Political activists denounce extra-judicial killings, hold rally in Southern Philippines

Members of the militant Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), human rights group Karapatan and families of the victims of the extra-judicial killings in southern Mindanao region staged a protest at the entrance of the Eastern Mindanao Command in Panacan in Davao City in Mindanao on February 17, 2009 to condemn the killing of activists, which they claim as allegedly perpetrated by the military. According to Karapatan, from January to October 2008, extra-judicial killings have already claimed the lives of 50 victims while seven persons have been involuntarily disappeared. In seven years and 10 months, 977 victims of extrajudicial killings and 201 victims of enforced disappearance have been documented. (AKP Images / Keith Bacongco)

Filipino activists to resist moves to change Philippine Constitution, urges public's vigilance

DAVAO CITY, Philippines - Unsurprised by the decision of the House committee on constitutional amendment to railroad charter change, the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) said it is ready to fight any move that seeks to amend the constitution and prolong the stay of President Gloria Arroyo and her allies beyond 2010.

Bayan, whose members are mostly political activists, warned the public to be as vigilant as ever considering that Arroyo's group is out to pursue amending the Constitution.

"The Arroyo administration has uttered so many lies in the past and for so many times was caught doing so. Its offhand posturing on the issue of charter change won't buy any trust from the people, whom it deceived during the "Hello Garci" controversy, the NBN-ZTE deal scandal, and many others that have not yet come out to the open," Bayan spokesperson John Birondo said in a statement.

"What can be more obvious than to see Rep. Prospero Nograles, the Speaker of the House and Gloria Arroyo's staunchest ally in the House of Congress, doing the groundwork for the final operations of charter change that Malacañang can deny its participation in it?" Birondo added.

"More incredibly, Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile's "ok statement" for a constituent assembly to merely discuss and approve amendments on economic provisions of the constitution can expunge the fact that charter change is Malacañang's only hope for Gloria Arroyo's term extension."

"The design and machinery for charter change are now evidently working to destroy all legal impediments to its completion. The arguments on how charter change will be taken-up, either by constituent assembly or constitutional convention, would require the Supreme Court's intervention and it is no co-incidence that the upcoming appointments of SC's new justices will happen amidst the railroading of charter change. This goes to show that Gloria Arroyo's upcoming appointees in the Supreme Court are designed to be seated in their positions to ensure that a constituent assembly be formalized to take-up charter change," Birondo added.
Bayan stressed the urgency of social change that roots from the needs of the people for stable jobs, higher wages, land to till, decent shelters, affordable prices of basic commodities, access to social services for health, food, and education, and the respect for human rights.

"We are set to begin our barangay forums this month to educate the people of Davao about the real contents of charter change vis-à-vis the worsening global financial crisis. This effort is in cooperation with the city's local government units and other people's organizations under Bayan," Birondo said.

Photo: Political activists hold protest in Davao City

Political activists in Davao City in the southern Philippines mark the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Wednesday, December 10, 2008 with protest, accusing the Arroyo administration as the top human rights violator. Activists, many of them students and human rights advocates, also display placards bearing the photos of victims of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances allegedly carried out by state agents.

(AKP Images / Keith Bacongco)

Body believed to be of missing UP students exhumed in Pangasinan

The female body believed to belong to one of the missing University of the Philippines students was exhumed Thursday in Labrador, Pangasinan for DNA examination.

It was brothers Raymond and Reynaldo Manalo, who were allegedly abducted by the military on February 2006, who told human rights group Karapatan that a body of a woman burned found in Labrador in August 2007 could belong to Sherilyn Cadapan.

Cadapan and fellow UP student Karen Empeño and farmer Manuel Merino were abducted allegedly by the military. The three were reportedly seen in the rest house of Master Sergeant Donald Caigas of the 24th Infantry Battalion in Barangay Banog, Bolinao, Pangasinan in 2006.

The Commission on Human Rights, some forensic experts and families of Cadapan and Empeño were present when the burned body was exhumed.

The body will be flown to Manila to gather DNA samples.

Forensics experts from the National Science Research Institute of the University of the Philippines (UP-NSRI) and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) were the ones set to gather the DNA samples.

The UP-NSRI team was said to be headed by forensics experts Dr. Ma. Corazon Ungria and Dr. Raquel Fortun, while the CHR group is led by Dr. Renante Basas. Human rights group Karapatan also brought in Philippine Health Alliance for Human Rights medical expert Dr. Reginald Pamugas.

The Manalo brothers raised this possibility after Manuel Merino, a farmer who was reportedly abducted with Cadapan and fellow UP student Karen Empeño, was purportedly burned by members of the military in Limay, Bataan in November 2006. Raymond said he witnessed the killing of Merino.

Reports of sightings of Cadapan, Empeno and Merino in the rest house of Master Sergeant Donald Caigas of the 24th IB at Barangay Banog, Bolinao, Pangasinan in 2006 also pushed Erlinda Cadapan, mother of Sherlyn, to request for the DNA examination.

Karapatan said that the delayed response from CHR stalled the examination. Public information officer Ruth Cervantes stated that they requested assistance from CHR in October last year, but did not receive any feedback.

Erlinda then sought the help of NSRI in December. NSRI agreed to dispatch their forensics team, but also required the participation of CHR. They said that government representation is part of the protocol in cases where the body is still unidentified.

Search for missing UP students, farmer may end in Bataan

Hopes of finding the remains of two missing UP students and other victims of extra-judicial killings were raised Monday after a former military detachment in Bataan was identified as the place where they may have been killed or buried.

Raymond Manalo, who escaped from an alleged forced detention by elements of the 56th Infantry Batallion of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), led a fact-finding team Monday in identifying three graves of possible victims of extra-judicial kilings in a purported former Army detachment here in barangay Bliss, Limay, Bataan.

Manalo said one of these graves is where Manuel Merino, a farmer who was reportedly abducted by the military along with missing UP students Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeño last June 2006, was buried.

Manalo said he saw members of the 24th Infantry Batallion burn Merino's dead body in a vacant area inside this former Army detachment in Bataan.

"The soldiers led Tatay Manuel [Merino] out of the room where they held us in chains. They said [Gen.] Palparan is just going to talk to him," Manalo said in relating the incident. After a few minutes, however, Manalo heard somebody groan followed by gunshots. Merino was reportedly killed June 10, 2007.

Manalo and his brother, Reynaldo, were allegedly seized by members of the 56th Infantry Batallion on February 14, 2006. They stayed in this Bataan detachment along with Merino, Cadapan, and Empeño from November 2006 to June 2007.

The excavation in this village in Bataan is expected to be finished tomorrow.

If a body is found in one of the graves, it will be sent to the National Forensic Science Research Training Institute for DNA examination.

Forensic pathologist Dr. Rachel Fortun of the University of the Philippines will oversee the DNA testing.

Search for evidence

In a press statement, the human rights group, Karapatan, said Raymond provided them with a sketch of the site where "according to the survivor, he saw Merino being burned and where other captives were killed or brought dead by soldiers."

The Commmission on Human Rights Chair Leila de Lima and representatives of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights joined the fact-finding team led by Karapatan.

"Excavation will be made in search of evidence that could further corroborate the credible testimony of Manalo and help trace the victims and their identities," Karapatan secretary-general Marie Hilao-Enriquez and public information officer Ruth Cervantes, said.

"Manalo's survival is strong evidence that state security forces who formerly occupied the site have used the place as detention area as well as a place to torture and keep incommunicado the victims of enforced disappearance," they said.

The Supreme Court recently upheld a Court of Appeals (CA) ruling which granted a writ of amparo to "escaped desparacidos" Raymond Manalo and his brother, Reynaldo.

The two escaped from their "military abductors after 18 months of detention," Karapatan said.
The CA decision had said "there is now a clear and credible evidence that the three missing persons, Sherlyn Cadapan, Karen Empeño and Manuel Merino, are being detained in military camps and bases under the 7th Infantry Division. Being not held for lawful cause, they should be immediately released from detention."

Karapatan said that "three days after [the CA decision], on September 20, the Philippine Army spokesperson, Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner issued a statement that the three missing persons were nowhere to be found in any Army camp where their relatives and supporters claimed they were detained."

