NEWS RELEASE
08 February 2007

Reference: Emmi De Jesus, GABRIELA Secretary General (09173221203)

ATB: GMA's added ammo vs the people -- GABRIELA

"The Anti-Terrorism Bill is Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo' s legal cover to
go after her critics. Thus, the passage of the ATB would only allow
the administration additional ammunition against the Filipino
people."

This was according to GABRIELA Secretary General Emmi De Jesus in
reaction against the regime's railroading of such repressive
law. "Knowing the administration' s indiscriminate attacks against
anyone who is critical of the government, anyone who simply gripes
about hunger can now be tagged as terrorist."

"Inday Cu?ado from Tagbilaran City; Eden Marcellana, Juvy Magsino
and Leima Fortu from Oriental Mindoro; these are just among the 83
women killed under GMA's rule. These are women who simply voiced out
the sentiment of the millions of impoverished Filipinos. "

De Jesus also said, "The violent nature of GMA's administration
explains the alarming rate at which leaders, members and supporters
of militant organizations and partylists are being brutally killed,
abducted or harassed. She and her barefacedly lying dogs can lie
through their teeth all they want but only in vain. With the
intensification of political killings that the passage of the ATB
will surely bring, GMA will also expose herself more than ever."

De Jesus also expressed worry over the administration' s timing to
push the ATB. "The 2007 Elections is looming over the people and so
is the threat of intensified violence. Since GMA and her lackeys in
the legislation were able to railroad the ATB in time for the
elections, then the incoming elections could be the
bloodiest `exercise in democracy' that this nation would witness.
And the ATB would provide GMA the buffer for her alarming exercise
of violence against the people."

However, according to De Jesus, GMA would never be able to wipe out
her critics. "While there is growing restlessness among the Filipino
people due to the severe disregard for human rights, there is also
an intensified expression of alarm from the international community.
GMA has become famous in the international scene for the brazenness
of her human rights violations. And she is about to be more
unpopular because of it as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on
extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions is coming to hear
about the cases while a Permanent People's Tribunal is set on March,
the same court which eventually led to Marcos' ouster." ###