“Hasten court proceedings; Arrest Butcher Palparan NOW”

News Release

6 August 2012

Mother of UP students’ abduction face court

“Butcher Palparan should be arrested NOW. We have risked our lives for justice, the government should do their responsibility.”Thus said Concepcion Empeno and Erlinda Cadapan, the mothers of the abducted UP students Karen Empeño and Sherlyn Cadapan.

Connie Empeno is set to take the witness stand at the resumption of the court hearings on the kidnapping case against retired Gen. Jovito Palparan and three other military officials.

“Gusto namin ng hustisya dahil hindi lang si Karen at Sherlyn ang pinahirapan nila pati rin and mga pamilya namin, (We want justice because it was not only Karen and Sherlyn who suffered, but also our families),” she said, explaining that their lives have not been normal since the incident six years ago.

The mothers of Sherlyn and Karen were joined by Mrs. Edith Burgos, mother of another enforced disappearance victim, Jonas Burgos. Other human rights advocates and relatives of victims also held a picket during the hearing. The mothers call on the public to never tire and continue the people’s manhunt to catch ‘The Butcher’, saying that the police and the military have been very useless in arresting Palparan.

“Hindi talaga mahahanap si Palparan kung hindi naman siya hinahanap. Ni isang salita, wala kaming narinig sa SONA ni Noynoy tungkol sa karapatang pantao. Ngayon, nakalaya pa ang boss ni Palparan na si Gloria Arroyo. May maaasahan pa ba kami sa gobyernong Aquino? (Palparan can never be caught, if they are not really looking for him. We did not hear a word about human rights from Noynoy’s SONA. Now, Palparan’s master, Gloria Arroyo is free. We cannot expect anything from the Aquino government.),” Erlinda Cadapan, mother of Sherlyn, said.

Concepcion Empeño, mother of Karen, said, “Nananawagan kami sa mamamayan na kahit saan ninyo makita si Palparan, arestuhin nyo na. Citizens’ arrest na ang kailangan natin, dahil napakainutil ng gobyerno sa paghuli sa kanya (We are appealing to the public to arrest Palparan right away if they see him. We can only rely on citizen’s arrest to get Palparan because the government is simply inutile in finding and arresting him.”

Palparan remains at large with Master Sgt. Rizal Hilario, almost eight months after a warrant of arrest was issued against him by the Malolos Regional Trial Court. ###

Reference:
Mary Guy Portajada,
Secretary General, Desaparecidos
09175415133/ 434 2837

Human rights violators GMA and Palparan are free, our loved ones remain missing. Is this what you call justice? – families of Desaparecidos

“Nasaan ang hustisyang ipinagmamalaki mo noong SONA, President Noynoy?” (What justice were you bragging about in your SONA?” Mary Guy Portajada, secretary general of Families of Desaparecidos for Justice dared President Noynoy Aquino. “Hustisya ba itong malaya si Gloria Arroyo, siyang may sala sa pagkawala ng mahigit 200 na desaparecido noong rehimen niya?” (Where is justice when Gloria Arroyo is free when she should be held accountable for the more than 200 disappearances during her regime), Portajada said.

Meanwhile, Linda Cadapan, mother of missing activist Sherlyn Cadapan said, “Naniniwala na ako na nagkasundo na talaga si GMA at Noynoy. Kasi kung seryoso ang ating Pangulo, matagal na niyang kinasuhan si Gloria sa kaniyang human rights violations at titiyaking hindi makalaya si Gloria. ” (I am truly convinced that Noynoy and GMA have already come to a compromise because if the President is serious, he could have already charged Arroyo on her human rights violation and would ensure that GMA is jailed.)

According to KARAPATAN, Gloria Arroyo left her presidency with a record of 1,206 cases of extra-judicial killings and 206 victims of enforced disappearances. Through her Oplan Bantay Laya, Arroyo, together with high ranking military officials such as Ret. Maj. Jovito S. Palparan Jr. is responsible to the deaths and disappearances of unarmed civilians and activists who were targeted for “neutralization.”

“Let us not forget those victims of Arroyo, especially those who disappeared. It is clear that Aquino’s speech remains just a speech, ” Cadapan said.