Survivor revisits site where UP students abducted

Manuel Merino reportedly died a few steps away from the last place where he spent most of his remaining days– in a kitchen, where he and fellow alleged abductee Raymond Manalo cooked adobo and kaldereta for the soldiers of the 24th Infantry Battalion in a makeshift detachment at Barangay Bliss, Limay, Bataan.

“We were assigned to cook,” Manalo said. “We made viands from the cows that the soldiers stole,” he told abs-cbnnews.com/Newsbreak.

Aside from preparing and serving meals, the two of them, along with Manalo’s brother Reynaldo, also cleaned the 300-500 square meter camp and gathered firewood.

The Manalo brothers met Merino in the camp at the same time they were introduced to missing UP students and suspected New People’s Army members Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeño. That was in November 2006.

Cadapan, Empeño and Merino were reportedly abducted by members of the military in Hagonoy, Bulacan on June 26, 2006.

Raymond and his brother were allegedly seized from their house in Idlefonso, Bulacan by suspected members of the civilian armed forces geographical unit on February 14 of the same year.

Based on Raymond’s account, the five of them separately made the rounds of the military’s camps and safe houses in Central Luzon before they were taken to the detachment in Barangay Bliss where they spent around seven months holed up in huts that they themselves made.

Almost two years after, however, only one of them would return to the camp alive. The Manalo brothers were able to escape from their captors in July last year.

Raymond retraced his steps to the Bataan detachment Monday to look for the body of his fellow “cook” and friend, whom he fondly calls ‘Tay Manuel.

What detachment?

Death seemed close, according to Raymond, two days after Cadapan and Empeño disappeared from the camp in the first week of June 2007.

“Karen and Sherlyn were put in a bodega (storage room) where their feet were both chained. I saw them because I brought them food,” he said.

Raymond marked the torture site in the almost nonexistent camp Monday, one of the almost 15 areas he located in the green expanse where the detachment was built.

Some of the markers read “kubo ni Kim,” “kubo ni Robin,” kubo ni Edwin and Marnak,” with the names standing as pseudonyms for the soldiers who allegedly held them captive.

The bodega was sandwiched between two mango trees. Raymond said it was the only structure made of hollow blocks, as the rest were made of bamboo and cogon.

The other one which was also made of concrete material was the place of Master Sgt. Donald Caigas in the detachment. “He was the boss in the camp,” Raymond said.

These materials were hardly present in the area, however. Aside from one or two slabs of cement that stuck out from an otherwise prevalent mass of brown soil, there were no other signs which showed that a camp did exist in Barangay Bliss.

It was the same argument that the Armed Forces of the Philippines would raise. They denied that they had a camp in the said site.

Last July 2008, when Leny and Lolita Robiños inspected army camps in Bataan to look for their relative Romulos Robiños and friend Ryan Supan, both reportedly abducted by elements of the 69th IB in Angeles City, Pampanga on November 17, 2006, local army members crossed out Barangay Bliss from their list.

“They were told that the army only has one camp in Bataan. That’s in Barangay Dalae,” Ruth Cervantes, spokesperson of human rights group Karapatan said. Karapatan is currently helping the families of Robiños, Cadapan, Empeño and other loved ones of alleged members of human rights violations find their missing kin.

But Raymond was adamant. He said that he could clearly recall each nook and cranny of the detachment, from the hut where they slept, to the area where Merino was allegedly burnt and buried.

Private land

The detachment, however, was never really that of the army’s, or at least the land where it was built.

One of the reasons why the excavation did not easily push through was the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), the government agency which has the authority to probe human rights violations, had a hard time ascertaining who the owner of the camp site is.

“Lands where camps stood are not owned by the military. They are just leased to them. Sometimes there would not even be lease documents,” CHR Chairperson Leila de Lima explained.

Cervantes said that they requested for assistance in the fact-finding mission from the CHR in a dialogue with De Lima last July. After three weeks without response, they sought additional help from Sen. Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero, who heads the Senate human rights committee.

CHR and the Senate committee on human rights eventually found out who the owner was and asked for his permission to dig his land to search for Merino’s body.

It was not clear, however, if the owner of the land knew that the land he leased to the army was turned into a camp site.

Local folks in Limay reportedly said that they saw soldiers enter the area. SPO1 Honorio Esplena, one of the police officers who guarded the site during the excavation earlier, said that he did hear people talk about a detachment site in Barangay Bliss.

He, however, did not personally see it nor did he chance upon any soldier who belonged to the 24th IB.

No family

Now with thick foliage surrounding the area, it’s almost hard to see the far end of the site, a good 20 meters away from the supposed gate one of the detachment, where Merino was allegedly buried.

But Raymond said there was not much grass and plants last year, not enough to block his view of the camp’s exit, at least.

“I could see through the space in the bodega’s ceiling,” Raymond said, as he relayed what transpired the night Merino died.

After Cadapan and Empeño disappeared from the camp, the three of them – Raymond, Reynaldo and Merino – replaced them in the storage room. They were also bound in chains, he added.

They were in the room less than two nights. Then Merino was dragged outside, naked, handcuffed and blindfolded. Raymond said he heard the soldiers told the distressed farmer that then Maj. Gen. Palparan would just talk to him. He was led to the second guard house, which was just a stone’s throw away from the kitchen.

But Merino never returned. The last time Raymond saw him, his body was allegedly engulfed in flames.

Raymond easily saw the spot where Merino was reportedly buried. He went on to identify two other graves, which were almost 5-10 meters away from each other.

The 27-year-old Bulacan native said that he witnessed the soldiers of the 24th IB bring 6-8 people to the camp, some of them already dead, some of them yet to be allegedly killed, raising the possibility that other bodies could be found in the area.

As of Monday, items such as shoes, seven bottles, and burnt cloth were found from two of the sites. No body has yet been found.

Aside from Raymond, however, no other person has expressed an earnest desire to recover Merino’s body. Cervantes said that up until now, no one has stepped forward and introduced themselves as Merino’s family member or friend.

“It’s hard to locate his family. Remember that we just included him in the petition for the writ of amparo for Cadapan and Empeño because no one would file a petition for him,” she said.

Closure

The current fact-finding mission came seven months after a cadaver believed to be either that of Cadapan and Empeño was exhumed in Barangay Bolo, Pangasinan.

Results of a DNA examination by the University of the Philippines-Natural Science Research Institute revealed that it belonged to neither, however.

Dr. Rachel Fortun would oversee the DNA testing of the bodies that would be found in Limay, Bataan.

Erlinda Cadapan and Concepcion Empeño, mothers of the two missing UP students, said they are prepared to see the bodies of their daughters from the graves.

“We have already accepted the fact they could already be gone,” Empeño said. “What we need now is just closure.”

For Raymond, however, closure could come only in two ways: that Merino’s body be found, and the military admit that it once used Barangay Bliss, Limay, Bataan as a prison for their alleged captives. (With reports from Atom Araullo and Purple Romero / ABS-CBN, Newsbreak)

Militant Groups Question Continued US Military Presence In Southern Philippines

A US military Boeing C17 cargo and troop transport plane takes off Friday, September 19, 2008 from the dilapidated runway of the Zamboanga City International Airport in the southern Philippines. Hundreds of US troops are deployed in areas in the Sulu Archipelago and Mindanao Island, where the Philippine military is battling Muslim and communist insurgencies. American troops are involved in humanitarian missions in those areas, but at the same time training local soldiers and assisting and advising Filipino forces in fighting terrorism. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / September 19, 2008) – Militant groups and political activists on Friday questioned the continued presence of US troops in the southern Philippines, especially in areas where Filipino forces are battling Muslim and communist insurgencies.

“The continuing presence of US troops in various parts of Mindanao already goes beyond what the Philippine Senate contemplated as temporary during its deliberations on the VFA in 1999. The Senate deliberations defined ‘temporary’ as being about six months. The US troops have been in Mindanao for six years,” Renato Reyes, Jr., secretary-general of the militant Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, said in a statement.

Reyes was referring to the Visiting Forces Agreement between the Philippines and the United States which covers forces visiting temporarily. The agreement is intended to clarify the terms under which the foreign military is allowed to operate.

