BOOTS GETS GABRIELA NOD, VOWS TO ESTABLISH FAMILY AND WOMEN LEGISLATIVE DESK April 22, 2004 Opposition senatorial candidate Boots Anson-Roa yesterday vowed to set- up a family and women legislative desk in her office should she win a Senate seat this coming May 10 polls. Anson-Roa, who broke into the top 12 of the senatorial race as shown by recent poll survey results, made the pledge even as she expressed heartfelt gratitude over the decision of Gabriela Women's partylist to endorse her candidacy. "The trust and confidence Gabriela and other women organizations will serve as my inspiration in the Senate. It is only my hope that Filipinas would play a more active role in the coming election, not only to guarantee victory for candidates advocating pro-women issues, but also in committing to memory the pledges made by candidates supported so that they could fairly evaluate their performance," she said. Anson-Roa, who is a member of the senatorial slate of the Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino bannered by Fernando Poe Jr. for president and Sen. Loren Legarda for vice president, said supporters of pro-women candidates should expect her to be a staunch foe of all forms of discrimination, violence, exploitation and abuse against women and children. "In fact, I am committed to set up a family and women legislative desk which will exclusively study, pursue and follow-up bills and other pieces of legislation for the benefit of women and the family," she said. A respected member of the entertainment industry, Anson-Roa has made her mark as a steadfast supporter of women and family rights advocacies. In fact, she was a recipient of various awards for her achievements in the field. Among these distinctions are the following: Women Who Make A Difference award from the Soroptimist International; Ten Outstanding Women in the Nation's Service, the Gintong Ina award and Outstanding Alumna of the University of the Philippines. Anson-Roa is among the KNP senatorial hopefuls who have figured strongly on top of heap as indicated by various poll surveys conducted recently. She was included in the Magic 12 in the latest IBON Foundation survey.