June 26, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Reference:
Sarah Katrina Maramag
Vice-Chairperson/Media Officer, 09193486790

Eleanor de Guzman
Chairperson, 09282555423

On 1st anniversary of abduction of UP students
Youth groups link up with int'l students in protest march to Mendiola

Exactly one year after the forced disappearance of two University of the Philippines students, militant youth and students were joined by foreign student delegates from the International Youth Solidarity Mission in a protest march to Mendiola today.

The IYSM delegates participated in the rally fresh from a fact-finding mission in Central Luzon where they investigated the circumstances of the forced disappearance of UP students Karen Empeno and Sherlyn Cadapan.

Empeno and Cadapan were abducted on July 26, 2006 in Hagonoy, Bulacan by military men. Both were in Central Luzon doing volunteer research work on farmers in the region. They are members of militant youth groups League of Filipino Students and Anakbayan, respectively.

The other half of the IYSM delegation is still in Bicol conducting a similar mission to investigate the brutal murders of Cris Hugo, Rie Mon Guran and Farly Alcantara, leaders of LFS; and Jun Bagasbas and Ronilo Vallevare, poll watchers of Kabataan Party-list.

The IYSM delegates are composed of Christian students from Sri Lanka, India, Hongkong, Burma, Australia, Malaysia, China, Korea and Thailand.

Anakbayan chairperson Eleanor de Guzman said, "We welcome the help and support of our international youth counterparts in their efforts to shed light on the issue of political killings and forced disappearances victimizing youth and students in the country."

"We appreciate their concern for and solidarity with the Filipino youth. Their presence here and now proves the growing pressure from the international youth community on the Philippine government to resolutely put a stop to the continuous spate of killings and forced disappearances."

De Guzman said that the foreign delegates could not have come at a more opportune time. "They are now witnessing the confessions of three valiant generals and the call of no less than the Supreme Court Chief Justice for a summit on slays. They are more than alarmed with the human rights situation in the country."

Anakbayan said that the IYSM delegates are set to conduct dialogues with the CBCP, CHR and Supreme Court on June 27. They will announce their initial observations, which they will submit to the United Nations Human Rights Council, in a press conference on June 28. ###