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Advisory Especially to Members:

Office of the President Acts on KAISA KA's Letter           

The Office of the President of the Philippines through the Presidential Action Center, in response to KAISA KA’s  Open Letter to P.Noy dated July 1, 2010 on reproductive health, sent KAISA KA a copy of its first endorsement of said letter to the Chief of Staff of the Office of the Secretary of the Department of Education dated August 13, 2010.

In this letter, KAISA KA asked the president to anchor his position on reproductive health on of the right of women to the integrity of their physical self which should in turn be  anchored on reproductive health and safety and rights. 

This letter likewise asked the president  to impress upon the  Secretary of Education that he is not a secretary of education for, of and by the Church but rather is meant to do what is just and correct by the people of the Philippines, especially the women who comprise 52% of the population. 

The officers of KAISA KA are appreciative of this gesture of openness of Malacaňang.

KAISA KA vows to pursue its fight for the enactment of a reproductive health law.

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Special  Announcement:

 

KAISA KA is holding a forum on Reproductive Health tomorrow:July 24, 2010 from 9:00 to 12:00 noon at the Audio Visual Room of the Manggagawa sa Komunikasyon ng Pilipinas (MKP) building located at 22 Libertad St. Mandaluyong City.

 

Ana Maria  R. Nemenzo is  the guest speaker.

 

KAISA KA has invited a representative of President Aquino so that the forum serves also as a dialogue between the new administration and women.

 

Invitation is open to all interested women on a first-come-first served basis because only 100 seats are available.

 

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 KAISA KA  post:

Thanks to everyone who donated food, clothes, blankets, supplies for personal hygiene and cash for typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana) Victims.

 

We still accept donations to help them move on with ease.

 

THANK YOU!

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 Announcements:

P KAISA KA, with help from Lee Foundation of Singapore will be having a supplementary feeding program for children victims of Ondoy in urban poor communities of Parola and Baseco in Tondo, Catmon in Malabon City, in a relocation site in Meycauayan, Bulacan and in a barangay (village) in Parańaque City starting Monday, November 23, 2009. 

 P Photo exhibit on the Malaya Lolas. (See Malaya Lolas page)

P  KAISA KA  in collaboration with the Center for Emergency Aid and Rehabilitation (CONCERN) is doing relief operations for Ondoy victims specially in Malabon, shore areas of Tondo, Zambales and Pampanga.

 

Please send donations, good or cash, to  the following drop-in centers:                       

  205 2nd Street

  Dolores Home site

 Dolores, city of San Fernando Pampanga

 

  22 Libertad st.

  Barangay Highway hills

  Mandaluyong city

 

  

For financial assistance in our cash or checks, please send it to:

 

Metrobank Current Account:   

  CA 7-296-51004-8 or CA 7-296-51049-8

Metro Bank Dollar  Account: 273-2-27300378-3

Metro Bank Peso Account: 273- 3-27315149-5

 

P Buy your own KAISA

  KA button pins for only

  20Php at the KAISA Ka

  National Office

 

 

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Archives

 

2010

 

Iran Should Abolish Death by Stoning

 

KAISA KA Says President Aquino Should Not Buckle amid pressure on RH

 

Something Fishy in Mayor Rodriguez’ Going Scot Free

 

Aquino’s Tough Stand on RH

Brightens Day for Women

but Has to Make Clearer Stand and Concrete Actions on Other Problems

 

 Resolve the Case of the Malaya Lolas, Stop Threatening Critics

 

Solidarity Message ( Greetings to the Egyptian people ) 

       A Salute to Heidi Mendoza

 

 KAISA KA to Join Pro-RH Rally at congress 

 

 

 

Attorney Virginia Suarez- Pinlac interview in Cancun

http://www.youtube.com/v/20Eh4QH38bU?fs=1&hl=en_US

Press Statement
October 1, 2011
Contact Person:  Atty. Virginia Suarez-Pinlac #639209190267

KAISA KA Dismayed over PNoy’s Silence on the Lolas’ Issue in Japan Visit


  
    While the Aquino administration is boasting of the success of his trip to Japan, the multi-sector women’s organization KAISA KA and the Malaya Lolas, the organization of women victims of war crimes in Candaba, Pampanga are dismayed because PNoy has no mention whatsoever of the issue of “comfort women” and other abuses on women by the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II.

    Last August 8, 2011, KAISA KA hand-carried a letter to the president asking him to take on the demands of the Malaya Lolas for the government of Japan to acknowledge its responsibility, apologize and give legal compensation to the victims.  The Malaya Lolas had asked the same from the former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and had even filed a mandamus before the Supreme Court before this letter to PNoy.  

