Working Group Bids Farewell, Welcomes New Program Officer

Ms. Maita Chan-Gonzaga

(August 16, 2007/ Manila) The Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism (Working Group) temporarily bade farewell to its program officer, Ms. Maita Chan-Gonzaga. She will be on study leave as she pursues her LLM at Oxford University. The Working Group wishes Maita all the best and looks forward to welcoming her back to its Manila-based secretariat in September 2008.

“Maita made many contributions to the Working Group during the past three years. Her efficiency at work and her keen understanding of the human rights issues in the region made her an invaluable member of our secretariat,” said Secretary General Carlos Medina Jr.

Ms. Sarah Lou Ysmael Arriola

Ms. Sarah Lou Ysmael Arriola will be taking over Maita's program officer duties until she returns. Ms. Arriola is no stranger to the Working Group, having managed the secretariat from 1998-2004. Prior to her return to the Working Group, Sarah served as an advocacy and protocol officer to Philippine Senator Ma. Anna “Jamby” Madrigal in 2006. She was also a program officer of the International Women’s Rights Action Watch Asia- Pacific (IWRAW Asia Pacific) from 2005 to early 2006.

Ms. Arriola finished her Juris Doctor degree at the Ateneo Law School and pursued her LLM in International Human Rights Law degree at the University of Essex as a British Chevening scholar.