Statement of Child and Women’s Rights Advocates to Support Sally Ujano in Her Quest for Justice and Freedom

We, child and women’s rights advocates, are deeply saddened by the court verdict against Ma. Salome “Sally” Crisostomo-Ujano, a child rights and women’s rights leader, for the alleged charge of rebellion, sentencing her to a minimum of 10 years imprisonment up to 17 years and four months.

Yesterday, the Hon. Judge Marivic Cudilla Vitor, Regional Trial Court, Taguig City Branch 266 convicted Salome Crisostomo-Ujano, for being a “participant” in an encounter between military troops and the New People’s Army sometime between November 19 to 25, 2005.

Sally testified that she was in another place during the alleged rebellion dates, a hundred kilometers away. In the last three decades, she has always been in the public eye, working hard to protect the rights of women and children.

Sally’s years-long work as a child rights advocate and women’s rights leader has been crucial to uplifting the lives of women and children. From 2000 to 2007, at the time when the alleged rebellion transpired, she was serving as the Executive Director of the Women’s Crisis Center, providing assistance and counseling to survivors of violence against women. While doing so, she worked closely with the Philippine National Police Women and Child Protection Units and the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women, now known as the Philippine Commission on Women.

Since 2008, Sally was already working as the National Coordinator of Philippines Against Child Trafficking (PACT). PACT is a member organization of the Civil Society Coalition on the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC Coalition), a member network of CRC Asia.

Sally also lobbied and worked for the drafting and implementation of landmark laws such as the Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act of 2004.

Sally is a staunch and respected human rights defender. Sally is not an enemy of the State. She is a partner in protecting the rights of women and children. We demand that the State do its job to protect not only women and children, but also those who protect and defend women and children.

We support Sally in her quest for justice and freedom. We call for the immediate release of Sally.

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Signed by:

Alma Bulawan, President of Buklod Women Empowerment, Inc.

Aida Santos of KALAYAAN

Amor D. Martinez, Counselor of WCC

Amihan Abueva, Regional Executive Director of Child Rights Coalition Asia

Amparo Miciano, Member of SARILAYA

Ana Maria Dionela, ECPAT Philippines

Bimbim de la Paz-Macaspac, Executive Director of Association for the Rights of Children in Southeast Asia

Celia D. Carlos of Katipunan ng Kababaihan para sa Kalayaan (KALAYAAN)

Cezario P. Magpayo, President of the 3PDInc.

Charo Cabardo of KALAYAAN

Christy Marfil, Former WCC Counselor

Clara Rita A. Padilla, Executive Director of EnGendeRights

Clemencia R. Sumayod, Survivor and Counselee of WCC

Clydie Pasia of Youth and Students Advancing Gender Equality

Corazon Valdez Fabros, Board Trustee of the Office of Women and Gender Concerns

Dolor Cardeño, Executive Director of ERDA Foundation Inc.

Eden Bonagua, Former Executive Director of Women’s Crisis Center, Manila

Ederlina M. Fernandez, Retired Professor and Vice President for Planning, Administration, and Finance of Western Mindanao State University of Zamboanga City

Ellene Sana, Executive Director for the Center for Migrant Advocacy

Emmeline L. Verzosa, Former Executive Director of the Philippine Commission on Women

Erwin Puhawan, Managing Trustee of Kanlungan

Gloria Melencio

Imelda P. Rosano, Survivor and Counselee of WCC

Isabelita P. Menecio, Executive Director of the Partnerships for People’s Participation and Development (3PDInc)

Jaime Rodrigo Leal, MD, Faculty of Saint Louis University and University of Baguio

Janel I. Geconcillo, President of Pambansang Koalisyon ng Kababaihan sa Kanayunan

Janica Rosales, Educational and Organizational Development Officer of Coalition against Trafficking in Women – Asia Pacific (CATWAP)

Jean Enriquez, Executive Director of Coalition Against Trafficking in Women – Asia Pacific (CATWAP)

Jeanette Laurel-Ampog, Executive Director of TALIKALA

Joanna Amor N. Chiong, Executive Director of Katilingban sa Kalambuan Inc., Zamboanga City

Jose Rey Munsayac of the Mamamahayag at Manunulat ng Bulacan

Josua Mata, Secretary General of the Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (SENTRO)

Juliet Domingo, Member of SARILAYA

Judy Ann Miranda, Secretary General of Partido Manggagawa

Judy Pasimio, Overall Coordinator of LILAK (Purple Action for Indigenous Women’s Rights)

Liza Gonzales, Survivor and Co-Founder of Bagong Kamalayan Prostitution Survivors’ Collective

Marcelina Carpizo, President of PACT

Marevic Parcon, Steering Committee Member of PINSAN

Mary Alice Rosero, Member of SARILAYA and former Chief of Policy Advocacy Division of Philippine Commission on Women

Maria Daryl Leyesa, Member of SARILAYA and PARAGOS Pilipinas

Maria Dulce F. Natividad of WomanHealth Philippines

SR. Mary John Mananzan, Executive Director of Institute of Women’s Studies

Merci L. Angeles, Convener of Peace Women Partners

Monina T. Geaga, Member of SARILAYA

Nancy Parreño, Member of SARILAYA

Nice Coronacion, Deputy Secretary General of Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa

Norma Eslit, Executive Director of GITIB

Prescilla D. Tulipat of the UP Office of Anti Sexual Harassment

Salvacion Pascual, Former WCC Research and Documentation Program Coordinator

Susan Pineda, President and Executive Director of Ing Makababaying Aksyon (IMA) Foundation

Theresa D. Balayon, Former WCC Board Member and Former WCC Executive Director

Vilma Borlongan, Member of the 3PDInc