Other lawmakers also questioned the constitutionality of the treaty and they have filed two resolutions seeking a probe into the continuing presence and the involvement of the US military in local military activities and a review of the VFA.

Reyes blamed the VFA as the culprit on why US troops have overstayed in the southern Philippines. American forces have built a base in Zamboanga City, which houses the Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines, since 2001, when both countries held the Balikatan, which means “Shoulder-to-shoulder,” a codename for joint military training between American and Filipino soldiers.

But since then, the US military continued its presence in the restive region, especially in areas in Sulu archipelago and in Mindanao where local troops are fighting the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group and the larger Moro Islamic Liberation Front. Although American troops come and go, the presence of US forces in the southern Philippines is vital in Manila’s campaign to defeat terrorism.

“The problem with the VFA is that it does not define in clear and uncertain terms the scope, duration of stay and the extent of the engagement of US troops. In some ways, it is worse than the previous US bases agreement because of its vagueness. For all intents and purposes, an unlimited number of US troops can stay here for an unlimited period of time, even if there are no joint military exercises,” Reyes said.

Reyes said they will also look into the terms of reference during the first Balikatan that paved the way for the continued stay of US troops in Mindanao.

“Even the Terms of Reference of the Balikatan 02-1 was vague. It did not define the length of stay nor did it give assurances that the US troops will not engage in actual combat operations. That is why we have US troops embedded in AFP combat units who are involved in actual combat operations, in clear violation of the Constitution,” Reyes said.

The US Embassy said there are no permanent American military bases in Mindanao and that US troops were not involved in combat operations. The Philippine military said US troops deployed in Mindanao are active in humanitarian missions and development aid and have been providing intelligence information about terror groups in the South.

Militant groups said the US military also maintains a facility inside the Zamboanga City International Airport and a docking area at the Majini Pier inside the Naval Forces Western Mindanao Command and a training facility inside Camp Arturo Enrile in Malagutay village, all in Zamboanga City. And encampments inside Philippine Army bases in Mindanao.

Reyes’ group also challenged the Philippine Senate to exercise its oversight functions and immediately probe the presence of the US troops in Mindanao. “We challenge the Senate to conduct an on-site inspection of the facilities being set up by the US troops to see if the sovereignty of the Philippines in still in effect over those areas,” Reyes said.

On Friday, a US military Boeing C17 cargo and troop transport plane arrived in Zamboanga City and left a few hours later after loading equipment inside the Zamboanga International Airport. Local journalists were not allowed near the huge aircraft and radio broadcasters have to hide from US troops guarding the area to be able to report about the activity. (Mindanao Examiner)

PHILIPPINES: Court Orders Release Of Falsely Charged Activists

PHILIPPINES: Court orders release of falsely charged activists

ISSUES: Torture; human rights defenders; right to liberty and security; right to justice; political detainees; arbitrary arrest and detention; administration of justice.

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is pleased to inform you that the five persons, three of whom are activists, illegally arrested and falsely charged in April 2006, were released on August 28, 2008. The court hearing their case dismissed the charges filed against them. We are also reproducing a copy of the decision.

UPDATED INFORMATION:

As we reported in our previous appeal (AHRC-UAU-041-2008, UA-143-2006), Riel Custodio, Alejandro Pinpin, Enrico Ybanez, Michael Masayes and Aristides Sarmiento, were charged with Rebellion before the Regional Trial Court (RTC), Branch 18 in Tagaytay City.

Although the court issued its decision on August 20, it was only yesterday afternoon (the 28th) that the detainees were released from police detention. Also, it was only yesterday morning that their relatives were informed of the court's decision. (Please see the original or only word version)In the court's ruling, Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judge Edwin Larida Jr., rejected the prosecutors argument they should be able to pursue the prosecution of the detainees for a crime of Rebellion for possessing alleged subversive documents when police arrested them on 28 April 2006.

The court ruled it cannot allow the indictment for Rebellion by using the alleged subversive documents as their evidence. Subversion is no longer a criminal offense in the Philippines; thus, the detainees cannot be prosecuted for Rebellion by using the evidence of possessing subversive documents.

While we welcome the dropping of charges and release of the detainees, it is also extremely important that the police officers and other security forces who are responsible for illegally arresting the detainees and for torturing them while they were in their custody should be held to account.

It may be recalled that on May 14 of this year, the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines (CHRP) in Quezon City, concluded, after conducting their investigation into allegations of torture and other human rights violations, that the rights of the detainees had been violated. The CHR's findings should be given meaning by prosecuting those involved and affording compensation to victims.

The AHRC thanks all those who supported this appeal, in addition to the strenuous work the detainees' families, their legal counsels and persons helping them had been doing, by continuously drawing the concerned government's attention to the plight of the five detainees.

We are also sharing to you the message we have received today from Laura Sarmiento, wife of Aristides, who is among the detainees;"Yesterday indeed was a very good day. After we got the information in the morning that the judge had dismissed the rebellion charges against them, Aris, Axel, Riel, Rico and Michael finally walked out of prison yesterday afternoon after having been ordered released by the court. We are going to send a longer acknowledgement of appreciation to all who supported the campaign for their release in the next few days."

Thank you.

Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrchk.org)

Father's Day Letter To Abducted Dad: ABS-CBN

To my missing father Leo,

I wish I could personally greet you a Happy Father's Day and give you a really big hug.

But how can I? Ever since you were abducted, my only contact with you is in my dreams.

Oh, how I wish I would see you and say "Happy Father's Day, Tatay!"

Nanay and I will surely remember you as I visit her today in jail in Camp Crame. You must have heard by now (through your captors or if you have access to news) that Nanay has also been abducted and surfaced after three days (nine months after you were abducted and disappeared). You must have been so worried for her. You need not be worried, though, because we are all taking care of her. Even in detention, she makes good use of her time in reading books and helping her inmates with their different problems.

How I wish that you can just be like Nanay instead of this. I would rather want to see you in jail than not see you at all. At least I would have visiting days to see you and we could eat our favorite food together. We can tell each other all the stories and laugh about them.

But because I have not found you yet, I would have to be contented in writing to you, hoping that through media, you would be able to read this and that your captors will let you read this.

Tatay, I am sorry for not being able to find you up to now. I know I have done everything I could but I also know that Mrs. Arroyo's government should do more. After all, it is her military that has made you captive and has denied you of your rights to due process. I should have asked more people who might have known which safe house you are in, but then again, government's agents have the obligation to surface you and bring you to trial.

Along the way of searching for you, I have encountered others who are also searching for their son, daughter, brother, sister, mother, father or even both parents.

I have met Deka who has been searching for her father, Philip Limjoco who was abducted in Pampanga. I have met Noel (not his real name) whose parents are both missing. I have also met Baby (not her real name), a three year old girl who keeps asking for her father who was abducted in Quezon Province. I have also gotten to know Guy whose father was abducted twenty years ago but still continue to make cards for him during his birthdays.

We understand each other how painful it is to long for missing parents. We share the same rage against your abductors and their bosses and this repressive system. We wonder how these people can make our loved ones disappear and can still sleep at night (with their own families beside them, I imagine.)

I know we are all connected because of this tragedy of enforced disappearance, a state practice that should be stopped and never repeated.

I feel we are all siblings and that they are also your sons and daughters too. We are the children of the Desaparecidos. We are also the children whose parents have fought for their principles and have served the oppressed.

People whom you met constantly reminded me of you as a great father through their wonderful stories about you: how you helped them in their sickness as a medical worker, how you make them believe that peace based on justice is possible and how you gave them advice and strength in times of adversity. Just like me, these common folk whom you have served, embraced, and lived with, is also hoping to see you very.

I say, I am proud of you, Tatay. I have always been. I thank you for showing me the realities of life and society. Thank you for showing me the importance of service. Had you not taught me these, my life would have no other meaning.

And we, the children of disappeared fathers and mothers say we miss you so much. We will never stop looking for you until we find you. We will never stop fighting until we secure justice.

I hope that I will still have the chance to see you alive soon. I pray that your captors will find some conscience to bring our family back together and Deka's, Noel's, Baby's and all the families of victims of enforced disappearances in this country.

