News Release
November 22, 2007

"They're not soldiers, they're demons"

Students and friends renew calls to surface and free missing UP students

STUDENTS OF THE University of the Philippines held a candlelighting today in the University of the Philippines to renew calls to surface missing students Karen Empeno and Sherlyn Cadapan.

"Karen and Sherlyn should be surfaced immediately. It is heartbreaking to know the accusations that the military are hanging them upside down, raping them and beating them black and blue. Their captors are not soldiers, they are demons," Ma. Cristina Guevarra, Student Christian Movement of the Philippines secretary general said.

The group expressed outrage and utmost concern for the two students in light of recent updates that the two UP students were beaten and even sexually abused by the military.

"The longer time that nobody takes action, the longer Karen and Sherlyn's sufferings are. They do not deserve this. They have devoted their lives being the best daughters, students, and friends that they could be," she added.

According to Linda Cadapan, Sherlyn's mother, the Manalo brothers claimed they saw and talked to Sherlyn early this year. They wrote in an affidavit submitted to the Court of Appeals (CA). Some parts of the students' ordeal, according to the affidavit, were included in a feature article in Pinoy Weekly. The same article was reprinted in the recent issue of the Philippine Collegian.

Yesterday, the CA held the second hearing for petition on the writ of amparo for Cadapan and Empeno. Cadapan's mother-in-law took the witness stand and proved that Cadapan visited her in their house which, according to the affidavit of the Manalos, was supposed to be a plan of Cadapan to let anybody know their whereabouts.

"The military should stop denying and stop making fools out of us, Karen and Sherlyn's parents, and the judiciary. We pray that the writ of amparo will shed light on the disappearance of Karen and Sherlyn, so their parents will also know the situation of their daughters immediately. We also hope that the court shall take drastic measures to help surface them at the soonest possible time.," Guevarra said.

The students committed to carry on the fight for Karen and Sherlyn as they march to Mendiola tomorrow in the Youth March for Education, Good Governance and Human Rights. ###

Student Christian Movement of the Philippines
NCCP Compound, 879 Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, Quezon City, Philippines
Mobile Number 09289526973 e-mail: scmp_national@yahoo.com

CONVENOR: TANGGULAN Youth Network for Civil Liberties and Human Rights

Reference: Ma. Cristina Guevarra, Secretary General, 09186106275
Biyaya Quizon, Chairperson, 09265185423

Download statement

PRESS RELEASE
November 8, 2007

With the first successful case of the writ of amparo compelling the
military to surface and release an abducted youth leader in Mindanao, Right  groups and victims' organizations express hope for a favorable result of the first amparo hearing in Manila

"We laud the Supreme Court for granting the hearing of the first
petition for a writ of amparo filed by parents of the two missing UP
students," said Marie Hilao-Enriquez, Secretary General of the human rights alliance KARAPATAN, on the hearing of the first petition for the writ of amparo at the Court of Appeals.

Hope for favorable results of the writ surged high among the rights
activists and relatives of the victims as news of a successful
surfacing and eventual release of a UCCP youth leader through the writ of amparo, was reported to KARAPATAN, yesterday, November 7.

UCCP youth leader, Ruel Muñasque and his companion, Roger Morales were abducted on October 24, 2007, at a checkpoint manned by elements of the 53rd IBPA in Dumalinao, Zamboanga del Sur. They were blindfolded and handcuffed and were brought to places where they were tortured. At dawn of the following day, Morales was released but Muñasque was disappeared. On October 30, the family, through Atty. Tirsendo Poloyapoy and Atty. Emiliano Deleverio, filed a petition for a writ of amparo to avail of interim reliefs of Temporary Protection Order (TPO), Inspection Order (IO), Protection Order, Witness Protection Order and other reliefs that may be allowed by the Writ. Judge Abraham Ramas of RTC Branch 18 heard the case yesterday, November 7. He compelled the military to produce Ruel Muñasque in court and
ordered him released from military custody. By 5:30pm, Ruel went home with his family, after two weeks of being disappeared.

"In this case, we rejoice that the writ of amparo worked and saved the life of Ruel Muñasque, we hope that the same results will be obtained for Sherlyn and Karen and the other missing persons," Marie Hilao-Enriquez, secretary general of KARAPATAN said.

The Muñasque case is also a very hard evidence that the military,
specifically the Philippine Army, is committing the dastardly act of
disappearance, illegal arrest and detention and divestment of property contrary to what government functionaries, including the president, has parroted that the military is not involved in any of these crimes.

"Now that the elements of the 53rd IBPA were caught in the act, we challenge the commander-in-chief and the chief of staff to prosecute and punish those responsible for the abduction of Muñasque and Morales," Hilao-Enriquez dared.

