THE World March of Women-Pilipinas held a candle-lighting ceremony and harana at the Boy Scout Rotonda in Quezon City on March 6, 2022, the sixth day of Women’s Month, to call for the freedom of anti-trafficking advocate Sally Ujano.The event was organized ahead of Sally’s arraignment on March 8, International Women’s Day.Sally Ujano, 64, was arrested on November 14, 2021 on trumped up charges of rebellion dated 2006.The Philippine National Police (PNP) declared her one of the topmost wanted people in the country and claimed that she had been hiding for 15 years. None of these are true, according to the women’s rights advocates.According to the event organizers, Sally had always been in the public eye as national coordinator of Philippines Against Child Trafficking (PACT) and earlier as executive director of Women’s Crisis Center. She has in fact worked with the government, including the PNP, in protecting women and children from all forms of abuse and exploitation, according to WMW-Pilipinas National Coordinator Jean Enriquez.Enriquez said it is deeply troubling that Sally herself has become a victim of the abuse and exploitation that she and her colleagues have always protected women from.“Her detention is a huge loss to vulnerable women and children who need protection, and to the nation as a whole,” she added.Shar Balagtas, speaker for Lilak (Purple Action for Indigenous Women’s Rights), said the Duterte administration has always shown a fear of women in the six years that it was in power.“Kabi-kabilang pananakot at panunupil ang ginawa ng kanyang gobyerno para lamang patahimikin ang babae at pigilan siyang kumilos,” said Balagtas.“Ang Lilak, sa hanay ng WMW, ay nakikiisa sa pamilya, kaibigan at kasama ni Sally. Kasama kaming nananawagan para sa kanyang agarang hustisya mula sa di-makataong pagdetina at pagsampa ng gawa-gawang kaso laban sa kanya,” added Balagtas.A song was offered by the youth of Sentro ng Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa, while spoken poetry by Kelvin Vistan of iDefend also assailed the injustice against Sally and her family.Sally’s children similarly offered a song.In a statement, they declared: “Our mother is a law-abiding citizen. She is being detained for a crime she did not commit. The charge of rebellion against her is not true. She worked with the Women’s Crisis Center for almost twenty years, where she took on different roles to provide feminist crisis intervention services to victim survivors of violence against women and children (VAWC).”“Her detention has denied her opportunities to share her expertise and knowledge on anti-VAWC work, including anti-human trafficking,” said Klaro Manuel Ujano, the eldest son of Sally, representing her three children.Ujano had been a crisis worker, trainer, and consultant on said issues, developing standards, protocols, and programs for victim survivors of VAWC that are gender responsive and child-sensitive, her children reported.Patricia Gonzales, Sally’s eldest sibling, was unable to attend the event in person due to health concerns but joined the livestream online. She expressed their family’s sentiments about Sally’s detainment in a message.“Our whole family — especially Sally’s children and grandchildren — are deeply concerned for Sally’s welfare. We are especially worried that she may fall ill while in detention, particularly with Covid-19,” Gonzales said.“Our mother is already a senior citizen. Being detained in an overcrowded jail puts her at great risk of contracting infectious diseases. At 64 years of age, she has hypertension, heart disease, gallbladder polyps, and osteo-arthritis of the spine and both knees, which we fear might worsen, considering prison conditions,” Ujano’s children added.“Needless to say, this whole ordeal has caused much suffering to our entire clan but most especially to Sally herself,” said Gonzales. “We plead with those concerned to have compassion on her, to see that she is totally innocent, and to allow her to go home to her family.”Sally’s children shared this message from Sally:“Maalab na pagbati sa inyo mga kabaro at kasama na magtataguyod ng karapatan at kapakanan nating mga kababaihan!!!“Sa ngayon, bagama’t ako ay nasa piitan, ako ay taos-pusong nakikiisa sa inyong lahat para sa pagdiriwang ng mahalagang araw na ito.“Ako at ang aking pamilya ay labis na nalulungkot sa aking pagkakapiit kahit na ako ay walang ginawang masama at labag sa batas. Sa kabila ng higit 30 taong paglilingkod sa babae at batang biktima ng karahasan at eksploytasyon, kasama ng ibang NGOs at mga service providers mula sa pamahalaan, ako ay kinasuhan ng rebelyon kung saan ang mag akusasyon ay walang katotohanan.“Sa ganitong kalagayan, humihingi ako ng inyong suporta sa pagmonitor ng aking kaso upang matiyak na makamit ko ang layuning mapawalang-sala, makapiling ko na ang aking pamilya at maipagpatuloy ko ang gawain para sa pagtiyak na ang karapatan at kapakanan ng mga babae at bata ay nirerespeto at pinangangalagaan ng bawat tao at sektor, lalo na ang ating pamahalaan.“Muli, maalab na pagbati sa inyong lahat sa pandaigdigang araw ng kababaihan!”Sally signed the statement as a “political prisoner” and “person deprived of liberty.”WMW said everyone must realize the vital role that Sally and advocates like her fulfill in society and that the State must protect not only women and children, but also rights defenders who protect women and children.The action ended with an appeal from Sally’s children: “We are making an urgent appeal for everyone’s support. Your efforts and action will forever be etched in our mother and our family’s hearts and in the hearts of all VAWC victim-survivors who will benefit from her work.” (PR)