Today is Father's Day. Just greet your captors HAPPY Father's Day for me.

I miss you and wishing hard to see you soon.

Your loving daughter,
Aya


About the author: Lorena "Aya" Santos is 25 years old. Both her parents are National Democratic Front of the the Philippines consultants for the Peace Process. Both were abducted. Her father, Leo Velasco, was abducted in Cagayan de Oro on February 19, 2007 and is still missing. Her mother, Elizabeth Principe, is currently detained at the Camp Crame Custodial Center.

Ka Beltran Passes Away!

Gabriela Women's Party mourns the passing away of veteran labor leaderand militant partylist Representative Crispin "Ka Bel" Beltran.

In his death, we have lost a most formidable ally of workers, peasantsand the urban poor.

He has lived a worthy life in defense of the rights of workers and thetoiling masses as president of the Kilusang Mayo Uno and eventually asa representative of Bayan Muna in the 12th Congress and of AnakpawisPartylist in the 13th and 14th Congress. Ka Bel is behind the proposedP125 across the board legislated wage increase and the GenuineAgrarian Reform Bill.

He has faced battles as political detainee during the Marcosadministration and later on under the Arroyo regime after PresidentArroyo declared a crackdown on her most vocal critics and issuedProclamation 1017.

We grieve with Ka Bel's family and the masses that he has courageouslyand wholeheartedly served. We shall carry on his dreams of leaving hisgrandchildren and the Filipino masses a more humane and just society.

Are US Troops Involved In RP Combat Missions?

MANILA, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Feb. 07, 2008) – US soldiers aiding Filipino troops in fighting the Abu Sayyaf maybe involved in the operation that killed seven Muslim civilians and a government soldier in the southern Philippines, reports said Thursday.

Filipino troops trained by US forces were blamed for the killings of 8 people during a military operation early Monday in the town of Maimbung in Sulu province. Among the dead were two children and two teenagers, including a pregnant woman and an off-duty army soldier.

The Philippine military insisted the operation targeted the Abu Sayyaf and two soldiers and three militants were also killed in subsequent fighting that erupted in the village of Ipil.

Those killed were identified as Marisa Payian, 4; Wedme Lahim, 9; Alnalyn Lahim, 15; Sulayman Hakob, 17; Kirah Lahim, 45; Eldisim Lahim, 43; Narcia Abon, 24; all civilians and Pfc. Ibnul Wahid, of the Army's 6th Infantry Division.

Wahid's wife, Rawina, said she saw four US soldiers on a boat used by the raiders. "May nakita akong apat na Kano sa naval boat pagsakay ko na. Pagdating ko doon, piniringan kaagad ang mata ko. Sabi ko sa kanila, bakit nyo piniringan ang mata ko?, sabi nila 'para pagdating namin dito sa itaas wala kang makita."

"(I saw four Americans on the naval boat. When I climbed aboard, the soldiers blindfolded me. I asked them, 'why did you blindfold me?' They said, 'so that you won't see anything when we climb up.)," Rawina Wahid, wife of the slain soldier, told the ABS-CBN television in an interview.

Wahid said she boarded a Philippine Navy boat that took her husband's remains to a military base in Jolo town.

ABS-CBN reported that other villagers also noticed the presence of US soldiers on the boat. It quoted reports by the human rights groups Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society and the Suara Bangsamoro that the presence of the US forces in the area raised concerns about its involvement in local military operations, which violates the Philippine Constitution.

"Maraming tao diyan sa tabi ng naval boat at doon nakita nila yung mga sundalo na sumakay sa naval boat. Tapos 'yung mga American forces din nasa itaas."

"(They were many people near the naval boat and they saw the soldiers boarding it. The American forces were also aboard.)," ABS-CBN quoted Temugen Tulawie, of the CBCS, as saying.

"Sinasabi na with the presence of the US soldiers sa Sulu, magiging professional na daw yung AFP at mawawala 'yung human rights violation. Mukhang iba ang nangyayari, tino-tolerate pala."

"(They said that with the presence of US soldier in Sulu, the Armed Forces of the Philippines will be professionalized and there will lessen human rights violations. It seems the other way around, they were tolerating it.)," Tulawie said.

Maj. Gen. Ruben Rafael, commander of an anti-terror task force in Sulu province, denied the reports and said US soldiers were not involved in the operation. "No US soldiers were involved in the operation and they were not even near the town when the fighting broke out," Rafael told the Mindanao Examiner by phone from his headquarters in Sulu.

Rafael said the military is still investigating the killings of the civilians, although he insisted the operation targeted the Abu Sayyaf group which is holding a kidnapped trader Rosalie Lao. "We are conducting our own investigation and we assure that there will be no cover-up in the probe," he said.

Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan has condemned the killings of the innocent civilians and vowed to file criminal charges against the soldiers. He said many of those killed were shot in the head.

"Innocent civilians were killed. The children were shot in the head. We condemned the killings and those soldiers involved in the murder of innocent people must be charged in court and pay for their crimes," Tan said.

Philippine Defense chief Gilberto Teodoro is expected to fly to Sulu later this week to meet with Tan and other provincial officials about the killings.

Philippine flags around Sulu were flown at half-mast since Tuesday as Muslims mourn the deaths of innocent civilians. Villagers said some of those killed were shot at sea while trying to escape the fighting on boat. The soldiers who raided the village were members of the Army's Light Reaction Company, trained by US forces, and Navy's Special Warfare Group.

On Thursday, the SALINLAHI Alliance for Children's Concerns, an umbrella organization of child rights and welfare groups, strongly condemned the killings and urged for an independent probe of the incident.

"The usual casualties in this campaign are innocent civilians, particularly women and children. The incident again proved that the anti-terrorism campaign as well as the counter-insurgency program of the Armed Forces of the Philippines directed against the handful Abu Sayyaf and other armed groups is absorbed more by the civilian population rather than their real targets," Alphonse Rivera, the group's spokesman, said.

"Every incident involving military personnel as perpetrators is dismissed by the military top-brass as casualties of "legitimate encounters" to justify their acts and escape culpability. The next thing we will hear is that the military will insist that these children are also Abu Sayyaf members as if that will justify the killing," Rivera said.

Reps. Yusop Jikiri, of Sulu province and Mujiv Hataman, of Basilan have separately called for a congressional investigation into the killings in Maimbung town.

Jikiri, a former rebel leader of the Moro National Liberation Front, said the off-duty soldier killed along with seven civilians was shot in front of his wife.

"Wahid was reportedly hogtied first before he was shot in front of her. The wife, in fact, showed the military uniform of her husband, but the soldiers merely ignored the plea of Mrs. Wahid. Later, Mrs. Wahid was taken by the soldiers to the rubber boat allegedly driven by an American soldier," Jikiri said in a privilege speech in Congress on Wednesday.

Hataman also filed a resolution on Thursday seeking for an urgent investigation of the killings, which he described as "despicable, loathsome and ruthless."

"There is no valid reason, especially for the soldiers who are supposed to be the protector of the people, to kill innocent civilians, particularly children," he said.

The Commission on Human Rights has sent a team in Sulu province and is currently investigating the killings. (Mindanao Examiner)

Military Investigates Case Of Abducted Farmers In South RP

IPIL, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / 15 Aug) – The Philippine military is investigating the disappearance of three members of militant group linked to communist rebels in the restive southern region.

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) said the three -- Antonino Roda, 39; Eric Buhain, 23; and Julius Sango, 21 -- were all farmers seized by armed men this month while traveling on a commuter van in Guipos town in Zamboanga del Sur province.

“We have not received any report about this, but we will investigate it right away,” Colonel Jovencio Magalso, commander of the Army’s 102nd Infantry Brigade, told the Mindanao Examiner on Wednesday.

The three are also members of the Anakpawis’ party list group previously linked by Filipino authorities to the New People’s Army rebels.

The AHJRC, quoting reports from the local human rights group called Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights (Karapatan), said the three men -- on their way to the neighboring town of Dinas -- were abducted along a highway on Aug. 3 by several men riding on motorcycles.

It said four gunmen stopped the van and forced the three men, including two women passengers, to another vehicle and sped off towards Dumalinao town.

