JUSTICE FOR GLORIA CAPITAN, STOP THE KILLING OF CLIMATE JUSTICE ACTIVISTS !

We condemn the killing of Gloria Capitan, Filipino woman leader-activist of KILUSAN, a member organization of the Philippine Movement for Climate Justice. Ate Glo, as she is called by people close to her, was shot by motorcycle-riding gunmen last July 1. She was 57 years old, a mother and a grandmother.

Ate Glo was very active in the fight against coal and led in a series of mass actions and petitions calling for a permanent closure of a coal stockpile in their village.

If this is an attempt to silence other anti-coal activists like her, then they are mistaken. On the ground where Ate Glo’s body fell, where the blood from her body flowed, more anti-coal and climate justice activists will sprout.

We are activists and movements from all corners of the world. Ate Glo’s sacrifice only further strengthens our solidarity and our conviction that this evil menace which is coal must end. We will persevere in this fight and see to it that our children and the children of our children will be free from coal.

We join the clamor for the Philippine government to immediately launch a thorough investigation of her killing and bring the perpetrators to justice.

SIGNED :

Philippine Movement for Climate Justice
Asian Peoples Movement on Debt and Development
Alyansa Tigil Mina
Freedom From Debt Coalition
Sanlakas
Our Rivers Our Life Philippines
Gitib Mindinao
Bukluran ng Manggawang Pilipino
Youth for Climate Justice Pilipinas
Koalisyon Pabahay Pilipinas
Green Convergence for Safe Food, Healthy Environment and Sustainable Economy
Makabayan Pilipinas
Kalayaan Pilipinas

Signed by many other organisations – including ESSF, PM, MPPM, PMCJ, PKRC, Kilusan, Kaysa Ka.... When the updated list of signatories will be published, we shall update this page.

KILUSAN para sa Pambansang Demokrasya

Dear Friends,

Last July 1 at around 8PM in Barangay Lucanin, Mariveles, Bataan, barely twenty-four hours after President Rodrigo Duterte has been sworn in, a woman anti-coal advocate was shot and killed by still unidentified men in a style reminiscent of previous extra-judicial killings in the province like the case of Kathy Alcantara (2005) and Ana Gadian (2006).

She was Gloria Capitan, 57,wife to a barangay councilor, a grand mother and mother, President of Samahan ng Nagkakaisang Mamamayan ng Lucanin (SNML) . SNML and Gloria led the fight against the ill effects of allowing an open coal storage facility to operate right next to their homes as well as against the ill effects of living with two coal plants. SNML is a local affiliate of KILUSAN or Kilusan para sa Pambansang Demokrasya -Philippines and a member-organization of Coal Free Central Luzon.

We have attached the appeal letter [1] in the hopes that you may be able to lend a hand in solidarity in this difficult time.

In solidarity,

Fidel Fababier
Vice-Chairperson, KILUSAN