MANILA, Philippines – In a culture of masculinity and oppression, six Filipino women have become advocates for justice in their country.
Friday, April 26th, San Anselmo Press launches 6 Filipino women seeking justiceformer vice president Leni Robredo, former senators Leila de Lima and Risa Hontiveros, former ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales, Rappler CEO and Nobel laureate Maria Ressa, and activist nun Sisters. A collection of profiles focusing on the life and work of Mary John Mananzan.
Asuncion David Maramba, the book's editor, says in the introduction that three of the women are highlighted as targets of injustice, but the other three are defenders and fighters for justice. I wrote that. The former featured De Lima, Robredo and Ressa, while the latter featured Hontiveros, Morales and Mananzan.
“Their story is not just a story of personal triumph, but also a powerful catalyst for change and inspiration, inspiring each of us to reflect on our role in promoting justice and equality in Philippine society. '' said San Anselmo Executive Publisher Marvin Aceron. Launched in Makati on Friday.
fight for responsibility
Three of the book's subjects were physically present at Fridia's presentation, including De Lima, still in the first months of his nearly seven-year detention that began under the Duterte administration. enjoys the freedom of
Mr. de Lima became one of former President Rodrigo Duterte's most vocal critics when he began his national term in 2016. As chairman of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, Mr. de Lima launched an investigation into extrajudicial killings under Mr. Duterte's watch.
In 2017, the Ministry of Justice, which she once headed, accused her of being involved in drug trafficking at the New Bilibid Prison, an allegation that she and her camp have always denied. As of posting, two of her three of these charges have been dropped.
While incarcerated, she continued to fulfill her duties as a senator to the best of her ability. For example, she introduced a resolution calling for an investigation into reports of child killings by police and vigilante groups.
“Mr. Duterte also could not kill his messenger, literally and figuratively. I survived his persecution, I survived his men, I survived his prison. , a testament to the strength of a woman's spirit driven by her convictions,” De Lima said at the launch.
De Lima said her fight is that of a minority resisting the Duterte government. “It's a story about us women, who fought in silence when most men were silent,” De Lima said of the book.
“The Duterte regime's misogyny and machismo arrogance was a war against women. That's why we had to fight with women at the center. And we did not disappoint. We were like hell. We fought a hell of a battle, and we fought a hell of a battle, so now we stand here, watching as President Duterte stands among a race of xenophobic people dying out as the world gets smaller. There are,” she said.
Former Ombudsman and Supreme Court Associate Justice Conchita Carpio Morales also attended the Makati presentation. Mr. Morales has at least 47 years of government experience and has been appointed to five presidents across politics.
She worked on an ill-gotten wealth case in South Carolina, handled the plunder charges against former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, and prosecuted Arroyo's successor, Benigno Aquino III, for legislative usurpation. , worked on many cases in pursuit of the truth during his time in power. She is seen being abused.
“We too have had leaders who have experienced rise and fall due to abuse of power, and who have suffered misery as a result. [call] It's poetic justice,” Morales said.
“We ask you to continue to hold our country’s leaders accountable for their official actions, to redress imbalances and injustices, and to bear witness to the rule of law,” she added.
Continual service, thirst for truth
Robredo, Hontiveros and Ressa had other commitments during the book launch, so they sent a virtual message.
Robredo led the opposition party when he was vice president under Duterte. Relations with Mr. Duterte deteriorated rapidly, and Mr. Robredo became a target of disinformation even as he continued to promote transparency and public service on a limited budget.
The disinformation and attacks continued and were accentuated when she decided to run for president in 2022. Her closest rival was the dictator's son Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who was elected president by a landslide.
Robredo spoke fondly of the other five women: “Our collective experience is one defined by struggles rooted in deeply ingrained social prejudice, double standards, and discrimination. Being a woman is difficult, especially at a critical point in our nation's history. Being a female leader is even more difficult in the face of
Robredo, who currently heads the non-governmental organization Angat Buhay, highlighted widespread social inequality.
“With advances in technology, the world is now spinning at a rapid pace. But millions of fellow Filipinos remain poor, under-educated, and without the opportunity to respond to the demands of the times.” “Modern technology and social media have been weaponized by a powerful few to tear apart our social fabric for their own selfish purposes,” she said.
The former vice president said the book will start a conversation about the role of every Filipino in achieving justice for all, especially as the nation “loses faith” in the law and judicial system. He said he hopes for
Sen. Risa Hontiveros, an ally of Mr. Robredo and now the de facto opposition leader, spent much of her speech praising the other women honored alongside her in the book. I spent my time doing that.
“Fighting alongside you is one of the greatest honors of my life so far. Fighting for justice is essential to our democracy, nation-building and peace,” she said. said.
Hontiveros, who is the most senior opposition lawmaker in the current government, is calling for justice for human rights violations against women and children in a Senate inquiry. She has also been a vocal critic of Chinese aggression in the West Philippine Sea.
Ressa, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, said while walking the streets of New York and filming a selfie video of herself for a speech, she said she would like to do more as disinformation remains rampant, especially with the advent of generative artificial intelligence. said it was necessary.
“I was working. There is a lot to do, but this is a very important time. And while we Filipinos are gearing up for the 2025 elections, 2024 is the year we “This will be a critical year that will determine whether democracy as we know it survives,” she said.
Mananthan kept her message short and kind, saying she was humbled to be in the company of five other women, most of whom hold high-level government positions. “Senator, Vice President, I am in a difficult situation. Clausura. What did I do to get into them? ”
Her years of work and qualifications speak for themselves. Benedictine nuns have worked as political and feminist activists for decades. She was a founding member of FILIPINA, one of the first women's organizations in this country in the 1970s. Mananzan was elected chairperson of GABRIELA, a Filipino militant organization fighting for women's rights, in 1986. She has been red-tagged and associated with communist rebels for her activism.
As dean of the College of St. Scholastica, she created the syllabus for the Philippines' first women's studies program, leading to the establishment of the Women's Studies Institute in 1985. She has publicly raised her voice against human trafficking, violence against women, and the commodification of women. woman.
Mananzan believed in reproductive health laws even as the Catholic Church fought against them in the early 2010s. She also endorsed the enactment of the SOGIE Equality Act, which aims to punish discrimination against Filipinos related to sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression (SOGIE), even though religious officials also oppose it. I also agree.
When asked by Rappler how her faith influences her work, Mananzan said she follows Jesus Christ.
“I'm a nun, so I'm a follower of Christ. And if Christ had an option for the poor, then I should have an option for the poor. And if the poor… If they are being discriminated against and oppressed, I have to be with them, not just in words, but on picket lines and in rallies. In other words, I have to be an activist for them and with them. “No,” she said.
“I pledge to be an activist forever,” she told a live audience.
The profile creator is: Rosario Garcellano of De Lima, Ed Garcia of Robredo, Dulce Festin-Babay of Ressa, Rafael Ongpin of Hontiveros, Maria Olivia Tripon of Morales, and Neni Sta. Romana Cruz of Mananzan.
copy of 6 Filipino women seeking justice Available to order from San Anselmo Publications, Inc. – Rappler.com