The gunmen then freed the two women whom they thought were also activists. It was only after the female passengers reported the abduction to the authorities that the incident was made known.

The whereabouts of the victims remain unknown and there has been no effort or investigation by the police to locate them, it said.

In April, Jonas Joseph Burgos, a trainer of a peasant organization, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (Peasant Movement of the Philippines) went missing following his abduction inside a restaurant in Caloocan City in Luzon island by gunmen.

Also the same month, a member of a peasant group called Kagimungan, Alan Bumanglag, was also abducted by armed men in Cagayan province, north of Luzon.

In another case, Romualdo Balbuena, was abducted by gunmen on February from his house in Quinapondan in Eastern Samar in central Philippines. None of the cases has been solved so far.

There were hundreds of unresolved cases of disappearance and murder of political activists in the country since 2001 and militant groups blamed the government and security forces for all these.

Authorities have denied the allegations and blamed the NPA for the murder of the activists, who were suspected as spy. (Mindanao Examiner)

Militarisasyon Sa Basilan, Sulu Binatikos!

BASILAN (Mindanao Examiner / 14 Aug) – Binatikos ngayon ng militanteng Liga ng Kabataang Moro ang umano’y militarisasyon sa lalawigan ng Basilan at Sulu na kung saan ay libo-libong mga sundalo ang ipinadala ng pamahalaan.

Mahigit sa isang libong pamilyang Muslim na rin ang nagsilikas sa kanilang mga lugar sa takot na madamay sa isasagawang opensiba ng militar kontra sa Abu Sayyaf na sinasabing nasa likod ng pagpaslang sa 26 na sundalo sa Sulu nitong buwan lamang at 14 naman sa Basilan nuong nakalipas na buwan.

Ang dalawang lalawigan rin ang umano’y naging sentro ng pandaraya nuong nakaraang halalan na kung saan ay nagwagi ang mga kandidato ng pamahalaan sa Senado.

“Di kailanman mapagtatakpan ng Administrasyong Arroyo ang ginawa nitong pagmanipula sa nakaraang eleksyon upang maipanalo ng Team Unity at mga kaalyado ng Malakanyang ang eleksyon,” ani Marlon Baning, tagapagsalita ng Liga ng Kabataang Moro sa Zamboanga, Sulu, Basilan at Tawi-Tawi.

“Ang pandaraya at panlilinlang ay kakambal na ng bawat rehimen upang papanalunin ang mga kasabwat nitong mga papet na mambabatas at pulitiko at ito ay malinaw na sa administrasyon ni GMA. Dahil dito'y nakakayang pagtakpan ng administrasyon ang totoong suliranin ng sambayanan at tuluyang iligaw ang kaisipan ng masang Pilipino,“ dagdag pa nito.

Sa Basilan ay tinutugis ng mga awtoridad ang mga miyembro ng Moro Islamic Liberation Front na siyang itinuturo sa pagpatay sa 14 na Marines nuong July 10.

Sinampahan ng kasong murder ng pulisya ang halos 130 katao na halos ay pawang mga rebelodeng MILF at Abu Sayyaf. Ngunit nangangamba ang Commission on Human Rights na marami sa mga sinampahan ng kaso ay inosente.

“Ang mga suliranin ng mamamayang Pilipino lalo na ang basic services, ang siyang pangunahing naaapektuhan dahil sa pagbabawas ng budget sa mga ito at ang kaukulang karagdagan dito ay napupunta sa military at upang kalimutan ng mamamayan ang isyu tungkol sa Mapanupil at di makataong batas na Human Security Act.”

“Sa bawat krisis na kinaharap ng Rehimeng Arroyo, hindi niya isinaalang-alang ang kapakanan ng mamamayan at dagdag pa rito ang panunupil sa karapatang-pantao ng marami sa 130 na kasama sa arrest warrants,” ani pa ni Baning.

Sinabi ni Baning na lubhang naaapektuhan ang mga mamamayan sa Basilan sa napipintong pagbabalik ng militar sa lalawigan.

Itinanggi naman ng militar ang akusasyon ng Liga ng Kabataang Moro at sinabing ang opensiba ay nakatuon sa mga terorista tulad ng Abu Sayyaf at maging ang isyu ng pandaraya sa nakaraang halalan ay mariing pinasinungalingan rin ng mga awtoridad. (Mindanao Examiner)

Wala Sa Amin Si Jonas Burgos! Sigaw Ng Militar

MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / 25 Jul) – Itinanggi kanina ng militar na nasa kustodiya nito ang dinukot na aktibastang si Jonas Burgos matapos na ipagutos ng Korte Suprema sa Armed Forces na ilabas ang nawawalang magsasaka.

IKinatwiran naman ni Philippine Army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Ernesto Torres, Jr, na wala sa militar si Burgos na dinukot nuong Abril sa loob ng isang restaurant sa Caloocan.

Natunton ang sasakyan na ginamit sa pagdukot sa Philippine Army sa Bulacan province.

Naglabas ng isang writ of habeas corpus ang Korte Suprema at iniutos sa militar isuko si Burgos sa Biyernes.

"If on that day, we cannot produce Jonas, if he was with the military, there's no reason not to bring him out," ani Torres.

Kinatigan ng Korte Suprema ang habeas corpus petition ni Mrs. Edita Burgos, ang ina ni Jonas, upang atasan ang Pangulong Gloria Arroyo na ipalutang kina Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. at Army Chief Lieutenant General Romeo Tolentino, at sa iba pang military commanders ang nawawalang aktibista.

Una nang tinukoy ng pamilya Burgos ang 56th Infantry Battalion sa Bulacan na may kagagawan umano ng pagdukot. Inakusahan rin ni Mrs. Burgos si Esperon na pinagtatakpan ang mga tauhan nito nang mabigong ibahagi sa kanila ang sipi ng resulta ng imbestigasyon ng militar sa naturang insidente.

Ayon kay Torres, kung tutuusin ay kumilos na rin ang tropa ng Army sa buong bansa upang hanapin si Jonas.

"We have been consistent with our efforts to try to locate Burgos. From the start, we have been supporting proper investigating agencies, which is the Philippine National Police," dagdag pa ni Torres.

Magugunitang inangguluhan rin ng Philippine Army na ang rebeldeng New People's Army ang posibleng may kagagawan ng pagkawala ni Burgos na umano’y miyembro ng gerilyang grupo.

Naunang isinabit ni Senior State Prosecutor Emmanuel Velasco, hepe ng Presidential Task Force Against Media Harassment, ang anim na sundalo na umano'y may kinalaman sa pagkawala ni Burgos at ipinag-utos sa National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) na i-summon ang lahat ng suspek upang maimbestigahan.

Lima sa mga sundalo ay nakilalang sina Army Lt. Col. Noel Clement, former commander ng 56th Infantry Battalion; Army Lt. Jaime Mendaro, ng 56th Infantry Battalion; Army Sgt. Jason Roxas at Air Force Cpl. Maria Joana Francisco; Army Sgt. Aron Arroyo at isang alias TL o Team Leader -- lahat ay assign sa Military Intelligence Group-15.

Ngunit matapos na pangalanan ito ni Velasco ay agad naman siyang sinibak ni Justice Secy. Raul Gonzales. Itinanggi rin ng mga sundalo na may kinalaman sila sa pagdukot kay Burgos. (Juley Reyes at Juan Magtanggol)

Activists, Militant Groups Oppose To Arroyo's Rule Hold Protest Rallies In Manila

MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / 23 Jul) – Political activists and militant groups have trooped in Manila Monday where President Gloria Arroyo is to give her State of the Nation Address (SONA).

Thousands of soldiers and policemen were deployed in the Philippine capital to ensure a peaceful conduct of the SONA.

Arroyo is expected to spell out how she intends to lead the country on a path of economic growth, political stability and social justice, according to Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye.

"One can be certain that among her most important goals in the next three years would be to ensure that more and more of our people will not just see, but more importantly experience, the tangible benefits of our growing economy," Bunye said.

Arroyo’s is confident that her objectives for the country would be attained by pouring government’s resources into major development projects which will yield high-impact dividends for the people, bolster national stability and spur rapid economic growth.

