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Migrants Group Under Attack
8-month pregnant staff abducted, molested

Shades of martial law? On the heels of reports about the summary execution of scores of personnel belonging to militant organizations by suspected government military, police and paramilitary forces, Migrante International this week also reported the abduction and sexual abuse of one of its staff last May 10. Three days later, three suspected undercover agents of the Armed Forces intruded into the Migrante office and intimidated its staff. Meanwhile, cars with suspicious-looking men on board have also been seen outside.

Congress and justice department have been asked to start investigation on the series of disappearances and extra-judicial execution of activists including human rights leaders as well as at least 18 organizers of the party-list Bayan Muna.

Bulatlat.com is posting a news story unedited, as issued by Migrante International on the abduction and molestation of a young staff:

Press Statement
May 18, 2002
For reference: Leo Legaspi, Chairperson

On the eve of mother's day, Carmela (not her real name), a staff of Migrante International, was abducted by armed men in front of Quezon City Hall at about 10:30 p.m. last Friday, 10 May 2002. She was taken to a safe house and was interrogated for hours. Unable to answer the questions being asked by her abductors, Carmela was then sexually molested by one of the interrogators.

Carmela is 8 months pregnant with her first baby. She is 22 years old and previously was a member of AnakBayan during her student days. She later became a volunteer of Bayan Muna during the last national elections and now, she works with Migrante International as a staff of the campaign committee.

"This is the work of heartless beasts. This is reminiscent of the inhuman atrocities evident at the height of fascism during the Marcos dictatorship," decried Leo G. Legaspi, Migrante International Chairperson.

When asked whom they suspect as the culprit, Mr. Legaspi says, "There is no doubt in our mind that this is the handiwork of death squads unleashed by the Arroyo regime under the direct supervision of General Angelo Reyes and General Victor Corpus to silence militant groups calling for the ouster of President Gloria Arroyo."

While in captivity, Carmela was repeatedly asked of the whereabouts of personalities who are supposedly involved in the underground movement. She likewise overheard her captors referring to their superior as “sir”.

After six hours, Carmela was left alone in a dark alley in Binangonan, Rizal.

Migrante International has now placed Carmela in a safe place while currently recuperating from shock brought about by her traumatic ordeal. Migrante International is also hoping that her pregnancy will not be affected by the said incident.

Terrorist on Arroyo's payroll

Carmela went in front of Quezon City Hall that evening to meet a friend who will participate in a writing workshop. Her friend did not show up, instead a man from behind put his arms around her and forced her to ride an FX vehicle at knife point.

Sandwiched by two men at the back seat, she immediately was blindfolded. They traveled for about an hour where all Carmela heard were the sounds of dump trucks and the smell and stench of garbage along the way. She was then hurled into a house which Carmela believes is vacant since she can hear echoes while her captors are talking.

Once inside, she was told to sit and her hands were immediately tied at her back. Without delay the questioning started. Her captors mentioned several names she never heard of before and places she has never been.

She pleaded that they may have mistaken her for someone else but to no avail. The interrogation went continuously for about three hours and all of a sudden it stopped. She was not offered water or food during the whole ordeal.

After 15 minutes, a man approached her. Carmela became extra-nervous because the man was so close to her that she can feel his breath. The man started to touch her body. Carmela tried to avoid the man but she was helplessly tied up. She then started to cry and pleaded to the man, "Ano ka ba? buntis ako!" The man just laughed and even insulted her, "gusto mo bang gawin ko yong ginawa ng mister mo kaya lumobo yang tiyan mo? Carmela just cried until the man stopped.

After several minutes, she was told to stand up and they left in the same vehicle. She was then taken to another house and from there they boarded a different kind of vehicle. After several minutes they untied her blindfold and she was left in a dark street somewhere in Binangonan at about 4 a.m. Carmela boarded a taxi and went straight to Migrante's office. She arrived at the office under a state of shock, unable to talk and crying.

Relentless harassments

Three days after, three undercover agents went to Migrante's office posing as researchers. While one of them was talking to a staff the two were looking around the office as if familiarizing themselves in the area. Our staff got suspicious and asked for a business card from them. While looking for a card our staff saw one with a familiar logo, she instantly grabbed the card. As it turned out, it was a card of Colonel Mary Lou Parajas, group commander of the Communications, Electronics and Information Systems Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Sensing that their cover was already blown, they excused themselves and instantly left the premises.

Since then, Migrante staff continuously receives obscure phone calls. Unmarked cars are frequenting its office while others have experienced being followed by military looking men.

Migrante International exposes the abduction of Carmela and the harassment of our other staff members, as blatant violations of our human rights. As an alliance of 81 organizations composed of overseas Filipinos and their families, we decry all attempts to silence the just voices of those critical of the administration.

Migrante International also denounces these intimidation tactics of the AFP and the Macapagal-Arroyo administration, as part of the systematic campaign of terror and political repression also experienced by Bayan Muna and other organizations.

We call this administration to immediately launch an impartial investigation into the violent and systematic repression targeted against progressive groups and we vow to continue to join the militant people's struggle and growing cry to oust President Gloria. Bulatlat.com

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