Charles Teves
The Gabriela Women’s Party is getting more support from various female celebrities after personalities such as Liza Soberano, Angel Locsin, and Catriona Gray were seemingly involved in Lieutenant General Antonio Parlade Jr’s “red-tagging.”
Soberano was warned by Parlade after she attended Gabriela’s youth forum, an event where issues about women and the youth amid the pandemic were discussed.
“Liza Soberano, there’s still a chance to abdicate that group. If you don’t, you will suffer the same fate as Josephine Anne Lapira, alias ‘Ella,’” Parlade said in a Facebook post,
Dimples Romana, Karla Estrada, Jolina Magdangal, Melai Cantiveros, Yassi Pressman, Lorna Tolentino, Amy Perez and others indicated that they believe in the party-list’s cause.
Gabriela will be celebrating its anniversary this week.
In a video, Romana said she is happy to know that Gabriela is all about standing up for women and the youth.
“Ako po ay sumasaludo sa inyong paninindigan, katapangan at pagmamahal sa mga babaeng tulad ko, ng mga kabataan at ng bayan,” Romana said.
She said that her family will be praying for Gabriela and hopes that God be with them throughout their fight.
“Naway protektahan kayo ng Maykapal sa bawat araw na pinagtatanggol at ipinaglalaban niyo ang aming karapatan. Mag-ingat kayo lagi at kasama kayo lagi sa dasal ng aking pamilya,” she added.
Gabriela Women’s Party List Arlene Brosas expressed gratitude to the celebrities for showing love to the group.
“Hindi na kami nagdalawang salita sa paghingi ng suporta at pagbati sa kanila,” Brosas told ABS-CBN News Tuesday.
“We express our deepest gratitude to the celebrities and other personalities who stood by us and sent us messages of support for our 20th anniversary despite the red-tagging perpetrated by high-ranking government officials. Our track record and long-standing fight for the rights of women and children can never be tainted by the baseless and relentless terror-tagging,” she added.
Vice Ganda, Tirso Cruz III, John Arcilla, Rowell Santiago, Cherry Pie Picache, Lotlot de Leon, and Agot Isidro also showed their support for Gabriela.
Angel Locsin, who said she now fears for her family’s life after Parlade’s red-tagging, is proud to be associated with Gabriela.
Gabriela has the support of Lipa Representative Vilma Santos as well.
“Kasama n’yo ako sa pagtataguyod upang makamtan ang pantay pantay na karapatan. Patuloy ang tagumpay natin dahil sa pagdami ng mga babae sa iba’t ibang larangan kaya huwag nating kalimutan ang women empowerment, ang patuloy na pagtulong sa kakayahan ng mga kababaihan,” she said.
Gabriela is pushing for better protection of women in the enforcement of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act, Anti-VAWC Law, Expanded Maternity Leave, and the Occupational Safety and Health Law and Brosas hopes more big time names would back the group’s cause.
Anti-Rape Law amendments, and Makabayan’s SHIELD BILL or the proposed response to COVID-19 and economic crisis are also part of Gabriela’s fight for women’s rights.
