NEWS RELEASE 3 December 2007 Reference: Lana Linaban, Deputy Secretary General, 371-2302 GABRIELA CALLS FOR RELEASE OF 63-YEAR OLD WOMAN POLITICAL PRISONER The women's group GABRIELA joined Karapatan Alliance for Human Rights in a picket in front of Camp Crame this morning to call for the release of 63-year old political prisoner Angie Ipong and other political prisoners. "Angie is celebrating her 63rd birthday today and her only wish is to be freed and be with the people she has vowed to serve," said Lana Linaban, deputy secretary general of GABRIELA. Ipong was 60 years old when she was arrested without warrant in March 8, 2005. According to Ipong's account, she was tortured and sexually abused before she was presented to the media a few days after her arrest. "These prison walls, these iron bars, these barbed wires can only imprison the body but not our minds, our thoughts and not what we stand for." This was a quote from Ipong she sent GABRIELA on her thoughts about being jailed. Ipong is a peace advocate and a human rights activist who worked with peasants and the indigenous people for more than three decades since the mid 70's. Ipong is among the 24 women political prisoners arrested under the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. "There is no justice and democracy in a country where a 63-year old woman activist is imprisoned simply for her political stand. The only justice we can achieve is when people band together to fight for our rights," concluded Linaban.### GABRIELA NANAWAGAB PARA SA PAGLAYA NG 63 ANYOS NA DETENIDONG PULITIKAL Nakiisa ang GABRIELA Pambansang Alyansa ng Kababaihan sa Karapatan Alyansa para sa Karapatang Pantao sa isinagawang piket sa harap ng Cam Crame kaninang umaga upang ipanawagan ang pagpapalaya sa 63 anyos na detenidong pulitikal na si Angie Ipong at iba pang detenidong pulitikal. "Ngayon ang ika-63 kaarawan ni Angie at ang tanging hiling niya ay makalaya at muling makapaling ang masang pinaglilingkuran, " pahayag ni Lana Linaban, ikalawang pangkalahatang kalihim ng GABRIELA. Sisenta anyo si Ipong nang arestuhin na walang warrant noong Marso 8, 2005. Ayon kay Ipong, nakaranas siya ng pagpapahirap at sekswal na pang-aabuso bago siya iniharap sa publiko ilang araw matapos siya arestuhin. "Ang mga dingding na ito ng preso, ang mga rehas na bakal, ang mga barbed wire ay kaya lang ikulong ang katawan pero hindi ang isip, hindi prinsipyo at hindi ang ating paninindigan. " Ito ang pahayag ni Angie na pinadala niya sa GABRIELA kaugnay ng kanyang saloobin sa pagkakakulong. Isang peace advocate at aktibista para sa karapatang pantao si Ipong na naglingkod sa hanay ng magsasaka at katutubong Pilipino sa loob ng tatlong dekada simula pa ng kalagitnaan ng dekada 70. Isa si Ipong sa 24 na babaeng detenidong pulitikal sa ilalim ng administrasyon ni Pangulong Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. "Walang katarungan at demokrasya sa isang bansang kinukulong ang 63 anyos na babaeng aktibista dahil lamang sa kanyang pampulitikang paninindigan Ang tanging hustisyang matatamo ay kung magsasama-sama ang mamamayang Pilipino upang ipaglaban an gating karapatan," pagtatapos ni Linaban.### __._,_.___