”To achieve her agenda for the country, the President believes it is important to invest in education, invest in social safety nets, invest in vital infrastructure and invest in peace and order,” Bunye said.

Militants have burned an effigy of Arroyo in Manila and chanted anti-government slogans. Many were calling for Arroyo’s resignation over her failure to uplift the living standards of the poor and the spate of political killings in the country.

They also accused Arroyo of cheating in the May 2004 elections. (With a report from Chris Navarra)

6 Soldiers Implicated In Disappearance of Activist In Philippines

MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / 09 Jul) – Six government soldiers suspected as behind the disappearance of a political activists in the Philippines were ordered investigated on Monday.

Senior State Prosecutor Emmanuel Velasco, of the Presidential Task Force Against Media Harassment, ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to summon the soldiers to shed light on the disappearance of Jonas Burgos.

Burgos was seized in April this year at a restaurant in Quezon City. His family accused the military as behind the abduction.

“My son Jonas, according to witnesses, was forcibly taken by a group of six males and one female while he was having lunch at the Hapag Kainan Restaurant in Ever Gotesco Mall, Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City, on April 28, 2007 at about 1.30 p.m. As he was being forcibly taken, he was shouting “Aktibista lang po ako! (I am only an activist).”

“I realized that Jonas could be missing when he did not come home that night of April 28th,” his mother, Edith Burgos, said.

She said one witness saw the young Burgos forced into a vehicle with license plate number TAB 194, which was later traced to a vehicle impounded by the Army’s 56th Infantry Battalion in Bulacan province.

Army officials said the license plate was stolen from the vehicle inside their base.

Burgos is a member of a peasant organization in Bulacan province called the Alyansang Magbubukid ng Bulacan (Farmers’ Alliance in Bulacan).

Five of the six soldiers ordered investigated were identified as Army Lt. Col. Noel Clement, then commander of the 56th Infantry Battalion; Army Lt. Jaime Mendaro, of the 56th Infantry Battalion; Army Sgt. Jason Roxas and Air Force Cpl. Maria Joana Francisco; Army Sgt. Aron Arroyo and another soldier whose initials are TL, all allegedly assigned with the Military Intelligence Group-15 of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. An informant, also a soldier, has provided Velasco the names of the five suspects.

One the six, Clement, has strongly denied involvement in the disappearance of the activist and said he is ready to face the investigation. ”I will clear my name. I have nothing to hide,” Clement told reporters in Manila.

“I don't know why I am dragged into this. If this were a book, I was in chapter one. I impounded the vehicle but it doesn't mean that I will always be responsible for it,” Clement said.

The vehicle, owned by Mudlong Mauro, was seized by army soldiers for transporting illegal lumber in June 2006.

Clement said he was relieved by Lt. Col. Melquiades Feliciano as commander of the 56th Infantry Battalion and had nothing to do with the missing license plate. “When I was relieved, I turned over everything inside the camp (to my successor),” he said.

Clement’s unit was pulled out of Bulacan in January this year and replaced by the Army’s 69th Infantry Battalion headed by Lt. Col. Edison Caga.

Lt. Gen. Romeo Tolentino, the Philippine Army chief, last week linked communist insurgents in the disappearance of Burgos. (Juley Reyes)

Philippine Army Now Says Rebels Could Be Behind Abduction Of Activist

MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / 03 Jul) – After denying involvement in the abduction of a Filipino political activist Jonas Burgos, now the chief of the Philippine Army is implicating communist insurgents in the disappearance of the young son of a press freedom fighter.

Lt. Gen. Romeo Tolentino said they suspect the New People’s Army rebels as behind the abduction of Burgos. He was seized by five men and woman while eating at a restaurant in Ever Gotesco Mall in Quezon City on April 28, 2007.

Edith Burgos, the man’s mother, accused the army as behind the abduction.

“If she is convinced, then she should file a criminal case, but we are making an investigation into this allegation,” Tolentino said. (Juley Reyes)

An Open Letter From Edith Burgos...

I am the mother of Jonas Joseph Burgos. Jonas is a farmer; he manages our farm in Bulacan. He is a member of a peasant organization in Bulacan, Alyansang Magbubukid ng Bulacan.
Jonas has been a desapercido since two months ago.

My son Jonas, according to witnesses, was forcibly taken by a group of 6 males and 1 female while he was having lunch at the Hapag Kainan Restaurant in Ever Gotesco Mall, Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City, on April 28, 2007 at about 1.30 p.m. As he was being forcibly taken, he was shouting “Aktibista lang po ako!”

I realized that Jonas could be missing when he did not come home that night of April 28th.

The following morning, I received a text message from Jonas which states: “Pasensiya na ligo lang ako”; this was followed by another text: “Sige bukas pag-usapan natin”. I tried calling his phone but could not get an answer until it could no longer be reached.

On April 30th, I called for a press conference and announced that Jonas has been missing since April 28th.

As a result of that press conference, I received information that a security guard at the Ever Gotesco Mall saw Jonas forced by persons who identified themselves to be “PULIS” into a vehicle with plate number TAB 194.

That plate number TAB 194 was traced to a vehicle registered in the name of Mauro Mudlong. Mr Mudlong and his vehicle were apprehended on June 24, 2006 by PFC Jose Villena and CPL Castro Bugalon of the 56th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army (56th IB) based in Barangay San Mateo, Norzagaray Bulacan for violation of Section 68 of PD 705 or “Transporting of Timber Without a Permit” (filed with the Prosecutor of Bulacan at Malolos; IS No. 06-09-4287). Said vehicle with plate no. TAB 194 and its cargo were taken to the headquarters of the 56th IB at Norzagaray Bulacan.

Lt. Col. Noel S. Clement was the commanding officer of the 56th IB at the time the vehicle with plate no. TAB 194 was apprehended and taken to the 56th IB headquarters.

Police investigators reported that they took the statements of 5 Army officers: Lt. Col. Noel S. Clement, at present the commanding officer of the Security and Escort Battalion based in Fort Bonifacio; Lt. Col. Melquiades L. Feliciano, commanding officer 56th IB who succeeded Lt. Col. Clement in January but reportedly relieved in May (his present assignment is unknown); Lt. Col. Edison Caga, commanding officer 69th IB stationed in Pampanga who was assigned to secure the 56th IB headquarters when it went for training in November 2006; CPL Castro Bugalon and PFC Jose Villena III both assigned at the 56th IB.

Media reported that Armed Forces Chief of Staff, Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. has ordered the Army Provost Marshal and the Inspector General to investigate the involvement of the above named 5 army officers in the forced disappearance of Jonas.

On May 21, 2007, my lawyer wrote to Gen. Esperon to request for a copy of the “report of the Provost Marshal and the Inspector General on the involvement of the 56th Infantry Battalion on [Jonas’] disappearance”. When Gen. Esperon was not responding after a week, we sent him another letter on May 29, 2007.

I met with Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita on May 29th to seek his help in finding Jonas or any information he can provide about what has happened to him. Secretary Ermita responded by arranging that I meet with General Esperon on June 6, 2007 at 10 a.m. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo called me up on June 2nd to express her concern about Jonas and reminded me that I go see Gen. Esperon.

My lawyer together with my brother, Jimmy Tronqued (I had vertigo attack and could not leave the house) went to Gen. Esperon’s office at the appointed time, June 6, 2007 at 10 a.m.

However, they were met by 2 officers, LTC. Jose and LTC Lucero, and not by Gen. Esperon, who, according to the 2 officers, had left for another meeting. My lawyer asked the 2 officers about our request for a copy of the report of the Provost Marshal but the 2 officers had no idea about such request.

On June 21st, my lawyer received a letter from the Judge Advocate General, Brig. Gen. Nemesio I. Dabal, writing for Gen. Esperon.

The letter said that we could not be given copies of the report of the Provost Marshal and the Inspector General because of two restraints: a) it is “a classified matter, the unauthorized disclosure of which, while not endangering national security, may cause unwarranted injury to an individual.

Under pertinent rules, this category of classified matter expressly includes investigation and document of a personal and disciplinary nature which we are bound to secure for administrative purposes and further to safeguard the identity of personnel being investigated for an anomaly prior to the filing of appropriate charges”; b) the “restraint is a necessary measure in order not to preempt the final outcome of the case being investigated through the premature disclosure of an initial investigation result which is taking its course under the military justice system.

