This story
was taken from Bulatlat, the Philippines's alternative weekly
newsmagazine (www.bulatlat.com).
Vol. VI, No. 20, June 28, 2006
Four Peasant Activists
Missing in Central
Luzon BY BULATLAT Three peasant activists in Bulacan and
another in Nueva Ecija are missing since June 26, Karapatan-Central Luzon (Alliance
for the Advancement of Peoples' Rights-CL) said. Sherlyn Calapan, 25, Karen Impenio, 23 and
Manuel Merina, 56 were abducted allegedly by soldiers belonging to the 71st
Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army (IB PA) June 26 at about 2 a.m. in
Barangay San Miguel, Hagonoy, Bulacan, Fr. Rollie de Leon, spokesperson of
Alyansa ng Mamamayan para sa Pantaong Karapatan (ALMMA or People’s Alliance for
Human Rights) said. All victims are members of the Alyansa ng mga
Magbubukid sa Bulakan (AMB or Bulacan Peasant Alliance), a provincial chapter of
the Alyansa ng Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luzon (AMGL or Central Luzon Peasant
Alliance). In another incident, Christian Ereño, 22, was
abducted in Barangay Plapla, San Isidro, Nueva Ecija (100 km. north of Manila)
on June 27. Ereño is a member of AMGL-Nueva Ecija. The human rights group claimed that two
fact-finding teams investigating the disappearances were being harassed by
military men in Nueva Ecija and Bulacan. Sr. Cecile Ruiz, Karapatan-Central Luzon
secretary general, said that their 15-person fact-finding team in San Isidro
town, Nueva Ecija was harassed by some 50 soldiers. The soldiers, who followed
the team while on board three armored personnel carriers, took the names and ID
of the human rights workers. In Bulacan, De Leon said that members of the
fact-finding mission complained that armed men on board a green Delica van with
plate number RMB 981 and a motorcycle tailed team in Hagonoy. Yesterday June 27, De Leon said soldiers
stationed at the army detachment in Barangay Hangga, Hagonoy had denied taking
the three in their custody when a fact finding mission went to the detachment in
search of the victims. The abductions came in the wake of the June
16 declaration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo that she will end the
insurgency in "critical areas" in two years, and the deployment of troops in 12
cities and 118 municipalities in the region by Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan, head
of the 7th Infantry Division camped in Fort
Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija. Soldiers were subsequently deployed in at
least 30 villages in the towns of Hagonoy, Sta. Maria, Obando, Bulacan and
Malolos City. Bulatlat © 2006 Bulatlat
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Posted 12:23 p.m., June 28, 2006