DAVAO CITY (March 9) — Women’s groups in Davao City are taking their protest to the streets this International Women’s Day, sharpening calls for the impeachment of Sara Duterte, the removal of the 12-percent value-added tax (VAT) on basic goods, and greater accountability from the administration of Ferdinand Marcos Jr..
At a press briefing ahead of the March 8 rally, activists from Gabriela Women’s Party Southern Mindanao said women in the region are bearing the brunt of rising prices, shrinking social services, and what they described as continuing corruption in government.
Rose Hayahay, spokesperson of Gabriela Party-list Southern Mindanao, said their protest is both a national and local call for accountability.
“Women in Davao are not spared from the effects of corruption and economic hardship,” Hayahay said. “We are demanding full accountability for systemic corruption in government.”
She clarified that their calls are not limited to Duterte. The group had earlier filed an impeachment complaint against Marcos Jr. in January, though it was dismissed by the majority bloc in the House of Representatives of the Philippines.
Spotlight on confidential funds
But activists placed particular focus on the vice president, whose use of confidential funds has been the subject of two impeachment complaints now deemed sufficient in substance by the House Committee on Justice.
The complaints question Duterte’s use of about P612.5 million in confidential funds allocated to the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education from mid-2022 to 2023, when she concurrently served as education secretary.
Women’s groups cited reports from the Commission on Audit flagging questionable and disallowed government expenditures amounting to billions of pesos.
Gabriela Youth Davao spokesperson Alyssa Ancheta said women’s organizations do not see Duterte’s position as the country’s second female vice president as a reason to shield her from scrutiny.
“The feminist movement does not support Sara Duterte simply because she is a woman,” Ancheta said. “She has been flagged by COA for anomalies in her budget and confidential funds but has yet to address these issues.”
“She cannot expect women, especially poor women, to support her while refusing accountability,” she added.
Women feel the economic squeeze
Beyond the corruption issue, the groups say women—particularly mothers managing tight household budgets—are struggling to cope with rising costs of living.
Activists are urging the Marcos administration to remove the 12 percent VAT on essential goods, arguing that consumption taxes hit low-income families the hardest.
They noted that inflation reached 8.7 percent in 2023, forcing many families to cut back on food, education, and health spending.
Local organizers also warned that the situation could worsen as the Philippines braces for another round of fuel price hikes linked to escalating tensions in the Middle East.
Davao rally
Women’s groups, youth activists, and indigenous women from Sabokahan Unity of Lumad Women are expected to join the rally in Davao City alongside nationwide protests marking International Women’s Day.
For organizers, the annual march is both symbolic and urgent.
“This is not just a celebration of women,” Ancheta said. “It is a protest against corruption, rising prices, and policies that continue to burden Filipino women and their families.”