This is with a view to further elevation of the matter to an appropriate body for proper disposition, including its possible referral with a view to trial by court martial against erring personnel involved, if circumstances warrant”.

In other words, Gen. Esperon turned down my request because he was concerned that my reading of the report of the Provost Marshal and Inspector General “may” cause some unwarranted injury to someone (whom he has not named) and because he does not want that the “initial investigation result” to preempt or be presumed to be the final outcome of the case being investigated.

Based on the evidence so far gathered: a) the testimony of the witness security guard that he saw Jonas forced into the vehicle with plate no. TAB 194; b) plate no. TAB 194 has been traced to be in the custody of the 56th IB since June 2006, I accuse the Army of having forcibly abducted my son Jonas on April 28, 2007 at the Ever Gotesco Mall in Quezon City.

I strongly suspect that either or both of its former commanding officers, Lt. Col. Clement and Lt. Col. Feliciano participated in the enforced disappearance of Jonas.

The conduct of Gen. Esperon tells me that the Army is hiding from me information of vital investigative value in the Jonas case. First, he refused to see me and my representatives despite the fact that Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita had arranged the meeting and President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo encouraged me to see him. And then he turns down my request for a copy of the report of the Provost Marshal and the Inspector General.

Gen. Esperon’s conduct or rather, misconduct, only reinforces my belief that the Army abducted Jonas and Gen. Esperon is covering up for the Army.

I am the mother of a desaparecido, the victim of enforced disappearance by unidentified persons who was taken into a vehicle with plate no. TAB 194 traced to the 56th Infantry Battalion whose 2 previous commanding officers, Lt. Col. Melquiades L. Feliciano and Lt. Col. Noel S. Clement were, among others, the subject of the investigation of the Provost Marshal and the Inspector General.

I have all the right to know what the Provost Marshal and the Inspector General have found out in the investigation of these two former commanding officers of the 56th IB.

My right to know vital information about my son, and even more important, my son’s well-being has primacy over the perceived injury that may suffer or the perceived preemption of the final outcome of the investigation, assuming that it is still on-going (according to media reports the Provost Marshal and the Inspector General has concluded their investigations and submitted them to Gen. Esperon).

Certainly, the perceived injury to certain parties by a “premature” disclosure of the report can never be as substantial as the very real risk of serious harm, or even death, that may befall my son with every delay in the efforts to find him.

The excuse of Gen. Esperon in turning down my legitimate request is unacceptable to me. I need to find Jonas and the report that Gen. Esperon is withholding from me I know will help me find him.

I repeat, I accuse the Army of the crime of kidnapping my son Jonas on April 28, 2007 at the Ever Gotesco Mall in Quezon City. I strongly suspect that either or both of the former commanding officers of the 56th IB, Lt. Col. Clement and Lt. Col. Feliciano are participants in that crime. And the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, is covering up the crime committed against Jonas.

My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses to the king;my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer. - Psalm 45:1

AFP, Bulag Pa Rin Sa 3 Heneral Na Whistle-Blower!

MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / 25 Jun) – Bulag pa rin ang liderato ng Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) sa mga sinasabing heneral na handang tumulong at magbigay ng mga ebidensya kay Senator-elect Antonio Trillanes IV upang idiin ang militar sa umano’y pagkakasangkot ng kapwa heneral sa extrajudicial killings ng mga militante at aktibista sa bansa.

Pilit naman pinalulutang ni AFP spokesman Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro ang tatlong heneral na handing lumabas at tumestigo upang mabigyan umano ng kredibilidad ang kanilang mga alegasyon.

Ngunit malaki ang hinalang oras na lumutang ang tatlong heneral ay siguradong babalikan sila ng AFP at posibleng masibak pa sa puwesto upang pagtakpan ang pagkakasanggkot ng ibang heneral sa extra-judicial killings.

Sinabi ni Bacarro na patuloy ang kanilang pagbeberipika kung sinu-sino ang mga nasabing heneral at seryosong inuungkat ang mga akusasyon bagamat pinaninindigang hindi polisiya ng AFP ang makisangkot sa political killings.

Aminado si Bacarro na nahihirapan ang AFP na paghahanap sa mga naturang heneral na posibleng pinalulutang lamang din ng nais manira sa organisasyon.

"It can be rumors that could have been manufactured by some interest groups with the intent of destroying the Armed Forces. Though, we are not ignoring it, it is also a concern of the AFP, that's why we are conducting the verification," ani Bacarro.

Hindi aniya madali ang beripikasyon dahil posibleng magkamali sa kanilang konklusyon kung kayat kailangan ring maging maingat.

Gayunman, may babala si Bacarro na mahaharap sa paglilitis ng military court ang mga naturang heneral kung hindi ito tatalima sa chain of command.

Unang kumanta sa media ang dalawang heneral na nagsabing naroon sila sa isang pulong ng pagusapan ang umano’y planong paglikida sa mga militante at aktibista. Mula ng umupo si Pangulong Gloria Arroyo nuong 2001 ay umabot na sa halos 900 ang bilang ng mga aktibistang napapatay. Marami sa kanila ay dinukot at hindi na matagpuan. (Juley Reyes at Juan Magtanggol)

NZ Ambassador Gets Assurance: Dennis Maga Will Not Be Arrested In Philippines

QUEZON CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 01 June) The Philippine government has assured New Zealand that authorities will not arrest a local political activist who led a huge protests there during a state visit of the Filipino leader.

Dennis Maga, of the militant Kilusang Mayo Uno and spokesman for the Free Ka Bel Movement in the Philippines, is facing possible arrest after staging anti-Arroyo protests this week.

“The Prime Minister is aware of Mr Maga's claims that he believes he is likely to be arrested on his return to the Philippines,” a spokesperson for New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark told Scoop on Friday.

Canberra said it has been given assurance by its Philippines counterpart that Maga will not be arrested on his return home later this week.

New Zealand's Ambassador to the Philippines sought clarification from senior Philippines' officials and was told there are no charges pending against Maga and no warrant has been issued for his arrest," the Prime Minister's spokesperson said.

Scoop understands a request was issued Friday from the Council of Trade Unions to the Prime Minister Helen Clark's office asking that diplomatic channels be used to seek assertions or clarification from its Philippines counterpart - that Maga does not face arrest.

That clarification has now been given.

However, Philippines trade unionist and human rights activist Maga has applied to remain in New Zealand for another month while he and his supporters seek assurances he will not face arrest nor death on his return home.

Maga had planned to return to the Philippines on Sunday.

For the next month, Maga will be a guest of both the National Distribution Union and Unite Union where he will continue to visit work sites, union meetings, and gatherings to educate New Zealanders about human rights abuses in the Philippines.

Maga also received expressions of solidarity from unions in Australia. He traveled to New Zealand especially to raise awareness of human rights abuses in the Philippines.

He said Arroyo ought not take part in the InterFaith Dialogue as she is partly responsible for human rights abuses.

Speaking to Scoop Media, Maga said: “I called my family because it was my sons 1st birthday. Then my father came on the line and told me that it is not safe to return.”

Maga was told by his father that a family member working for the ministry of immigration had told them that there are orders for Maga's arrest when he arrives back in the country.

His father also told Maga that their house had been under surveillance by the police.

Maga spent last week touring New Zealand, speaking on political repression in the Philippines, and then travelled to Waitangi to protest with human rights groups about the involvement of Arroyo in the dialogues.

The Interfaith dialogues are aimed at increasing understanding between different faiths in order to reduce religious “radicalization” and terrorism.

Maga said the union movement in the Philippines had tried to find out what his status is from the Philippines government and the Bureau of Immigration. But Philippines officials refuse to deny or confirm plans for his arrest.

Arroyo, while attending the InterFaith Dialogue Forum in Waitangi, was asked to explain her position on political killings. In reply, she said her government has been trying to stop the violence.

“We share the values of human rights and democracy same as New Zealand,”Arroyo said. “We are in a fight to turn around our history of political violence andretribution. We are slowly breaking down the cycle of violence.”