Enriquez says of the CA writ of amparo hearing,"it is inevitable for
the court to answer the prayers of the petitioners given the gravity
of evidences presented."

Victims' organizations and rights groups such as Hustisya! (Victims of Arroyo Regime United for Justice), Desaparecidos, SELDA and the Ecumenical Movement for Justice and Peace and KARAPATAN showed their support to the parents of the two UP missing students, Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeño.

They also unfurled photographs of missing individuals whom the state tagged as "enemies of the state" with the message Stop Enforced Disapperances and Surface Victims of Enforced Disappearances emblazoned on it. The Court of Appeals is being asked to grant the petitioners the inspection of military camps where Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeno were reported to have been seen.

"We hope that the court will hear us out and help serve justice," said Desaparecidos National Coordinator Mary Guy Portajada, who added that, "Mrs. Arroyo's government has been trying to impress the international community that they are doing something yet abductions and disappearances continue unabated."

KARAPATAN and its allied organizations expressed hope that the higher court can help surface victims of enforced disappearances. ###

References: Marie Hilao-Enriquez, Secretary General,

Cellphone No.: +63917-817-6274
Jigs Clamor, Deputy Secretary General, Cellphone No.: +639189790580/
+639228149751

Download statement
 

Hearing on Writ of Amparo for Karen and Sherlyn at the Court of Appeals

Nov. 21, 2007

PRESS STATEMENT November 13, 2007

A feisty woman, who in her mid-sixties, has dissected poverty and has listened to countless stories of women's oppression in all its microtones continue to seek justice.

Abducted and Illegally Arrested Senior Citizen Urban Poor Leader asks SC for protection thru the writ of Amparo

Lourdes Rubrico, 63 years old, better known to her neighbors as "Nay Ude", a resident of Dasmariñas, Cavite, was abducted by military men on April 3, 2007 as she was dozing off in one of the benches in a shelter in Megahouse where a pabasa was held. The perpetrators were three tall men in short-sleeved polo and armed with .45 caliber guns.

She was brought to a military camp where she experienced extreme psychological torture and inflicted by several military officers who did not bother to hide their identities as state authorities. It was only on April 10, 2007 that she was finally released, albeit, forewarned of the fatal consequence of going public about all those eight dark days that she was outside the protection of the law and unsettled her world and her family's.

Yet having been accustomed to the raging struggle for human rights on account of her involvement in progressive organizations such as the Cavite Ecumenical Movement for Justice and Peace (CEMJP) as member of its Board of Trustees; and Bayan Muna, as its Barangay coordinator, Nay Ude was not, for a moment fazed by state violence that she, herself, had experienced.

On November 13, 2007, with the support of KARAPATAN, Nay Ude filed a Petition for the Writ of Amparo with prayers for temporary protection order, inspection of place, and production of documents. KARAPATAN lawyer Atty. Rex Frenandez avers that "the petitioner has exhausted all efforts legally available and that there is no other plain, speedy, and adequate remedy to protect the rights of the victims except by this application for a Writ of Amparo."

"Respondents to the Petition of the Writ of Amparo are President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Gen.Esperon Brig. Gen Avelino Razon, Major Darwin Sy a.k.a Darwin Reyes, Jimmy Santana, Ruben Alfaro, Captain Angelo P. Cuaresma Police Supt. Edgar Robquero, Police Senior Inspector Arsenio Gomez and the Office of the Ombudsman," Atty. Fernandez said.

KARAPATAN Secretary-General Marie Hilao-Enriquez's hopefully declares that "with the first successful case of the writ of amparo that compelled the military to surface and release Ruel Muñasque, a youth leader in Mindanao, we expect that Lourdes Rubrico's case would prove the writ of amparo to be true to its objectives, especially now that it is being challenged to protect Lourdes Rubrico, an urban poor woman leader and a senior citizen who lived through abduction, illegal arrest and being held incommunicado. Clearly, Nay Ude's perpetrators took advantage of her vulnerabilities, and by no means should the Supreme Court tolerate this reprehensible act." ###
 

Reference: Jigs Clamor,
Deputy Secretary General, Karapatan
Mobile No.: 0922-8149751

Mary Ghay Portajada,
Spokesperson, Desaparecidos
Mobile No.: 0905-8234907                             Download statement
 

L-R: Mrs. Concepcion Empeño, Mrs. Linda Cadapan and Sherlyn's mother-in-law at the Court of Appeals

Dialogue with the United Nations Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearance (WGEID)

Geneva, Switzerland

Nov. 22, 2007

Karapatan Sec-General Marie Enriquez, left, and Merdeka Limjoco, daughter of Philip Limjoco who was abducted by military agents last February 2006.

