(Kath M. Cortez/davaotoday.com)
DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Women’s group in Davao City calls for the discontinuation of Martial Law as they launched the One Billion Rising (OBR) campaign in this city.
“Rising: From A Campaign, To A Way Of Life,” is the 2019 campaign of OBR, according to Gabriela Women’s Partylist Second Nominee Bai Ali Indayla.
Indayla said the theme for next year’s One Billion Rising is “very much timely with what is currently happening in Mindanao” because it addresses the issues of women and children against “never-ending human rights violations”.
Led by Gabriela Women’s Party list, women from different organizations, Manobo evacuees and women’s rights activist Monique Wilson danced in unison inside Haran evacuation to amplify the call against Martial Law.
“We launched the activity here inside Haran evacuation center because here, the message is clear. A lot of our indigenous people are still in fear of their safety. Their human rights are under attack” said Indayla.
One Billion Rising in Davao City has been a regular campaign of women and women supporters yearly, but Indayla said next year’s OBR will be different because of the planned extension of Martial Law in Mindanao.
In the previous years, OBR has gathered a large number of women’s and children’s rights advocates to dance as a form of protest against the violence of women and children. It also gained support with different schools all over the region as it banners other issues like lumad killings, Anti-Pork Barrel campaign, landlessness, and impunity.
In an interview with Monique Wilson, OBR- Philippines Director, she said that “to protect one’s life, individual rights should be protected”.
Wilson said that in Mindanao, the implementation of Martial Law had violated a lot of human rights especially the indigenous people.
“What is important in this campaign is that we should talk about all the issues of human life. We should discuss, exposed and struggle for all the inequalities because this is necessary” said Wilson. (davaotoday.com)