Recent reports by both the United Nations and Amnesty International havedocumented killings in the Philippines including the murders of political activists, journalists and politicians. Both reports attribute many of the killings to the Philippine military.

The United Nations report released earlier this year showed how people responsible for the killings acted with “virtual impunity” and many of the deaths were “convincingly attributed” to the Philippines military.

A researcher for the Amnesty International report Tim Parritt found that many of the senior military officials were openly talking about “neutralizing” left-wing groups.

"No-one deserves to die for their political affiliation,” Parritt said.

Contemplating his return home, Maga explained there are two things that could happen: one will see him arrested and charged with rebellion. Or two: he could be taken away and killed. (With reports from Selwyn Manning and Joseph Barratt, www.scoop.co.nz)

Protests, Rallies Shame Arroyo In New Zealand

(Video by gbgcommunications)

Anti-Arroyo protests in New Zealand. (KMU photos contributed to the Mindanao Examiner)

MANILA - Delegates to the interfaith dialogue hosted by Prime Minister Helen Clark at Waitangi in New Zealand, were left in no doubt about the real issues of peace, security and tolerance that should be on their agenda, the National Distribution Union said on Tuesday.

Banners reading "Stop the Killings Gloria" and "Stop the Killings in the Philippines" highlighted the appalling record of human rights violations under President Gloria Arroyo, a co-host of the forum, it said.

Dozens of white wooden crosses were planted in the ground at the entry to the treaty grounds to symbolize the 858 extra judicial killings during the Arroyo regime.

Photographs of slain protestant Bishop Alberto Ramento and other victims showed the human face of this travesty.

Renowned New Zealand law professor Jane Kelsey said that crosses planted at the entry to the Copthorne Hotel made it impossible for Arroyo to miss the protest when she arrived to address the conference.

"Our noisy reception sent President Arroyo a clear message to stop the killings, for which the UN rapporteur holds her ultimately responsible," she said. "Equally, Helen Clark was challenged for hosting someone with a proven record of gross human rights violations.

"It's no longer acceptable for our Prime Minister to claim that she has raised these issues with President Arroyo. Past assurances have been shown to be worthless. The time has come for the New Zealand Government to put its money where its mouth is. Instead of channeling 'technical assistance' funding to the Philippines government that is responsible for the violations, it should direct that money to the churches and other independent human rights advocacy organizations."

A local Maori leader, Arthur Harawira, also led a protest on his ancestral grounds.

"I challenge the hypocrisy of the New Zealand government for holding this event on the sacred grounds of Waitangi in an attempt to give legitimacy to an illegitimate occasion,” he said.

Harawira drew links between the struggles of Maori with the struggles of the indigenous peoples and workers in the Philippines.

Dennis Maga, spokesman for the "Free Ka Bel" movement, urged inter-faith participants not to sit at the table with governments, like that of President Arroyo, who are responsible for gross human rights violations in their own countries.

"Yesterday, another UCCP pastor Berlin Guerrero has been abducted and found tortured by the Philippine National Police and charged with inciting to sedition dating back to 1991 and 1992."

"This reality flies in the face of President Arroyo’s assurances repeated at the press conference yesterday that her Government was fighting to improve its record in the killings," he said.

The militant Kilusang Mayo Uno said Tuesday President Arroyo humiliated herself in New Zealand by not telling the truth about state of human rights in the Philippines.

It also said that Philippine authorities are planning to arrest Maga as soon as he returns to Manila from New Zealand for leading the protest against Arroyo’s visit.

"Reliable sources have informed us that the Philippine government is planning to arrest Dennis Maga upon his arrival from New Zealand on June 2. Obviously, Arroyo was embarrassed in New Zealand that's why Malakanyang is posing to arrest Maga and further suppress the advocates of democracy," Maria Theresa Dioquino, KMU International Affairs Secretary, said in a statement sent to the independent regional newspaper, the Mindanao Examiner.

Maga was among the protesters who rallied against President Arroyo at the Parliament during her state visit to New Zealand.

He was hosted by the National Distribution Union of New Zealand, also supporting for the release of Anakpawis solon Crispin Beltran, who has been tagged by the Philippine military as an alleged supporter of the Maoist rebel group, New People’s Army, the armed wing of the outlawed Communist Party of the Philippines.

"We are just stating facts about the Arroyo government's grave human right violations. It is Arroyo who embarrassed herself when she flagrantly lied about the state of human rights in the Philippines.

The young labor leader was 'caged' outside the New Zealand Parliament as his symbolic protest against the Philippine government's continued detention of Beltran.

The incident stirred huge media attention from New Zealand and the Philippines and the international media.

The protests countered Arroyo's boasting of her 'exemplary' human rights record in the Philippines.

Labor unions and progressive groups in New Zealand which are allied with the KMU and FKBM condemned Beltran’s continued illegal detention and the spate of political killings in the Philippines.

While activists criticized President Arroyo, Malakanyang issued a statement boasting her strong pitch for the promotion of interfaith dialogue to bring about lasting peace, political stability and economic growth in Asia.

"In Mindanao, we have taken steps to bring interfaith forces to bear upon a peace process that has resulted in a three-year ceasefire and monumental strides in economic growth," she said.

Extolling New Zealand’s role in the Mindanao Trust Fund, President Arroyo hailed the key role Prime Minister Clark plays in fostering interfaith dialogue in the resolution of conflicts, the promotion of peace and economic growth.

The Mindanao Trust Fund is intended for the development of Mindanao.

"I am here as a follower and participant to promote interfaith collaboration in education, security, social development and media," she said.

The President said that apart from its assistance to Mindanao, New Zealand plays a major role in East Asia’s "determined journey of consolidation since last year."

"As chair of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), I have witnessed the warming of ties between ASEAN, China and Japan within the context of common prosperity and collective security," she said.

She pointed out that "East Asia is coming of age in this millennium as a global leader for equitable trade with a clear social dividend and solid security with a soft touch. Our relations with New Zealand are incorporated in this paradigm."

Noted for its commitment to human rights, protection of the environment, peace and interfaith dialogue, New Zealand brings to East Asia, the "soft strategies that guarantee peace, reinforcing the hard elements such as joint military training and law enforcement operations that we share with allies like Australia and the United States," the President said. (Mindanao Examiner)

Kapabayaan, Inamin Ng Armed Forces!

QUEZON CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 22 May) – Aminado ang Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) na nagkaroon ng kapabayaan sa mga tauhan ng militar para bantayan ang mga nakukumpiskang sasakyan na nasa kanilang kustodiya.

Ito'y may kaugnayan sa nawawalang plaka ng trak na naka-impound sa kampo ng 56th Infantry Battalion ng Philippine Army ngunit natuntong idinikit sa ibang sasakyan na ginamit sa pagdukot sa anak ng dating Malaya publisher Joe Burgos na si Jonas Burgos.

Sinabi nina AFP Chief of Staff General Hermogenes Esperon Jr. at Army Chief Lieutenant General Romeo Tolentino na maituturing na administrative lapses ang pagkawala ng nasabing plaka ng sasakyan.

Ngunit hindi naman ito pinaniwalaan ng pamilyang Burgos. Militar ang itinuturong nasa likod ng pagdukot kay Burgos na isang aktibista.

Inamin rin ni Tolentino na hindi lamang sa 56th IB nangyari ang ganitong kapabayaan kundi maging sa iba pang kampo kung kayat nagkaroon na rin ng imbentaryo at naparusahan ang mga pumalpak sa seguridad.

Hindi naman aniya inaasahan ng militar na maaaring magamit sa anumang ilegal na aktibidad ng ibang tao ang mga sasakyang nasa kanilang kustodiya dahil nakakalimutan na nila ito sa paglipas ng panahon.

"Sa ibang units napabayaan, nawawala rin, napabayaan. Pero pinag-i-inventory na namin para as of this date alam na natin wala meron tayong record, kasi mas mahirap kung me ganun na situation saka sabihin na nawala eh hindi tayo paniniwalaan ng tao yan," ani Tolentino.

Bahagi aniya ng parusa sa mga ganitong kapabayaan ay ang babala sa mga kumander na lilitaw sa rekord nito at makakaapekto sa promosyon. (Juley Reyes)