Gabriela Sees Better Prospects for Third Impeachment Try

The militant women’s group GABRIELA is hopeful that the impeachment complaint to be filed by cause-oriented groups on Monday morning will finally prosper.

“Every year, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo racks in more crimes against the people. The impeachment complaint we will file tomorrow is buffered by more and stronger evidences to prove that Arroyo no longer has the right to take the seat in Malacañang,” said Emmi de Jesus, GABRIELA secretary general.

Among the cases included in the impeachment complaint is that of Angelina “Angie” Ipong, the 63-year old human rights advocate who has been in jail since March 2005. “Angie is the epitome of how vicious Arroyo is against Filipino women. An activist for more than three decades, Angie was illegally arrested on an International Women’s Day, tortured and sexually molested and is now being tried for charges which are flagrantly fabricated,” said de Jesus.

Ipong is currently detained in Pagadian City with charges of rebellion, arson, frustrated double murder and double murder in three different courts. Ipong is set to be arraigned in Dipolog City on the same date and time the impeachment complaint will be filed in Congress.

De Jesus also said that they will not be detered by the “technical obstacles being imposed by Congressman Matt Defensor.” “The people’s right to oust a much unwanted president should overrule any technicality.”

“The numbers game Macapagal-Arroyo was so confident would favor her no longer holds. With her shameless scandals rocking even her own people and causing more rifts among so-called ‘pro-administration’ legislators, this impeachment case has better prospects,” de Jesus said. ###