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August 30, 2011
Reference:
Mary Guy Portajada,
Secretary General, Desaparecidos
09175415133/ 434 2837
On the International Day of the Disappeared
Families of Desaparecidos Slam continued inaction of
PNoy Government on cases of disappearances
"What have you done for our missing
loved ones?” Mary Guy Portajada, Secretary General of the Families of the
Disappeared for Justice (Desaparecidos) asked President Benigno Simeon
“Nonoy” C. Aquino, III during the human rights group’s commemoration of
the International Day of the Disappeared in front of Ever Gotesco Mall
along Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City.
“Enforced disappearances continue to this day, even after 206 victims of
enforced disappearances have been documented during Gloria Arroyo’s term,”
Portajada said, “There are now eight victims of enforced disappearance
under PNoy. Where is justice?”
Families of Desaparecidos together with friends and supporters held a
protest action in front of Ever Gotesco, where the abduction of missing
activist Jonas Burgos took place. The group mounted a sign that says, "Mag-ingat
sa Mandurukot: Dito dinukot ng mga militar si Jonas Burgos." (Beware of
abductors: Jonas Burgos was abducted here by the military.)
Jonas was abducted four years ago, April 28, 2007 inside the said mall
while having his lunch. Jonas is an activist teaching organic farming
among peasants in Bulacan. He was never found. A Major Harry Baliaga of
the Armed Forces of the Philippines is currently implicated in Jonas’ the
abduction.
"This sign is a reminder to the public, that disappearances continue to
happen, and that one can never be to sure of their own safety even under
the PNoy administration,” warned Portajada. “And if President Noynoy
remains inactive in pursuing justice for the missing, we have no choice
but to rely on each other’s support.” She continued.
The human rights group expressed their alarm over the continuing incidence
of enforced disappearances over the past year. “The persistence of this
practice and the continuing reports of disappearances under the present
regime, have diminished our faith of achieving justice for our loved ones
under PNoy’s leadership.” Portajada said.
She further explains that the occurrence of abductions and enforced
disappearances is only a result of the government’s anti-insurgency
program Oplan Bayanihan. “No amount of repackaging can change the fact
that anti-insurgency programs such as Oplan Bayanihan are designed to
pacify and neutralize those who pose a threat to so-called government
development programs. The state through its Armed Forces of the
Philippines will continue to use whatever means it can to silence its
critics.” Portajada said.
Desaparecidos vowed to continue its lobby work in Congress for the
enactment into law of the bill criminalizing enforced disappearances as
well as for Philippine government to ratify the UN Convention for the
Protection of Persons against Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances.
“Many among us have been searching for our loved ones for more than two
decades now and we will not wait for a President who has only empty words
to offer us. We, the families of the disappeared will not stop looking for
and in achieving justice for them.” Portajada concluded ###
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PRESS STATEMENT
August 30, 2011
Reference: Cristina Palabay, Convenor, End Impunity Alliance
(0917-5003879)
Angge Santos, Media Liaison, End Impunity Alliance (0915-2117610)
STATEMENT ON THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE
DISAPPEARED
Midnight, our sons and daughters
Were cut down and taken from us
Hear their heartbeat
We hear their heartbeat…
-U2, Mothers of the Disappeared
In the Philippines, as we commemorate the International Day of the
Disappeared today, August 30, we remember the sons, daughters, mothers,
and fathers who were forcibly taken away from their loved ones and their
communities by state security forces. We remember them – their lives,
their aspirations for social justice and freedoms, their pains, their
triumphs.
We remember the 206 individuals who were victims of enforced
disappearances under the Gloria Macapagal Arroyo government. They were
farmers, workers, indigenous peoples, youth and students, women, church
workers, human rights defenders, freedom fighters. They were among those
who dare led and were part of legitimate voices of opposition to the
anti-people, corrupt, and repressive policies of the previous government.
For this reason, they were vilified and maligned as enemies of the state,
and then abducted by elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and
the Philippine National Police, never to be seen again up to this day.
They are Jonas Burgos, Sherlyn Cadapan, Karen Empeńo, Leo Velasco, Gloria
Soco, Prudencio Calubid, and many others who have devoted their lives to
just causes. It is in their memory and in remembrance of the hundreds who
were disappeared in the Philippines and around that world that we started
the Facebook campaign for users to take down their profile pictures on
this day, to symbolize their solidarity with the victims and their
families.
Next to the Marcos dictatorship, the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
administration is notorious not only for corruption and abuse of power but
also for the gross, systematic and brazen violation of human rights. No
one has been put behind bars for these numerous cases of enforced
disappearances, extrajudicial killings, torture, illegal arrests and
detention, among others. Such brazenness of state forces in committing
these crimes emanate from the glaring fact that no one has been made
accountable for these acts.