“Hindi talaga pantay ang batas natin – para sa mga may pera at may kapangyarihan lang,” (Our law isn’t equal . It is only for the rich and powerful,” Concepcion Empeño, mother of missing Karen Empeno blurted out.  “Our case has been pending for many years now, yet GMA is freed with just one a snap.” Mrs. Empeño added.

Linda Cadapan and Concepcion Empeño are the mothers of the two University of the Philippines students who were abducted on June 26, 2006 while conducting their research in Hagonoy, Bulacan. Raymond Manalo, another victim of abduction testified in court to have seen the two students at the custody of the military under the command of now Retired Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan. According to Manalo, the two were raped and tortured.

“Malacañang can point all their fingers elsewhere but GMA’s freedom is Noynoy’s accountability.” Portajada said. “Noynoy can put the blame on GMA for the disappearance of the victims but it is already Noynoy’s inaction that the victims remain missing up to the present and justice is still elusive, ” Portajada concluded.###

Reference:
Mary Guy Portajada, Secretary General
Contact Number: 09175230396

On Pres. Noynoy’s 1st SONA: PNoy’s ACTION must speak louder than his WORDS

PRESS STATEMENT

26 July, 2010

Reference :

Lorena ‘Aya’ Santos, Dep. Secretary General, Desaparecidos (Mobile no. 0929.4414270)

Evangeline Hernandez, Convener, Victims of the Arroyo Regime for Justice (Mobile no. 09158562151)

Telefax 4342837

On Pres. Noynoy’s 1^st SONA

PNoy’s ACTION must speak louder than his WORDS

Families of victims of human rights violations hopes to not only hear from today’s State of the Nation Address of President Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III that he will prosecute and punish perpetrators of human rights violations led by Gloria Arroyo, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police, but for him to actually DO it.

The bloodshed caused by their anti-insurgency policy Oplan Bantay Laya should not be set aside it must be seriously dealt with.

For more than nine years of non-stop and systematic repression, the Filipino people suffered more than pain. Parents lost their children to violent deaths like that of Cris Hugo, 20, a student activist who was shot dead in Albay on March 2006, Rei Mon “Ambo” Guran another student activist, 21, who was also shot this time in Sorsogon four months after the death of Cris; Beng Hernandez, human rights defender and student journalist, massacred together with three other human rights workers in Arakan Valley, North Cotabato on April 2002 and Grace Buya, a mere 12 year old elementary student who was just going to take a bath by a river but was killed by soldiers on March 2007; and to cover up for their crime took a picture of her beside a M16 rifle and thereafter declared her a child soldier.

Moreover, children were orphaned because their parents were considered enemies of the state by virtue of the pro-people causes they upheld.  Eden Marcellana left behind, husband Orly a peasant leader and her two daughters after she was murdered together with Eddie Gumanoy by elements of the 204^th IBde in Gloria, Mindoro Oriental in April 21, 2003 while the year before that saw the killing of husband and wife Expedito and Manuelita Albarillo also in Mindoro Oriental, both Bayan Muna and Gabriela coordinators of their town in San Teodoro. They left behind several children and grandchildren.

Families of victims of human rights violations join PNoy's first State of the Nation Address

Many parents are still not without hope and are continuously searching for their children – Edith Burgos, Oscar and Connie Empeño, Asher and Linda Cadapan have brought their cases before courts after failing to have military camps fully accessible to them; hoping that they would find Jonas, Karen and Sherlyn. Children too are longing to see their missing mothers and fathers – Aya Santos, Ipe Soco, Nuki Calubid, Sugar and Lisa Calubad; where could have elements of the AFP and the PNP brought Leo Velasco, Gloria Soco, Celina Palma, Prudencio Calubid, Gabriel and Rogelio Calubad?  They are only a few of the thousands of families still yearning for justice.

It is unfortunate that a few days into PNoy’s presidency Fernando Baldomero of Bayan Muna and Makabayan from Panay and Pascual Guevara, a peasant leader from Nueva Ecija would be killed by state-agents. President Noynoy has shown that his inauguration statement about prohibiting the Wang Wang can put the necessary sectors into action, why can’t he order a stop to the killings and enforced disappearances?

If after this, the President will remain indifferent to the suffering of families of human rights violations; should his words today be mere lipservice, then he has carved out his own figure before us, a mere illusion maker; someone who will be no different from his predecessor.

Now that PNoy is president his actions must speak louder than his words. The people hungry for justice want nothing less from him.

Justice for all human rights violations victims now! ###