Earlier today, Baretang Bikolnon Online reported that the chair of Gabriela’s Bicol chapter, Jenelyn Nagrampa, was arrested based on a double murder case against her.
Nagrampa was allegedly part of an ambush back in May 13, 2018 that was led by the New People’s Army and resulted in the death of two members of the Philippine Army. The warrant for her arrest was released last June 29 and did not recommend bail.
Gabriela posted a statement calling for the release of Nagrampa, saying that the murder case was a “trumped-up” charge. The statement reads, “We firmly assert that the charge against Nagrampa is baseless, a mere machination of the overwrought and malicious imagination of fascist state forces bent on silencing activists and anyone and everyone critical of government’s anti-women and anti-people policies.”
Baretang Bikolnon also says that at the time of the ambush, Nagrampa was “busy on her election campaign. She then won the Barangay and SK elections and got elected as Barangay Kagawad in their Barangay.”
Gabriela’s statement also named the other women’s right defenders that the government has allegedly tried to silence. “We see this as part of the long list of atrocities committed against GABRIELA and other women rights defenders which include the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF) case against GABRIELA, perjury cases filed by NTF Vice Chair Hermogenes Esperon against GABRIELA’s National Chairperson Gertrudes Libang and National Secretary General Joms Salvador, the illegal arrest of GABRIELA Metro-Manila Spokesperson Cora Agovida, and the recent red-tagging of GABRIELA Chairperson Emerita Sr. Mary John Mananzan.”
The statement also warned that this might be an effect of the Anti-Terror Law, saying, “This despicable practice by the government of Pres Duterte of filing trumped-up charges, red or terrorist tagging against members of mass organizations critical of its policies is bound to increase a thousand fold with the passage of the the Anti-Terror Law.”
However, the organization said that it will not be backing down and will continue to fight for the safety of women and their families. Aside from calling for Jenelyn Nagrampa to be released immediately, they’re also demanding the charges against her and her co-accused to be dropped.
The Preen team has reached out to Gabriela for more information but we have yet to receive a reply.
Photo by Emiliano Bar on Unsplash
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