December 10, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

Eleanor de Guzman
Chairperson, 09282555423

Youth group renews calls to free two UP students on Human Rights Day

Youth group Anakbayan today renewed calls for the surfacing and immediate release of University of the Philippines students Karen Empeno and Sherlyn Cadapan.

Empeno and Cadapan were forcibly abducted in Hagonoy, Bulacan and have been victims of enforced disappearance since July 26 of last year. The military have continuously denied custody of the two.

Cadapan was a former member of Anakbayan in UP Diliman, while Empeno was from the League of Filipino Students.

Anakbayan chairperson Eleanor de Guzman said that numerous witnesses swearing that they saw the two students in army camps around Central Luzon have debunked the military's denials.

The latest and most telling were sworn statements from brothers Raymond and Reynaldo Manalo, used as basis for the two's mothers to file a Writ of Amparo on their cases.
 
De Guzman, however, expressed deep concern over the Manalos' claims that they witnessed firsthand how the two UP students were subjected to grave torture in the hands of their captors.

"We welcome this development, but we are also at once appalled by it. This is another infallible proof that Karen and Sherlyn are alive, under heavy torture and grave threat from their captors," said de Guzman.

"We condemn the military for shunning the writ of amparo and refusing to allow inspection of camps mentioned in the Manalo brothers' testimonies. They are clearly hiding something."

"We also demand that no less than the AFP's Commander-in-Chief Gloria Arroyo order their release. For as long as no high-ranking military official is held liable for all the disappearances and extra-judicial killings, judiciary measures such as the writ of amparo will be useless," said de Guzman.

Anakbayan marched with other civil libertarians and people's organizations in today's Human Rights commemoration rally. ###