Such climate of impunity exists to this day, as there are already eight
cases of enforced disappearances under the term of Pres. Noynoy Aquino.
They are, among others, Agustito Ladero and Renato Deliguer, farmers in
Surigao del Sur; Alfredo Bucal, a tricycle driver, and his passenger Tomas
Sayto, in Batangas; Michael Celeste, Gerald Abale, and Jully Devero who
are members of a peasant organization in EB Magalona, Negros Occidental.
We call on the Aquino government to immediately pass the Anti-Enforced
Disappearance Bill that will criminalize such brutal acts. We also call on
the current administration to immediately ratify the UN International
Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance,
which outlines the responsibilities of state parties in protecting its
citizens from such crime. We express our support for the efforts of Editha
Burgos, Connie Empeńo, and Linda Cadapan -- mothers of the disappeared –
in the charges that they have filed in court against the perpetrators of
such crimes against their children. We are one with the families and
friends of the disappeared in calling on the president to put a stop to
enforced disappearances and all human rights violations and pursue justice
for the victims and their families. As we remember them, we hear their
heartbeat for justice and for the end of impunity in our land.
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PUBLIC INFORMATION DESK
publicinfo@karapatan.org
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Alliance for the Advancement of People's Rights
2nd Flr. Erythrina Bldg., #1 Maaralin corner Matatag Sts., Central
District
Diliman, Quezon City, PHILIPPINES 1101
Telefax: (+63 2) 4354146
Web: http://www.karapatan.org
KARAPATAN is an alliance of human rights organizations and programs, human
rights desks and committees of people’s organizations, and individual
advocates committed to the defense and promotion of people’s rights and
civil liberties. It monitors and documents cases of human rights
violations, assists and defends victims and conducts education, training
and campaign.
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May Nawawala, May Nawalan, May
Kawalan
by Aris Remollino
"It has been more than four years since my
son Jonas has been missing. While the Supreme Court resolved that the
military produce my [son] based on the investigation of the Commission on
Human Rights which identified one of the abductors, until now we have no
clue of his whereabouts or his condition along with the other victims of
enforced disappearance." --Edita T. Burgos
http://freejonasburgosmovement.blogspot.com/
*Para kay Edith Burgos
Biglang nawala ang kanyang anak
sa isang hindi inaasahang paraan.
Nag-alala ang ina, nagtaka.
Hinanap, hinagilap,
nagtanong, at nagmakaawa.
Ngunit tila may nawawalan ng sagot,
at tila may nawawalan ng pandinig.
Tila nawawalan na rin sila ng pakirandam
kasabay ng kawalan ng kanilang katuwiran.
Tila nasa kawalan ang katarungang inaasam.
Mahirap ang mawalan ng isang anak.
Parang may gustong magwala sa kanilang sarili,
parang may nawawala sa kanilang pagkasarili,
at parang may nawawalang bahagi ng sarili.
Naghihintay pa rin ang ina. Naghihintay.
Naghihintay sa inaasam na pagbabalik--
Ang pagbabalik ng kanyang minamahal na anak...
...At pagbabalik ng katuwiran at katarungan.
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Kung Wala Na Ako
by Mark Joseph Rafal
sa anumang paraan,
halimbawa,
kumakain sa isang karinderya
at dalawang lalaki ang sa akin
ay gumapos at pilit
akong ipinasok sa van
halimbawa,
naghahanap ako ng libro
sa booksale
at umakbay ang isang matangkad,
matipunong lalaking
may banta ng deliryo
kung ako'y maghuhulagpos
halimbawa,
nasa kampo ako ng dilim
tinatanggal ang aking mga kuko
pinaiinom ng di maubos-ubos na tubig
kahit punung-puno na ang aking
sikmura
kinukuryente ang aking ari
o kaya'y kinakalkal ang aking sarili
halimbawa,
isinilid ako sa dram
isinemento, itinapon sa ilog
o basura akong iniwan
sa malayong lugar
inilibing nang walang pangalan
walang pagkakakilanlan
halimbawa,
baliw na akong rumuronda
sa banyagang lungsod
na di ko kilala
halimbawa
kung wala na ako
huwag ka nang maghihintay:
babalik ako
may mga taong masigasig
na maghahanap sa akin
libong taon man ang bilangin
nasa alaala mo ako
at nasa ngiti
ng matandang pulubi
sa gilid ng bangketa
magpatuloy ka,magpatuloy
kasama ang aking
alaala at adhika.