 

    It is disappointing that our own government chooses to be silent when congresses of five countries and the assembly of the European Union have adopted resolutions asking Japan to at least apologize.

 

    The Constitutional Court of Korea, ruled in August this year that their government’s not taking the issue of the comfort women is unconstitutional and following the court’s decision, the Korean Foreign Ministry has now proposed talks with Japan regarding the issue of “comfort women” and is planning to put up an arbitration body if Japan refuses bilateral talks.  

 

    The Philippine government seems to give importance only to deals with Japan that will bring in investments, loans and grants and enhance labor export.  It seems unmindful of our integrity as a nation and of the dignity of our women.

 

    KAISA KA would like to remind the president that the Lolas  are still part of the people he promised to serve, part of what he calls his “boss”.###

 

Last Monday, August 8, 2010,  KAISA KA hand-carried the following letter to the president of the Philippines.

 

Ika 15 ng Agosto, 2011

 

Ang Inyong Kabunyian, Presidente Benigno Simeon C. Aquino

Presidente ng Republika ng Pilipinas

Palasyo ng Malakanyang

 

Mahal Naming PNoy,

 

Kami, mula sa Pagkakaisa ng Kababaihan paras a Kalayaan (KAISA KA), ay sumulat para sa MALAYA LOLAS.

 

Ang Malaya Lolas ay organisasyon ng mga nabubuhay pang biktima mula sa Mapaniqui, Candaba, Pampanga.  Noong Nobyembre 23, 1944, inatake ang Mapaniqui ng may 800 sundalo ng   Geki Heidan-14th Area Army sa ilalim ng command ni General Yamashita.  Minortar ang barangay at pinaghuhuli ang mga kalalakihan, tinortyur sa harap ng kababaihan at mga bata, pinagpapatay at saka sinunog.  Pagkatapos, sinamsam ang lahat ng pagkain at ari-ariang kanilang mapapakinabangan, sinunog ang mga bahay at eskwelahan at inabuso ang kababaihan.

 

Tahimik na nagdusa ang kababaihan at ang lahat ng mga taga Mapaniqui.  Mahigit 50 taon ang nakalipas bago sila nagkalakas ng loob na magsalita at manawagan ng katarungan.  Ngunit sa kabila ng matagal na rin nilang pakikipaglaban sa katarungan, nananatiling bulag at bingi ang bansang Hapon.  Sa matagal na ring panahon, hindi rin itnulak ng ating gobyerno ang katarungan para sa mga biktima ng Ikalawang Digmang Pandaigdig (WWII)

 

Maraming taon na ang lumipas, halos 57 taon na ang dumaan; at marami na rin sa mga myembro ng Malaya Lolas ang mga nangamatay nang di man lamang nasilayan ang katarungan. Nagdusa na sila nang matindi sa kamay ng mga sundalong Hapon. Ngunit higit na pagdurusa ang kanilang inaabot ngayon sa patuloy na pagbalewala sa kanila ng gobyernong Hapon at Pilipinas.

 

Dumudulog kami sa inyo ng matagal na naming kahilingan sa gubyerno ng Pilipinas: ang katawanin ang aming panawagan sa gubyernong Japan na umamin ng kasalanan, humingi ng tawad at  magbayad ng ligal na kumpensasyon sa mga biktima ng panggagahasa, sekswal na pang-aalipin, pandarahas at iba pang krimeng naganap sa panahon ng ikalawang digmang pandaigdig (WWII). 

 

Hiling din sana namin na kayo ay makausap kaugnay ng kaso ng Malaya Lolas.

 

Marami pong salamat.

 

 

 

Atty. Virginia Suarez-Pinlac

Tagapangulo- KAISAKA

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 Statement

August 10, 2011

Contact Person:  Atty. Virginia Suarez-Pinlac

 

Stand up in Solidarity for Redress

 

           

            We, members of KAISA KA and the Malaya Lolas are here today  to be in unison with the women of Asia who gather today in Seoul, South Korea; Taipeh, in Taiwan; Tokyo Hokkaido, Hiroshima, Fukiyama, Fukuoka in Japan; and in Berlin in Germany as we call on, once again, the government of Japan to settle its obligations to the women who were made sex slaves during WWII.

 

                August 10 in 1945 was the day the Japanese government offered to surrender, conceding defeat in WWII in Asia and the Pacific.* After 66 years, Japan has risen from the devastation of war and has become a very rich country but it has not yet apologized, much less, paid for their  crimes against women and against populations in general. 

 

                We demand justice for the former comfort women, for women raped in  the war fronts and for other victims of war crimes committed by the Japanese Imperial Army. 

