Freed Filipino Pastor Fears For His Life: AHRC

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you that a pastor who was released several days after he was abducted and tortured in captivity now fears for his life. Over a month after the incident took place in May 6, there has not been an adequate investigation or any effort by the authorities to identify the perpetrators. Furthermore, no security arrangements have been afforded to him.

CASE DETAILS: (According to information received from the Alliance for the Advancement of People's Rights (Karapatan))

On 6 May 2008, Pastor Rodel Canja was to attend the annual meeting of the Northeast Southern Tagalog Conference of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) in Jala-jala town in the province of Rizal. He traveled with his companion, Maruja Satanes, acting secretary of the UCCP-JIMELY. The two arrived at the UCCP Parish in Pililia at around 9am where it was arranged that they would wait for other delegates to come before proceeding to the venue of their conference.

While they were waiting Pastor Canja went outside to look for a store so that he could add value into the credit of his prepaid mobile phone. As he was walking an unknown man, presumed to be in his forties, suddenly alighted from a closed van and put his arm around him. The pastor had asked him who he was, but instead of receiving an explanation he was told not to react and to get inside the van. When the van was opened, Pastor Canja saw another man pointing a gun at him. Frightened and shocked, he boarded the vehicle.

While inside the van Pastor Canja saw that there were two other men, including the driver. Shortly afterwards he lost consciousness when a handkerchief laced with unknown chemicals was placed over his nose.

When Pastor Canja regained consciousness he found himself in a room which he described as brightly lit. The two men from the van were present. When he asked them what they wanted from him one of his captors told him they would not harm him. However, he was told to cooperate with them and to answer their questions.

As Pastor Canja was lying on the cement floor, his captors have repeatedly asked him details about Pastor Berlin Guererro, also a UCCP pastor who was abducted in 27 May 2007 in Binan, Laguna. Pastor Guererro is currently detained in the Provincial Jail in Trece Martirez, Cavite. Both Pastor Canja and Pastor Guerrero were roommates and classmates during their time at a seminary.

The captors were raising their voices as they were questioning Pastor Canja insisting that he tell them everything he knows of Pastor Guerrero's identity and his activities, and that he should everything confess to them. Pastor Canja was kept in the same room for four days and three nights before being released.

On the first day, they deprived him of food and questioned him continuously about Pastor Guererro.

On his second day of his captivity, although they gave him food he was too frightened to eat anything as the guards watching him kept tapping his pistol and waving it in his direction while walking around the room. On the third day, they took his mobile phone and wallet, and afterwards, threatened him that something may happen to his sisters, especially now that they were already in possession of their identification cards (IDs).

Pastor Canja was given a new pair of denim shorts to replace his now dirty pants, and was told again that he should tell them everything he knows about Pastor Guererro. They also claimed that he was a member of the "P", referring to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). At that point he was told that it was his last chance to confess. Suddenly, one of the men approached him and grabbed him by the hair and forced his gun inside Pastor Canja's mouth forcing him to reply: "Oo o Hindi!?" ("Yes or No?!"). His captor fired his gun, and it was only when he recovered from his shock that he realized the weapon had been pointed outside the house.

On the fourth, May 9, he awoke to find four men inside the room. One of them ordered him to get dressed and warned him not to raise any attention to himself otherwise something bad might happen to him. They had Pastor Canja blindfolded before he was led outside towards the van which they all boarded. During the long trip, he overhead the loud conversations of his captors, some of whom wanted to kill him instead of letting him go. It was already dark when Pastor Canja was released in a place which was not familiar to him.

Not knowing where he was, Pastor Canja started walking in the direction of some houses. Afterwards, he saw an ambulant vendor (one who walks from place to place another to sell), from whom he asked directions. He was told that the road lead to the town of Cogeo, Antipolo. Unsure of the time, he inquired from a bystander what time the jeepneys (public transport), started running and was told 6 am.

Pastor Canja tried to locate someone he knew but decided to sleep, sitting down in front of a closed grocery store. When he awoke at dawn and saw a jeepney that was about to depart and although he had no money to pay for fare he was fortunate enough that he know one of the passengers. This person later accompanied him to make sure he got home safely.

Pastor Canja now fears for his life and the lives of his family members after the interrogation and mental torture he suffered.

SUGGESTED ACTION:Please write letters to the authorities below requesting for their appropriate action in providing necessary protection the victim and his family requires. They must also commence a thorough investigation into his abduction and torture while in captivity to have those responsible identified and held to account.

The AHRC has also written separate letters to the UN Special Rapporteur on Question of Torture requesting their immediate intervention into this case.