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"Desaparecido"
by Jonna Baldres
Naisulat na yata ang
lahat ng mga dapat isulat tungkol kila Karen* at sa lahat ng mga nawawala.
Pero nangako ako, na hangga't hindi nahahanap si Karen, patuloy rin ang
paghahanap ng hustisya. Kaya naman patuloy rin ang pagsusulat. Paulit-ulit
man ang punto.
Limang taon, dalawang buwan at apat na araw. Pandaigdigang Araw na naman
ng mga Nawawala. Kahit sulat-kamay at ti-nayp sa Facebook na ang gamit ay
cellphone lang dahil sira ang kompyuter, minarapat kong magsulat ng
tungkol sa isang kaibigan at kasamang "desaparecido".
"Desaparecido". Mahirap bigkasin sa umpisa. Mabubulol ka pa nga kung hindi
ka sanay sabihin ang salita. Pero marahil para sa mga nawalan, nakatatak
na sa utak at nakakabit na ang salitang ito sa mga dila nila sa tuwing
magsasalita sila sa harap ng madla para ipaalam na nawalan sila ng kapatid,
ama, ina o anak.
Ang saklap lang 'di ba? Na nawala ang mga "desaparecido" hindi dahil sa
marami silang pera para kidnapin na lang basta-basta. Hindi lamang ito
kaso ng 'kidnap for ransom'. Nawala sila nang dahil sa mga paninindigan
nila. Nang dahil sa prinsipyo at pulitikang tinatanganan nila.
Mabuti pa nga yata ang namatayan. At least, alam na namatay ang kaanak
nila. Naiburol, napaglamayan, naiyakan lulan ng kabaong at nailibing sa
kahit kakapiranggot na butas o espasyo sa sementeryo. Pero ang mawalan ng
mahal sa buhay at hindi malaman kung saan napunta o kung saan hahanapin at
ni wala man lang "closure" ay napakabigat yatang isipin, lalu't maramdaman
at maranasan sa aktwal.
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Hindi ako nagsusulat
ngayon para magmayabang na may kaibigan at kasama akong "desaparecido".
Hindi ito bagay na marapat na ipagyabang. Dahil ang ibig sabihin lamang
nito, para magkaroon ng "desaparecido", may isang gobyernong manhid at
hindi tunay na naglilingkod sa bayan at nananatiling bingi sa mga
panawagang protektahan ang karapatang pantao ng sambayanang kanyang dapat
na pinagsisilbihan. Isang gobyerno na dahas ang ipinantatapat sa
mamamayang nagsisiwalat at nagsasabi ng katotohanan. Isang gobyerno na
imbis na paganahin at paunlarin ang tunay na diwa ng tinatawag nating "demokrasya"
ay pinatatahimik at dinadakip na lamang ang sinumang sumalungat sa kanya.
Hindi yata iyon ang gobyernong dapat na ipinagmamalaki at kinikilalang
taga-pamuno ng isang bansa. Kailanman ay hindi iyon ang pinangarap kong
gobyerno na susundin.
Naisulat ko na ang "Ismayl"** at "Pulang Rosas"*** para kay Karen. Pero
hindi pa ang "Desaparecido". Marahil dahil 'in denial' pa siguro ako noon
at ayokong ituring si Karen na nawawala. Pero iyon ang totoo. Iyon ang
kongkreto. Na kahit nagpalit na ng pangulo ay hindi pa rin nahahanap si
Karen. "Desaparecido" na nga siguro ang pinaka-akmang pamagat dahil sa
totoo ay isa s'ya sa libo-libong "desaparecidos", "disappeared", o "nawawala"
nang dahil lamang sa simpleng rason na mas pinili n'yang pagsilbihan ang
mga magsasakang nananawagan ng tunay na reporma sa lupa imbis na pumanig
sa gobyernong ganid at dahas ang nagsisilbing panindak.
Desaparecido. Desaparecido. Desaparecido. Parang tongue twister lang. Pero
tunay silang nawawala. At dahil may "desaparecido" at HANGGA'T may "desaparecido",
tuloy ang pagbigkas sa nakabubulol na salita. Hangga't maging matatas ang
pagbigkas dito. Hangga't lubusang maunawaan kung ano ito at sino sila at
kung bakit sila nawawala.
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* Si Karen Empeńo ay kapwa estudyante sa Unibersidad ng
Pilipinas na dinakip ng mga pinaghihinalaang militar sa Hagonoy, Bulacan
noong 26 June 2006 kasama ang isa pang estudyanteng si Sherlyn Cadapan at
magsasakang si G. Manuel Merino. Hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa rin sila
nakikita.
** "Ismayl"
https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=97955067866
*** "Pulang
Rosas"
https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=97987752866
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