Rebelyn Pitao's Death is AFP's Gift for International Women's Day - Rep. Ilagan

Gabriela solon Luzviminda Ilagan today "condemned in the strongest possible terms the abduction, torture and extra-judicial killing of Rebelyn Pitao.”

“Rebelyn was an innocent victim of Arroyo's anti-insurgency program. She was obviously used as a bait for the capitulation of her father who is an NPA commander,” Ilagan, herself a retired teacher, said.

“Let us consider Rebelyn not just as additional statistic to the increasing number of victims of extra-judicial killings perpetrated by this terrorist government. Instead, let's look at Rebelyn as a symbol of the entire Filipino women who are suffering from the deliberate undermining of women's equal footing in society with men by the Arroyo regime.” Ilagan said.

The motive of the abduction and killing of Rebelyn, who was a teacher of Saint Peter's College in Toril, Davao City, has been investigated, but apparently according to Rep Ilagan “her death is a brutal gift of the AFP to International Women's Day on March 8.”

“Rebelyn's death inevitably inspires more women to participate in the protest actions on March 8,” the militant solon said.

“Aside from being a woman, she is a teacher.” This solon is more outraged by the fact that Rebelyn as young as 20, dedicated her life to teaching – a profession that Gloria Arroyo has taken for granted over the years, became one of the victims of the administration's fascist rule.#