19/01/2026
| 𝗚𝗔𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗟𝗔 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗺 𝗼𝗻 𝗲𝗽𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗼𝗳 𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻, 𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝘃𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗺𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲
MANILA, Philippines – Women's group GABRIELA raises a grave alarm over the relentless and horrifying escalation of violence against women and children across the Philippines. From intimate partner shootings and brutal r**es of minors to high-tech abuse through AI deepfakes and state-perpetrated violence, these cases expose a society in crisis under a regime that fails to uphold women’s rights and protect the most vulnerable.
The recent incidents circulating in news outlets are a chilling example of this epidemic: a woman in Bacolod shot by her live-in partner; another stabbed to death by her husband; the r**e of a 13-year-old stepdaughter in Pasig and a 15-year-old girl in Makati; the arrest of a photographer’s assistant for acts of lasciviousness in Muntinlupa; the investigation of a public school teacher in Tondo for alleged child abuse; the emergence of AI-generated deepfake abuse targeting women and children; and the ongoing probe of a Manila police officer over alleged r**e. Each headline represents a life shattered—symptoms of a deeply patriarchal and violent system.
“These incidents don't happen in a vacuum, they are the result of a rotten system that devalues women and children, normalizes misogyny, and allows impunity to flourish while the people's money that could have been spent to protect and provide services to women get lost to corruption,” stated GABRIELA Secretary-General Clarice Palce. “From brutality in the home to high-tech exploitation online, and even within the halls of learning, violence against women and children persists because the state lacks the political will to uproot its causes and deliver immediate justice—if not acting as the perpetrator itself.”
In the face of this alarming trend, GABRIELA strongly encourages all victims and survivors of violence to break their silence. “To anyone experiencing or who have suffered abuse, you are not alone. There is a community of survivors and staunch women's advocates out here who are fighting the good fight—who believe that empowering, organizing, and mobilizing women are the key to changing the system that breeds violence against women. Come forward and join the fight,” Palce urged.
GABRIELA reaffirms its commitment to continue and intensify the fight to end violence against women. The alliance also calls for a massive, collective outcry from all sectors of society to demand genuine justice, comprehensive support systems for survivors, and an end to the systemic misogyny and state neglect that fuel this violence.
“We call on all Filipino women to unite, organize, and fight back. Our collective voice is our strongest weapon. We must work together and fight for a society where women and children can live free from fear and violence,” Palce concluded. #
