#CulturePH - Grassroots Women Endorse Pro-Women Candidate #KeriNiLeni 🏋🏻‍♀️ #LabanMumshie

“These extraordinary times call for extraordinary decisions,” according to Jean Enriquez, National Coordinator of the World March of Women – Philippines.

“Our organizations continue to suffer under the Duterte administration with the killings, encouragement of violence against women, corruption, and utter disregard for the hunger the rural and urban poor experienced before and during the pandemic,” added Enriquez who is also the Executive Director of the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women – Asia Pacific (CATW-AP). “It is time that we stop the Duterte dynasty from extending their term of office, it is time for an alternative who truly listens to the people,” said Enriquez.

Luz Bador, President of the Pambansang Koalisyon ng mga Kababaihan sa Kanayunan (PKKK), stated that up to now, they feel Pres. Duterte’s trivialization of women’s capacities. “Kaya para sa mga kababaihan sa kanayunan, kailangan nating pumusisyon upang iparamdam ang ang ating pagkakaisa upang pumili ng isang makababaeng pangunguna, isang pangulong dama ang kalagayan ng kababaihang nasa laylayan at kinikilala ang kakayahang naming baguhin ang lipunan (That is why for rural women, we need to take a position and manifest our unity in choosing a pro-women leadership, a president who can empathize with the situation of the most marginalized and who recognizes our capacity to change society),” said Bador. She punctuated her message with “Mas Keri ni LENI!”

This slogan was revealed in a LED that WMW-Pilipinas virtually “unveiled” at 11:27 AM. The LED is located in front of Market!Market! (which can be seen on your left when north-bound along C5), as a public statement of what the coalition calls “a herstoric and landmark decision for autonomous movements.” A similar LED was revealed at 12 Noon located 20 meters from the same spot but more visible to commuters who are south-bound. A third LED is just across, near Kalayaan road.

A survivor of prostitution, whose siblings were also killed by masked men in 2018 and in 2019 said that the most vulnerable grieve endlessly because of successive attacks on their human rights. “Matapos ang pagkamatay ng mga kapatid ko, mga kasamahan ko namang survivor ng prostitusyon ang ginahasa ng pulis kapalit ng kanilang buhay o kalayaan, (After my siblings were killed, my sister survivors in prostitution are raped in exchange for life or liberty),” stressed Myles Paraiso Sanchez Paredes, President of Empowered Women Survivors’ Collective (EWSC). “We need a leader who will stop all this, Keri ni LENI,” Sanchez added. 

Watch the press launch here!

Young women added their voices to the grassroots women. Richelle How-Minnie Verdeprado, a leader of the Youth and Students Advancing Gender Equality (YSAGE) based in Negros Occidental stated, “Nararapat sa atin ang pinunong matapat at magaling, totoong naglilingkod, nagmamalasakit sa ating kapakanan, at nagtatanggol ng ating mga karapatan lalong lalo na ng mga kababaihan at kabataan, at ito ay walang dudang Keri ni LENI, (We deserve a leader who is honest and efficient, who truly serves, has concern for our plight, defends our rights, especially that of women and the youth, and this is undoubtedly Keri ni LENI)!”

Presser host Clarissa Villasin Militante expressed, “I am a communicator myself so I have been following VP Robredo's interviews.” “On the current challenges the country is facing and what must be done, she always expresses herself with clarity and straightforwardness,” added Militante, who is a WMW - Pilipinas leader and is also a novelist and literature teacher.

“On the things that matter and are urgent, she knows what to do, totoong keri niya, she does not mince words nor employ vagueness and trickery to please, like other politicians do,” said Militante. “This is her strength, which others misconstrue as weakness because it is unfortunate that in our society, we still measure strength in masculine terms," added Militante.

Women labor leaders who are also part of WMW members organzations urged other civil society groups to take a position by choosing candidates for the 2022 elections.

"Mas dumami ang nawalan ng trabaho at kabuhayan sa ilalim ng pamumuno ni G. Duterte, samantalang kulang na kulang ang suportang ibinigay ng gobyernong ito para sa mga kababaihang manggagawa at maralitang sektor na apektado ng krisis. Ayaw na namin ng pamamahalang walang malasakit sa mamamayan. Lagi naming hangad ang pamumunong may paggalang sa karapatan ng mga manggagawa at kababaihan, mapagmalasakit at mapagkalinga, lider na hindi galit sa kababaihan at nagsusulong ng isang peministang lipunan kung saan may kapantayan ang lahat ng kasarian, payapa at walang karahasan. Alam namin na sa 2022 Eleksyon ang aming adhikain ay "Keri ni Leni (More lost jobs and livelihood under the leadership of Mr. Duterte, while support for women workers and poor is severely lacking. We are rejecting governance that has no concern for its citizens. We always desire a leadership that respects the rights of workers and women, and one that is compassionate, a leader that is not woman-hating and promotes a feminist society where there is gender equality, peace and absence of violence), expressed Jane Labongray, head of the Women’s Program of Sentro ng Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (SENTRO).

Judy Ann Chan-Miranda, Secretary General of Partido Manggagawa added, “To recover from the pandemic and cope with the economic crisis, women must have income guarantees, regular jobs, livelihood opportunities, access to quality public service and protection from covid via swift and massive vaccination.” “The current administration has failed to do so and has cotinued to disregard workers’ rights,” added Miranda. “Women has had enough: sobra na tama na, ang palpak palitan. Ayudang Sapat at Trabahong Ligtas! Keri ni Leni!,” said Miranda.

This does not mean that they would not be critical when the chosen candidate issues policies that are not consistent with the grassroots people’s interest and electoral agenda.

Towards the end of the presser, the women leaders lifted dumbbells (ala-Hidilyn) and showed the same slogans in the LED: Keri ni LENI!! Laban, Mumshie!! The colloquialisms are meant to connect  with the grassroots.

Special thanks to Gerald Imperial and Yen Belarmino for going to the field to take photos/videos. 

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