conducting her own brand of low-intensity warfare. She is systematically intimidating, harrassing, terrorizing, and killing ordinary peasants, workers, youth and women in the provinces of the Philippines,” asserts Diocson, “We witnessed this style of state violence under former female president Corazon Aquino in the 1980s, now 20 years later, the Philippine government is again on a campaign to silence the people. As overseas Filipino women whose aspirations still lie with the well-being of our homeland, we cannot tolerate such forms of state terrorism,” adds Diocson.

The NAPWC pays tribute to Estorba and other progressive women who have been killed fighting for women’s rights and welfare inside and outside of the Philippines. “Each act of treachery only strengthens our resolve to continue to educate, organize and mobilize overseas Filipino women and workers around the Filipino people’s call to oust Arroyo,.” declares Diocson.