January, 2009

Assistant Minority Leader and Gabriela Rep. Liza Maza today denounced Malacañang’s scheme of rewarding retired soldiers with key government positions and at Palparan’s possible appointment in the Dangerous Drugs Board.  read more »

"This is an utter denial of the Filipino youths’ right to education as enshrined in the Philippine Constitution,” Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Luz Ilagan said condemning the Commission on Higher Education’s proposal to add an extra year to tertiary education.  read more »

“Aside from being a complete waste of people's money, the proposed mandatory drug testing for students and teachers could open up new ways for the corruption-ridden Department of Education to divert a major portion of its already small budget for 2009,” Gabriela Women's Party Luz Ilagan said on Tuesday.  read more »

"Social Security System Chief Romulo Neri is gambling away the hard-earned money of the SSS members by committing to invest P12.5B of its reserve funds. Clearly, the SSS Charter states that the SSS reserve funds should be invested with more care, prudence and diligence in line with the principles of safety, good yield and liquidity. Thus, it is all the more crucial that they adhere to these strict criteria before SSS funds are committed, given the intensity of the impact of the financial crisis."  read more »

With members of the Social Security System (SSS) and Government Social Insurance System(GSIS), Assistant Minority Leader  and Gabriela Rep. Liza Maza together with Gabriela Rep. Luz Ilagan and Anakpawis Rep.Rafael Mariano today filed a resolution for the House of Representatives to investigate the implications to the benefits of private sector workers of SSS President Romulo Neri’s move to commit the P12.5 B of SSS funds to the Arroyo administration’s “economic stimulus fund” and to recommend measures including the review and possible amendments  to the SSS charter.  read more »

"Workers' funds and are not for the government to use, meddle with or subject to undue financial risks by investing them in vague concepts such as an economic stimulus fund that has no assurance of pumping up the economy for the benefit of our poor workers."  read more »

22 years after ‘Mendiola’ peasant struggle

During the march commemorating the twenty second anniversary of the Mendiola Massacre, Gabriela Party-list Rep. Luz Ilagan condemned Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for ganging up with feudal lords, landed elites, and transnational corporations to deny Mindanaoan farmers their right to land and for the continuing extra-judicial attacks against those demanding a genuine agrarian reform.  read more »

"It is such a shame that while the US court found that Sentosa clearly violated the Filipino nurses' rights, the Philippine government remains blind to their plight, as well as to the calls of other OFWs victimized by recruitment agencies," Gabriela Women's Party Rep. Luz Ilagan said condemning the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration's lack of action on the years old 'Sentosa 27' case.  read more »

Gabriela Women’s Party Representative Liza Maza today scored the planned P25M fund for random drug testing in high school dubbing it as “expenditure for the violation of rights.”  read more »

The continuous implementation of Philippine Overseas Employment Administration Memorandum Circular 04 (MC-04), which sets illogical and unreasonable requirements for the direct hiring of OFWs, is highly detrimental to the rights and wellbeing of Filipino migrant workers in the face of global financial meltdown and massive retrenchments abroad.  read more »

At the hearing on the impact of the global financial crisis at the House Committees on Economic Affairs and Banks today, Gabriela Women's Party Representative Liza Maza said Social Security System chief Romulo Neri should explain the use of the P12.5B funds of the SSS for the economic stimulus package prescribed to cushion the impact of the crisis, as this "may be tantamount to cheating off funds from the workers and SSS beneficiaries."  read more »

"Increasing the price of LPG due to higher acquisition costs and supply tightness is a lame excuse by Shell and Petron. Indeed, this is another burden passed on to the poor Filipino families who have always put up with the brunt of this crisis," said Gabriela Women's Party Rep. Liza Maza.  read more »