Gabriela party-list files their CONA on Oct. 4, 2024. Former Kabataan Rep. Sarah Elago, Cathy Estabillo, and Dr. Jean Lindo are its top 3 nominees. Jauhn Etienne Villaruel, ABS-CBN News

MANILA — Gabriela party-list on Friday sought to continue its unbroken streak in the House of Representatives, fielding former Kabataan Rep. Sarah Elago as its lead nominee for the 2025 midterm polls.

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The party-list's certificate of nomination and acceptance (CONA) listed Cathy Estabillo of Bantay Bigas as second nominee and Dr. Jean Lindo, a community physician, as its third nominee. 

"Ipinapakita lang nito ang lawak ng aspirasyon ng mga kababaihan at ganon din ang dami ng isyu at panawagan na patuoy na bibitbitin ng Gabriela Women's Party," said Elago.

Gabriela is one of the longest-serving party-lists in Philippine Congress, electing its first House representative in 2004. It has never missed electing at least one nominee since.

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Elago said Gabriela would continue to push for its legislative agenda for the benefit of women and the LGBT community. These include the divorce bill, SOGIESC bill, as well as amendments to the anti-rape and anti-violence against women and children laws. 

ABORTION

Gabriela was also asked to clarify its stance on 2 of the most contentious issues in the women's movement: abortion and sex work.

For Lindo, a medical doctor, decriminalization of women who opt for abortion is the way to go, citing the experience of other nations.

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"Ang sa amin, we are for the decriminalization of women who opt for abortion. Na-demonstrate ng mga countries na nag-decriminalize ng abortion na mas bumaba ang prevalence ng abortion dahil name-mainstream sila. Nabibigyan [sila] ng mas maraming options, sapat na reproductive services," she said.

Abortion is illegal in the Philippines and may result to imprisonment. 

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Last year, some government officials started looking at the possibility of decriminalizing abortion and other crimes as one of the solutions to decongest jails in the country.

'SEX WORKERS' VS 'PROSTITUTED WOMEN'

Meanwhile, the party-list is of the belief that "sex work" is not an "equalizing opportunity" and instead calls those engaged in it as "prostituted women."

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"We do not call them sex workers. Kung worker or job, it's an equalizing opportunity... So we call them prostituted women because it is the social environment that is disempowering for these women, so kung mas nabibigyan sila ng mas magandang opportunity, mag-reduce talaga yung prostitution," Lindo said.

Asked about the concept of body autonomy, Lindo said that from their experience, most prostituted women were merely forced by their circumstances and did not go through that route to be empowered.

"Walang babaeng nagsasabi or batang nagsasabi na when I grow up I want to be a prostituted women, so ibig sabihin dahil walang choices ang mga kababaihan kaya nasa prostituition work sila," Lindo said.

Arlene Brosas, the incumbent House representative of Gabriel, is eyeing a Senate seat next year. 

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