               

                We thank the Japanese men and women who are one with the victims in seeking justice.  We salute them for fervently opposing militarism and the use of rape as a weapon of war.

 

                We applaud the 32 local councils/assemblies in Korea and Japan and Australia that have passed resolutions pressing Japan to right their wrongs.  We are thankful for the five congressional resolutions from different countries and from the European Union as well.

 

                It is unfortunate that while other governments have been very supportive of the former comfort women  in their countries and people and other governments have expressed their support for the Filipino survivors of sexual slavery and war-rape, our very own government has done nothing to advance their fight. 

 

                We are here before Malacańan to ask President Aquino to do his part.  We are asking him now to take the cudgels for the for the people of Mapaniqui, the village that some 800 Japanese soldiers raided, looted and burned  and whose women were abused in November 23, 1944.  We ask him to  engage in the fight of the Filipino comfort women and other victims of Japanese military violence.  This should be along his tuwid na daan (straight or right path).

* Actual surrender was on August 15, 1945.
 

                                    KAISA KA’s Message to the Japanese People

 

Our hearts bleed for your suffering brought about by the triple whammy: the earthquake, the Tsunami and the nuclear catastrophe. It was really shocking and painful to see (even on tv and internet only) how such a natural calamity (tsunami) swallowed people, cars, buildings and even airplanes.  It was very heartrending to see mothers grieving for their lost sons and daughters or family members saying goodbyes to spare some of them from the harm of nuclear radiation. 

 

We wish for the fast recovery of the people from the tragedy.  We wish that no serious calamity would happen to the Japanese people again.

We have strong confidence, though in the great capacity of the Japanese people to rise from the ashes and to rebuild.

 

We hope the whole world learns from your experience and put primacy on disaster prevention, preparedness and protection of the people.  People should keep in mind the strong message conveyed by the nuclear disaster and demand from capitalists and governments:

 

 

Abandon all nuclear energy programs! 

Safety and not profits!

Focus energy development on safe and renewable alternative sources!

 

 

(Relayed to the People of Japan through the Japanese Embassy in Manila March 24, 2011.)

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Statement               

March 8, 2011                                                                                                                                                            

 

                                                 Fight for Rights and Emancipation!

 

          Today is International Women’s Day.  As we celebrate this day, we remember and honor women who fought for equal opportunities and gainful employment, better work conditions, political rights and equal treatment.

 

                Today, members of KAISA KA and the rest of the women give recognition to the sacrifices of the women in their struggle: the steadfastness of the shirtwaist factories in Manhattan who went on strike for four difficult cold months in 1909 for higher wages and better work conditions; the arduous and sometimes bloody actions in different countries to win women’s right to vote; the bold coming out on the streets of Petrograd in 1917, shouting “we want bread for our children” that ignited the flames that brought the end of tsarist rule, and the various kinds and of women’s participation in effecting change and advancing their societies. 

 

It is now 101 years since the decision of the socialist women’s conference in Copenhagen to set aside one day each year for women.  Why are women still on the streets, struggling and not having festivities? Didn’t the past struggles result in positive changes? Or are women’s demands for benefits and rights are simply insatiable?

 

                Indeed, women’s struggles have brought many positive results even in the Philippines.  From the day the public school system was opened to women in 1898, after the putting up of the first Filipino feminist organization in 1905, and most especially, after winning women’s right of suffrage in 1937, women’s participation in the different spheres of social life greatly broadened.

 

                The old shackles of slavery of women, however, still remain.  Some economic structures, laws and beliefs perpetuate discrimination and women’s appalling situation.

 

                Women continue to bear extremely difficult working conditions.  A large part of women’s work, especially in rural areas is unpaid labor.   And most of those that get paid are usually contractual and paying low.   Unable to find gainful employment inside the country resulting from the adoption of neo-liberal economic policies, and with the labor export policy in place the number of Filipinas who go abroad for jobs is still increasing and most of them get into domestic work that pay little and make them more vulnerable to abuse.  Reports from the media and the growing number of clients of NGOs attending to migrants’ welfare are a testament to the burgeoning problem of trafficking into which many Filipinas have fallen.

               

                Even with the enactment of such laws as the RA 9262 (Anti-VAWC), the number of victims of violence against women is still high (especially considering that many cases are not reported to the police.  The law against VAWC remains but its concern is limited to domestic violence.  Likewise, the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act has limited scope. The bill on trafficking, which is being pushed by feminists remains on hold. 

