NEWS RELEASE
09 November 2007

SURFACE EDWINALYN AND HER 2 MONTH-OLD BABY BOY NOW

Gabriela Southern Tagalog condemns in the strongest possible terms the
abduction and continued illegal detention of Edwinalyn Malapote Arpia
and her two-month old baby as well as that of her father, Edwin
Malapote and her husband.

Edwinalyn, her baby and her family were abducted last October 28, 2007
in Sitio Slow, Agdangan Quezon by armed military men belonging to the
1st Special Forces, 76th IBPA based in Brgy. Marao, Padre Burgos,
Quezon led by Lt. Col. Ramon Tello during a military operation in the
area.

Edwinalyn, her baby, husband and her father, Edwin were tied up along
with four other residents of the said barangay and brought to the 74th
IBPA headquarters located in Brgy. Marao, Padre, Burgos, Quezon. Her
companions, Rosalia and Nestor Sanez and Luil and Marivic Robles were
interrogated by the military but were eventually released at around
2:30 am and 9:00 am the following day respectively.

To date there has been no definite news of the exact whereabouts of
Edwinalyn, her baby and her husband and her father, Edwin.

Clearly, despite pronouncements to the international community that
the Arroyo regime shall take action to rectify the growing
international concern on the human rights situation in the country,
its minions in the military continue to resort to such terrorism in
their operations against the New People's Army. They continue to pay
no heed to due process, violating outright the rights of civilians
against illegal arrest and detention, including that of a nursing
mother and her two month old baby.

"Walang puso at nalalamang pagkilala sa karapatang pantao ni
pagbibigay halaga o konsiderasyon sa kalagayan ng mag-inang Edwinalyn
at ng sanggol nito ang ginawang pagdukot, interogasyon, pananakot at
pagtortyur ng mga militar. Gayundin, patunay itong walang katotohanan
ang mga pahayag ng rehimeng Arroyo na pagtutuunan nito ng pansin ang
lumalalang kalagayan ng karapatang pantao sa bansa."

Indeed, it is the height of inhumanity and callous disregard for the
predicament of women and children to have Edwinalyn and her child
subjected to such violence state terrorism.

We join all human rights advocates and civil libertarians in the call
for justice. We demand that the 76th IBPA surface Edwinalyn, her baby
and husband and her father immediately. #

For Reference: Janet Barrientos (GABRIELA-ST Coordinator for Services)
0928-6534275