More than a hundred activists gathered at the Church of the Risen Lord last Sept. 3 to pay tribute to Lourdes "Jeng" Crisostomo, 41, an organizer of the Gabriela Women's Party (GWP) who succumbed to cancer last Aug. 31.

Its shortness notwithstanding, Jeng's life was surely not an ordinary one. She left behind a long and distinguished record in the service of the people.

The brutal killing of Melita "Tita Mely" Trinidad Carvajal, municipal coordinator of Gabriela Women's Party (GWP) here in Santa Rosa, a city 38 kms south of Manila, brings to 80 the total number of brutal killings and human rights violations in the Southern Tagalog region since Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo assumed the presidency in 2001.

Hundreds of friends and supporters of the victim staged an indignation march in the afternoon of Aug. 27 in front of the Sta. Rosa City Hall to condemn the perpetrators of the killing.

GWP secretary-general Emmi de Jesus has released a statement condemning the killing.

Quezon City, Philippines (Indymedia QC) -- Destileria Limtuaco, manufacturer of Napoleon Brandy Quince Anos, pulled out its offensive “Nakatikim ka na ba ng kinse anyos?” billboards after a protest campaign. The slogan (in English: “have you ever tasted a 15-years old?”) became controversial since Gabriela Women’s Partylist filed a complaint against the ads. According to Gabriela and other concerned citizens, “the advertisements’ catch phrase promotes and perpetuates a culture that glorifies men that are able to sample, taste or hitch younger women or worse, girls. To put it bluntly, the advertisements message encourages pedophilia.”

Earlier, the Advertising Board of the Philippines had already ordered the pull-out of the radio advertisements, which made it very explicit that the slogan did not refer to the age of the brandy.

Meanwhile, Convoy Marketing Corporation and Destileria Limtuaco are continuing the tasteless campaign on their website. However, Liza Largoza-Maza, first nominee of the GABRIELA Women’s Party, clarified that Destileria Limtuaco cannot escape from accountability and still has to face the cases the women’s group filed against them. She also called for higher penalties for obscene advertising.

QUEZON CITY, PHILIPPINES (Indymedia QC) – Thousands of flag-waving women and men took to the streets on March 8 in a protest march from Plaza Miranda to Mendiola Bridge in Manila and called for the junking of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in the coming national elections.

“Poor women have had enough of Mrs. Arroyo. She may be a woman and the second womn-president but that has not made a difference. We will be better off without her!” was the oft-repeated message.

Gabriela and its political party, the Gabriela Women’s Partylist (GWP) led the demonstrations in Manila and across the country. The two leading women's groups got their names from Gabriela Silang, the greatest woman revolutionary who took up arms against Spanish colonizers.

Gabriela marks its 20th year this 2004 as the biggest, most militant and most influential national alliance of women’s organizations with the GWP joining the forthcoming partylist elections.

In a statement, former House of Representatives member Liza Maza, erstwhile secretary-general of Gabriela and now the president of GWP, said that "as the world pays homage to women on this day for our significant roles in nation building, Gabriela takes this occasion to challenge all women's groups and individuals to work harder for genuine social and political change. We call on everyone to commemorate this special day to reinvigorate ourselves in our continuing struggle for women's rights, welfare and genuine liberation along with the democratic people's movement of the world."

Maza, who is the lead nominee of GWP in the partylist polls, led leaders in the march. Before they crossed the intersection towards the historic Mendiola bridge, activists unveiled and displayed big carton letters spelling words "JUNK GLORIA".

Gloria refers to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the only woman presidential candidate in the May elections.

Earlier, Gabriela and GWP hosted a protest program at Plaza Miranda where an anti-Arroyo presidential candidate, Eddie Villanueva, spoke to the throngs of women and men.

Also in attendance in both rallies were leaders and members of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, Kilusang Mayo Uno, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, Migrante International and partylist groups Bayan Muna, Anakpawis and Migrante Sectoral Party.

Recently, Gabriela and GWP launched a new campaign dubbed "Blow a Whistle" to battle violence against women and children. It is also fighting for the release of Zeneida Llesis, a woman political prisoner, and her child who are both being held captive by the Arroyo administration.