 

But worse than these problems is the fact that a significant number of those involved in violence against women are supposed to be implementers of the law like the policemen who raped or molested vendors and other women they caught sight of in the process of their so-called operations. Also, the fact that government statistics showed that ARMM has the lowest number of cases on violence against women when more than 40  cases of rape in Sulu in 2008 and 2009 and some others in other parts of ARMM show a serious cover-up.

 

Women activists, even supporters of rape victims, continue to experience harassment.  Meanwhile, the VFA that ushered in US troops that have reinvigorated sex trafficking in areas they frequent and figured several times in cases of violence against women still remain.

 

Prominent pillars of patriarchy are up against the passage of the law on reproductive health.  Meanwhile, the number of maternal deaths has risen to 14 daily in a situation wherein poor women have almost no access to medical attention and supplies.

 

                Getting rid of discrimination and oppression of women will still take a long way. 

 

                For as long as the Philippine system allows the poverty and slave-like situation of women; for as long as the government remains beholden to militaristic foreign powers and women are still victims of violence and have no control even over their own bodies, International Women’s Day will not be a day for giving roses.  March 8 will remain a day for struggle and women will still shout: Unite for rights and emancipation!

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KAISA KA Members Jog for Reproductive Health

            A day before the world celebrates International Women’s Day, members of KAISA KA, a grassroots-based, multi-sector feminist organization for women’s emancipation and social transformation jogged from the busy Avenida Rizal to Liwasang Bonifacio to accentuate its call for the passage of the Reproductive Health Bill. 

            Women wearing white t-shirts with slogans and holding small pennants gathered in front of the Department of Health clearly looking like early joggers. 

            “This is a fitting day to stress that we demand for the passage of the RH bill.  Women who give birth to new generations merit care from society through its government.  This jogging is also our fitting way to inform people that the RH law we ask for is for health as it is anchored on women’s rights. Its detractors should stop disseminating disinformation and fear for what RH is not.”  Atty. Virgina Suarez-Pinlac, chairperson of KAISA KA opened her explanation on why the jogging activity before March 8.

According to Pinlac, if the government would like to ensure RH, it should see to the provision of information, education and guidance on matters of RH for the different stages of life, access to RH services and supplies, especially for poor women, protection from RH hazards especially in places of work, medical attention for women with serious illnesses in their breasts and reproductive tract, protection against sexual violence and even assistance to ensure proper nutrition for mothers and infants.  She stressed that in both the information and education aspect and in giving access to direct services and supplies, fertility management is but one of the concerns.

            Pinlac related that they let President Aquino know their position on reproductive health as early as July 2010.  They are sad that it is not among the president’s priority bills and they are dismayed by the move of some leaders of male-dominated institutions to block the bill or to remove essential portions like the budget necessary to make RH services and supplies accessible especially to the poor.  “For centuries, patriarchy controlled women’s sexuality and reproductive capacity.  We are now in the 21st century and we still have pillars of patriarchy blocking this legislation,” Pinlac lamented.

KAISA KA announced that that they will be joining other women’s groups as a part of the World March of Women’s march to Mendiola in the morning of International Women’s Day and in a bigger rally on reproductive health in the afternoon in front of the House of Representatives.

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 Press Statement

March 4, 2011

Contact Person:  Atty. Virginia Suarez-Pinlac #0928127864

 

Repeal Military Agreements with US

and Eradicate Abuse of Women

 

            KAISA KA, a transformational, grassroots-based, multi-sector organization of women in the Philippines joins the week-long activities of Peace Cycle Philippines 2011 to underline once again that the closure of the US bases and the return of US troops to their homeland is most important to significantly curb military violence against women in the region.

 

            The Philippines, Japan and Korea have kept long lists of violence committed by US troops most especially against women.  These include abduction, rape, sexual assault, and even gruesome homicide and murder.  Some of these cases hogged front pages of papers worldwide including the rape of a 67- year old woman in Korea in 2007, the rape of a 12-year old girl in Japan by three soldiers in 1995, Nicole’s case and the massacre in Maimbung, Sulu, among the eight victims of which were two children and a pregnant woman.

 

            But not often listed as violence against women is the trafficking of women to cater to US soldiers “on liberty” or even during breaks from training. Before the banning of entertainers’ entry by the Japanese government, more than 7,000 Filipinas were trafficked to Okinawa to serve in sleazy bars around the military camps.  Korean bars around US bases have also become the destination of trafficked women from the Philippines, some of whom were rescued or escaped with help from KAISA KA.

 

And in the Philippines, every time a US vessel arrives in Subic for training or port visits, agents go even to the remotest areas of Central Luzon to traffic young girls.  No wonder, while before the VFA, women in prostitution in Subic were only around 1,000, now the number rose to around 4,000.  A member of an organization of survivors of trafficking and prostitution, majority of which were prostituted during the old bases, aptly said, “The VFA is increasing our membership.”

