Members of the Gabriela Women's Party and its allied organizations will stage a rally to denounce Presidential Proclamation No. 1017, which placed the country under a state of national emergency, in front of the Fountain of Justice in Bacolod City l on March 8.

The activity will also mark the start of the Women's Month celebration.

Nita Ledesma Cherniguin, vice president for the Visayas of the Gabriela Women's Party, yesterday said in a press conference that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's declaration of state of the national emergency was a fascist reaction to the economic and political crisis being faced by the country.

She encouraged women in Negros Occidental to defend not only their civil liberties but also their rights to food and descent living under the present administration.

Clarizza Singson of the Gabriela Youth said that Proclamation 1017 is a cowardly attempt to chain and suppress the freedom of expression and right to assembly of the Filipino people.

Rina Amacio, secretary general of Gabriela-Negros, said the lifting of state of national emergency is only a tactic of the Arroyo administration to comfort the public and draw their support.

Even if Proclamation 1017 is lifted, they will continue to stage protests to call for Arroyo's resignation, Fred Caña of the Karapatan-Negros also said.

Felipe Levy Gelle, secretary general of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan-Negros, yesterday said Proclamation 1017 will railroad the passage of the Charter change resolution in Congress through a Constituent Assembly and the Anti-Terror Bill.

Meanwhile, Cherniguin, Alejandro Deoma of Bayan Muna and Allen Mirasol of the Anakpawis yesterday questioned the recent move of National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales to nullify the registration of their partylists from the Commission on Election.

They claimed they do not know where to place their selves since it was also the government who had encouraged them to join in the election.*DMG

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