Karapatan, Migrante and KMP in a dialogue with UNWGEIGD members

News Release
November 22, 2007
References: Danilo “Ka Daning” Ramos, secretary general, KMP
Marie Hilao-Enriquez, secretary general, KARAPATAN

Filipino activists urge UN body to send delegation and

 launch an inquiry on the enforced disappearances in RP

Geneva, Switzerland- Leaders of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) and Karapatan together with relatives of victims of enforced disappearances held a dialogue with the United Nations Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearance (WGEID) here to urge them to come to the Philippines and investigate the increased incidence of the enforced disappearances under the Macapagal-Arroyo regime.
The delegation of activists were welcomed and heard by the whole committee chaired by eminent Mexican human rights lawyer Santiago Corcuera.

Marie Hilao-Enriquez, secretary general of Karapatan tackled the current human rights situation in the Philippines and explained that aside from extra-judicial killings, enforced disappearances are now also prevalent in the country.

“The cases of enforced disappearances are escalating and if this continues then it will not take long that today’s cases of desaparacidos will equal or even surpass those during Marcos’ time. The Macapagal-Arroyo regime is really a monstrous human

rights violator, that aside from abducting activists it has now even resorted to abducting whole families and using the scheme of abducting a family member to blackmail or get an activist relative, as what happened with the case of Leni Robinos,”

As for her part Merdeka Limjoco, daughter of Philip Limjoco who was abducted by military agents last February 2006, narrated the anguish of their family in looking for their father. They are hoping that the WGEID can help in finding him.

Afterwards Danilo “Ka Daning” Ramos, secretary general of KMP, showed that more than half of the victims of enforced disappearances are rural people, the most known of which are Ka Nilo Arado, national council member of KMP who was abducted last April and Jonas Burgos who was abducted on the same month.

“Peasants are being abducted because we continuously assert our right to land and genuine agrarian reform. We are asking the WGEID to come to the Philippines to see the real situation and help us in finding our friends and comrades,” said Ramos.

The WGEID responded by saying that they have already written to the Macapagal-Arroyo government since March 2006 for them to be invited to the Philippines but the regime has not answered up to now. They said that they will try to follow up their request, so that they can come at the earliest time possible. # # #

Download statement

■   GABRIELA TO GMA: Free Angie Ipong

■   GMA dared to impugn soldiers behind abductions

■   KARAPATAN eye result of hearing of Writ of Amparo on Robiños case

■   Gabriela: Surface Edwinalyn and her 2 month-old baby boy now

■   Fact sheet: UCCP youth leader tortured and disappeared; his companion abducted and tortured in Zamboanga del Sur

Dear Friends,

Attached is a copy of the of the press release of Karapatan-Surigao del Sur regarding the evacuation of lumad families due to militarization in their community. They are also appealing support for food and medicine to sustain the families who are staying in the evacuation center.

Any assistance which you may be able to donate is most appreciated.

Press Release

November 22, 2007

20 Kilometers Walk Towards Safety?

Residents of lumad communities used as Human Shields

Yesterday, November 21, 2007, at around 9 o’clock in the morning, more than a thousand lumads and settlers, both young and old from nine lumad communities braved the rains and walked for more than 15 kilometers with whatever belonging they can carry.  They arrived at the barangay center of  Diatagon, Lianga, Surigao del Sur at around 5 o’clock in the afternoon. They add to the 48 families that evacuated from the hinterland communities of San Agustin last November 17. They leave behind homes, precious belongings, animals and farmlands.

It took more than an hour of dialogue with the military elements before the community members were allowed to leave the community. 

There are however, at least 23 families along with 2 literacy teachers from the lumad community of Manluy-a, Diatagon, Lianga, Surigao del Sur prevented by the military from going with the neighboring communities to evacuate to safer grounds. 

Around 500 military elements from the 58^th IB PA have been living in, under and around the houses of residents, lumad literacy schools and teachers’ cottages since November 4, 2007 up to the present.  Military tents have been set-up in the middle of the

 community. Community members have become the military’s human shields in their military operations prompting the people to evacuate for fear of possibly being caught in crossfire. Classes of the seven Lumad Literacy Schools and Lumad High School have been suspended.

Children have not been spared from being questioned by the military on the presence of NPAs in the area.  Restrictions and checkpoints have been established.  Names, cell phone numbers, engine numbers of single motors that pass by and licenses are listed.  They were not allowed to go to their farmlands.

Community members lived in fear for more than two weeks, reliving the massive human rights violations that happened in the April to May 2005 military operations that resulted in scores of human rights violations. 

They are now staying at the same cramped, cold evacuation centers that had been their homes in the 2005 evacuations in San Agustin and Lianga in Surigao del Sur.

The evacuees are demanding for the stop of military operations.

For Reference, contact: Rev. Modesto Villasanta, UCCP, CP. No.: 09192584146

Or Atty. Antonio Azarcon Tel. No.: (086) 211-3492

Download statement

Home