 

            It is unfortunate that both the US and the Philippine government try to downplay if not to cover-up cases of sexual assault committed by US soldiers.          A clear example was the case of several US soldiers who verbally abused a singer on stage and even tried to grab her to take her to their barracks in July last year during the anniversary celebration of the Philippine Marines in Basilan. The Philippine Marines downplayed it by saying it was a simple case of drunken soldiers and that the case was properly addressed by the US military.

 

            While the Aquino administration and the US government have been very quiet on the so-called review of the VFA these past months, KAISA KA reiterates its call on the present administration to terminate the VFA as it supports the struggle of the Japanese people against US military presence.  “Reforming” the VFA by merely altering the provision on criminal jurisdiction is not the solution.  The SOVFAS and SOFAS precisely exist for their troops protection, undermining national sovereignty of nations. ##

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WORLD MARCH OF WOMEN

Press Statement

December 15, 2010

 

Give the People a Merry Christmas: Terminate the VFA

 

          We in the World March of Women–Philippines ask President Aquino to give the Filipino People a genuinely merry Christmas by terminating the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).

We cannot take full pleasure from the holiday merriment while anxious and apprehensive about how the Presidential Commission on the VFA is reviewing the agreement and coming out with the result of its review before the year ends.

We are afraid the decision may come like the stealthy transfer of Smith before the end of 2006 when everybody was busy with the Christmas and New Year merriment.

Although the executive department has been generally quiet regarding developments in its review, bits of statements make us suspect that the review they are doing is merely procedural.  In October, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said that terminating the VFA would be too radical while President Aquino said that the VFA has its benefits.

The US government’s behavior during this period, no doubt, was meant to prepare the people into accepting the continuance of the VFA. US troops gave a highly publicized presence in rescue and disaster response operations after the floods in Northern Luzon but on the other hand, its government led its allies in giving out adverse travel advisories.  Its intelligence arms came out with reports of probable intensified terrorist operations and attacks in the Philippines.

The World March of Women-Philippines would like to remind the president that the 11 years of the VFA has not served the Filipino people’s interests.  Instead, it has put our women in greater danger of military sexual violence as clearly shown by the Nicole, the Vanessa and the Isabella, Basilan incidents and by the dramatic increase in sex trafficking of women for Subic during frequent docking of US ships.

Moreover, contrary to Undersecretary Edilberto Adan's statement at a LOVFA hearing last November that the VFA "is basically a part of what we call the national security strategy”, the World March of Women-Philippines believes that the VFA in fact is US national security strategy, serving US’ economic interests, and abetting US wars of aggression.(30) 
 

SCRAP VFA! Movement

 

Press Release    

September 16, 2010

 

Anti-VFA Awaits Pnoy”s Move

Says US Visit Should not Delay End of Agreement

 

While waiting for the President’s response to a letter they sent him last September 06,2010, members of Scrap VFA! Movement, tried to march towards the US Embassy this morning of the 19th anniversary of the rejection of the Military Bases Agreement to lay emphasis on the need for the military agreement to be terminated without delay.

Scrap VFA! Movement, an alliance of more than 40 organizations opposing the VFA, wrote the President to ask him to dialogue with representatives of the group on the merits of serving the US a Notice of Termination of the VFA.  Members of this group hope the President would meet with them before he meets with the President Obama within the last week of September this year. 

“It was in August yet when the Joint Resolution no.3 was filed in Congress.  It clearly explained why Congress is terminating the VFA.  It directed the Department of Foreign Affairs to serve the US a notice of termination but until now, the only thing we got from Malacańang is Lacierda’s word that theVFA Commission is studying it and that it may be discussed during the president’s meeting with Obama! Atty. Virginia Suarez- Pinlac, one of the three spokespersons of Scrap VFA! Movement lamented.

“We hope the president’s decision would not depend on his talk with Obama.  US troop presence is not to our advantage.  What assurances does he need from Obama when we now have a long list of abuses committed by the US soldiers? What more basis does he need other than national interest? Chester Amparo , said.

The protesters that converged at Plaza Salamanca along Taft marched towards Roxas Boulevard bringing an enlarged “Notice of Termination from the People of the Philippines”.  They also gave out copies of a 4-page list of VFA transgressions that included incidents of civilian death from US armaments, injury from US armaments, US soldiers in vehicles side-swiping or hitting civilians, mauling, sexual assault and 11 incidents of direct US involvement in combat operations.###
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