𝗚𝗔𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗟𝗔 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗻𝘀 𝗨𝗦-𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻, 𝗣𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝗺𝗼𝗸𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

Manila, Philippines —The national women's alliance GABRIELA staged a lightning rally today denouncing the International Conference on Women, Peace and Security being hosted in the Philippines, exposing it as a cover for increased US military intervention in the country.

"This conference, anchored on UN Security Council Resolution 1325, is nothing but a devious attempt to legitimize US imperialism and drag Filipino women into supporting their war agenda against its imperialist rivals such as China," declared GABRIELA Secretary-General Clarice Palce. "While it claims to promote women's representation in peace and security and address violence against women in conflict areas, its real aim is to manufacture justification for increased US military presence and control over Philippine affairs, especially on the PH-China maritime dispute in the West Philippine Sea."

Secretary-General Clarice Palce emphasized that the Marcos Jr. administration's swift drafting of a 10-year National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (2023-2033) reveals its subservience to US interests. "Through EDCA sites, joint military exercises and war games, and stockpiling of weapons including missile defense systems and nuclear arms, the US is deliberately dragging the Philippines into a dangerous armed confrontation with China. This will only result in more poverty, human rights violations, violence against women, and destruction of our natural resources," she added.

"True peace and security for Filipino women cannot be achieved through imperialist exploitation and warmongering. We call on all Filipino women to unite and resist, following the revolutionary tradition of Gabriela Silang. Our strength lies in our collective action to achieve genuine national sovereignty, rights, and freedom," Palce concluded