MANILA – The chairwoman of the National Anti-Poverty Commission has resigned on Monday.
Liza Maza announced her “irrevocable resignation” a week after a regional trial court in Nueva Ecija dismissed the murder charges filed against her and three other former lawmakers.
“While the fabricated and baseless murder charges were eventually dismissed, as it should have been, and which I hailed as a triumph of truth and justice, the revival of these cases and the issuance of warrants of arrest did take its toll on the work I was pursuing at the NAPC,” said Maza.
Others charged and eventually absolved were former Agrarian Reform secretary Rafael Mariano and former Bayan Muna representatives Saturnino Ocampo and Teodoro Casiño.
“I realized that similar attacks by the anti-reform, rightist and militarist forces in our country will continue to undermine my leadership of this agency,” said Maza, a former Gabriela party-list representative. “As such, I simply can no longer work under these circumstances.”
But she said the main reason for her resignation was President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision to terminate the peace negotiations with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines.
“Kinitil nito ang natitira kong pag-asa na magbubunga ang usapang pangkapayapaan sa makabuluhang repormang sosyo-ekonomiko at pulitikal na siyang magwawakas sa laganap na kahirapan at digmaan sa ating bansa,” said Maza.
According to Maza, she would resume fighting from among the masses to achieve “genuine change.”
“Ako po ay babalik sa piling ng kilusang masa. Ako po ay patuloy na magsusulong ng tunay na partisipasyoon ng mamamayan sa paglikha ng pagbabago,” she said.
Duterte hired Maza – one of the leftists appointed to his Cabinet – in July 2016.
“Sa aking pagbibitiw at muling pagtangan ng ating laban sa labas ng pamahalaan, nakatitiyak akong mas higit ko kayong paglilingkuran,” Maza said./PN
