The military, Rogelio told the team, grilled him and his wife about the child’s parents. When they said that the child was just left to them temporarily last October 5 and that they had no idea where the Botilla couple were, they were told that they have no right to have Nena in their custody. The military alleged that the child was a victim of abandonment by her parents. And that since they do not have blood relations with the child, Nena should be turned over to the DSWD office.

Having declared this, the 78th IB, with Myrna Romero, drafted a sworn statement signed by Rogelio and Hermenia surrendering their custody of eight-year-old Nena to Myrna Romero.

Nena corroborated the incident in her statement, “Og gidala ko sa Mag-alwa, October 17, 2007, gipaperma ni mama Merna… nga iadto ko sa DSWD. Gidalako ni mama Merna sa longsod ibilen onta ko sa DSWD wala ko ningsugot. Ningkuyog lang ko ni mama merna kay mahadlok ko malayo sa amog Balay.”

(And I was brought back to Mag-alwa, October 17, 2007. Mama Myrna made them sign that I was to be brought to DSWD. Mama Myrna took me to the town proper to leave me at DSWD but I refused. I only went with Mama Myrna because I’m afraid to be so far away from home.)

Nena was in Myrna Romero’s house until she was rescued on October 31, 2007.

The rescue

Last October 23-26, 2007, the fact-finding mission team headed by journalist and development worker May Macapobre and the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP or Peasant Movement of the Philippines) was able to talk to Nena in Myrna Romero’s house, albeit not privately. Wherever the child goes, Myrna followed her like an obstinate shadow, especially when the child is being interviewed.

“It was very apparent that the child has been brainwashed,” May expressed. She shared that when she asked Nena if she misses her mother, the child declared that she’d rather stay with her Mama Myrna because her mother often admonishes her and spanks her most of the time. (Two days after she was released, Nena revealed that she was terrified of Myrna.)

“When I asked her if there was someone else she’d like to see, Nena whispered to me that she wanted to see her aunt Lisa Baldespinosa, who took care of her until she was five,” May disclosed.

When the fact-finding team finally got hold of Lisa, the older sister of Nena’s mother, through the help of a non-government organization, the Farmers’ Development Center (FARDEC), the rescue mission was set in motion.

On October 31, Tuesday, some two weeks after Nena was forcibly taken by the military from Rogelio and Herminia Barcenal and turned over to military agent, Myrna Romero, the fact-finding team along with Lisa Baldespinosa, Atty. Alfonso Cinco IV of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL), a local reporter of GMA-7, and two foreigner-exposurees of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP), trooped to Tuburan to get Nena back.

Stops

It was the day before what the Latin Americans call “Dia de los Muertos” (Day of the Dead). And yet Nena’s Rescue Team has never felt more alive.

“I’m in high spirits, I can’t wait to hold my niece in my arms again,” Lisa, in between tears of excitement and anxiety, shared to the group.

Like Lisa Baldespinosa, the team was optimistic that they will be taking Nena back with them on their return to Cebu City that day.

When the team arrived at the town hall, its first stop was at the Mayor’s Office. The team intended to seek the mayor’s help and at the same time inform his office of the group’s plan to return the child back to her relative. Unfortunately however, Mayor Constancio Suiso III already had prior engagements.

They proceeded to the local DSWD office. The group was received by the DSWD head, Mrs. Berlina Cana, who claimed that she was “forced” to turn over the child, despite not having a court order, to Myrna Romero because the girl, Nena, was adamant not to come along with her. She also denied having any knowledge of the military’s involvement and that the child was abducted by them. She agreed to come along with the team to Myrna’s so that the child would finally be reunited with her aunt.

Reunited

Before 12 noon, the team arrived at Myrna’s place which was located just a few kilometers away from the town center. At the sight of her niece, Lisa rushed towards Nena and embraced her tightly.

The team, headed by Atty. Cinco, introduced itself to Myrna, who was at that time administering Nena’s take-home exam. On the same table where Nena was intently answering her test papers, Atty. Cinco spotted a gun quite “normally” lying on the table. When he asked Myrna if the gun was real and if it is loaded, Myrna abruptly said “Yes.”

When Atty. Cinco raised his concern against this, Myrna replied, nonchalantly:

“Normal ra na, Attorney. Maskin ang akong mga anak naanad na nga bisan asa aning lugara, makakita ra sila og pusil. Shooting area man pud ning lugara.” (That’s normal. Even my children are accustomed to seeing my guns lying anywhere in this place. This place is also a practice-shooting area).”

“Day, dili man ka mahadluk ani (pusil) no?” she addressed Nena. (You are not afraid to see this gun, right?). Nena tentatively nods her head in assent.

After a while, Atty. Cinco gathered Myrna and Mrs. Cana of DSWD into a private corner to talk about Nena and Lisa’s intention to gain custody of her.

Meanwhile, Lisa finally had the chance to talk to her niece in private. Afterwards, a teary-eyed and smiling Lisa happily proclaimed that Nena wants to come home with her.

During the private conference, Myrna explained to Atty. Cinco how the child came into her custody and expressed that she has no intention of keeping the child and that she’s ready to relinquish Nena to her relatives. The DSWD officer said that since Lisa is a legitimate guardian of the girl, there is no more reason to keep her with Myrna.

Less than an hour later, the team returned to the DSWD office where Mrs. Berlina Cana drafted a written document stating officially that Lisa Baldespinosa has the custodial right over the child.

After two weeks at the hands of strangers, Nena is now able to dream freely of what she wants to be when she grows up: a journalist. She had her debut when she told her story about her ordeal in the hands of the military. (Bulatlat.com)

 Save as PDF