Why is the US afraid of Liza Maza?

The Philippines Chapter of the International League of Peoples’ Struggle (ILPS-Phils) strongly condemns the US government for blatantly violating the rights of Liza Maza in barring her to leave her own country last July 9 and go to the US to testify before an international tribunal in Washington, DC.

Liza Maza is a respected women’s rights leader, a global peace advocate, and a former three-term lawmaker in the Philippine House of Representatives with an outstanding record. She has not violated any Philippine or US law nor was ever a threat to its homeland security.

How can an alleged email from the Customs Border Protection of the US Homeland Security, a copy of which was not even shown to her, prevent her from boarding her plane from Manila? This is terrorism.

The US Department of Homeland Security under Pres. Obama grossly violated Philippine sovereignty and Liza Maza’s right to liberty of movement, freedom of speech and association. There is clear threat, harassment and intimidation when she was forcibly denied her right to travel.

We denounce President Benigno Aquino for allowing this to happen right inside Philippine sovereign territory and inflicted on a Filipino citizen and a former legislator at that.  We likewise condemn Korea Air for carrying out unlawful and unjust orders from the US.

Liza Maza was invited by Gabriela chapters in the US to meet with Filipina migrants and immigrants and women’s groups. She was also slated to attend the International People’s Tribunal on the Crimes of the Obama-Aquino regimes, where she is set to give an expert testimony on the gross violations on Philippine sovereignty and on the Filipino people’s rights of the recently signed US-PH Enhanced Defense Agreement (EDCA) as well as on the unequal US-RP Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).

She recently participated in a 30-women delegation of renowned women peace activists who crossed the demilitarized zone (DMZ) last May 24, 2015 calling for the reunification of the two Koreas and promoting peace. With Maza in the “Women Cross DMZ” were Nobel Peace Prize laureates Mairead Maguire and Leymah Gbowee, Gloria Steinem of the US and other feminist activists.

Maza is the Chairperson of the International Women’s Alliance (IWA) and with the global leadership of the International League of Peoples’ Struggle (ILPS).

We call on patriotic Filipinos and citizens of the world to denounce this terror act of the US.  We shall not be cowed into silence by the US government.

Carry on with the International Peoples’ Tribunal (IPT) to prosecute the US-Aquino regime for crimes against the Filipino people.