Exploitation of poverty

Enriquez condemned the military’s “dirty tactics.” Karapatan showed Bulatlat a copy of a leaflet conspicuously posted near the CA compound at the day of the hearing.

The picture shows Fatima and Rose Ann with two women whose faces were intentionally blurred. The façade of a mall in Taguig City serves as the backdrop. Below is a caption, “Ganito pala ang buhay, masaya sa labas ng kilusan. Si Rose Ann ay isang NPA na tumakas sa poder ng Karapatan sa Quezon dahil sa mga kasinungalingang ipinangako sa kanila na mabubuo ang kanilang pamilya at malupit na pagtrato sa kanya sa isang safehouse” (There is happiness outside the movement. Rose Ann is a member of the NPA who escaped from the custody of Karapatan in Quezon because of the lies promised her that her family will be reunited and because of the maltreatment she experienced in a safehouse.)

Enriquez said she is certain that the faceless women are the same soldiers guarding the two siblings. The soldiers bought new cellphones for Fatima and Rose Ann. “This is exploitation of poverty, ang lupit nga eh… Pinapapasyal, dinadala sa marangyang lugar, na wala namang capacity ang family na maibigay ang ganito. Ito ang pambulag sa kanila… Nakakaawa ang sitwasyon ng dalawang bata.” (… so cruel… They are being taken to malls, places for the affluent which the family cannot send them to. This is how they are being deceived… I feel sorry for the two children.)

She said the military also wants the children to forget what was done to their father. Eddie Gumanoy was killed in April 2003 by suspected elements of the AFP under the command of the Col. Jovito Palparan Jr.

These psywar tactics, Enriquez said, form part of the Arroyo government’s counter-insurgency program na Oplan Bantay Laya I and II.

Pattern

Cabillas said, “Ang pamamaraan ng military to take over, dukutin muna nila tapos sabihin nila, nag-seek ng voluntary custody sa kanila. Iyon ang tactic nila sa amparo actually” (For the military to take over, they first abduct the victims then they will say that the victims sought their custody voluntarily. This is actually their tactic on cases of amparo.)

He cited the cases of Bustamante at Roel Muñasque, Pagadian City, October 2007. Bustamante, Davao City. Cabillas said that in both cases, the victims’ testimonies showed that they were held under duress. They were soon reunited with their respective families.

Cabillas said that in the case of Fatima, the problem was that the mother and her daughter were not allowed to talk to each other. He said that Cortez’ first motion is to let Maria and her two children talk in private before the hearing begins. The court, however, denied the request.

Mother’s anguish

Maria was obviously upset with the court’s decision. She could not even eat after the hearing. She said repeatedly, “Ako ang nanay. Ako ang may karapatan sa mga anak ko” (I am the mother. I have the right to take custody of my daughters.)

Enriquez said that Attorney Cortez had to remind the justices that Fatima is a minor but the justices opted to believe the solicitor general who claimed that the two are not being kept against their will.

Maria was never given the opportunity to testify before the court.

In a statement, Helen Asdolo, GABRIELA-Southern Tagalog secretary-general, said, “Nanay Maria’s right as a mother has been violated. Fatima is a minor and Nanay Maria has every right to be with her.”

Asdolo criticized the collusion of CA and AFP.

Enriquez said, “Kung maayos talaga sila [militar], bakit nila ipinagkait ang pagdalaw ng nanay? Ang ginawa, tinago nila. Ang tanong ko, for what purpose? Gagawin niyo bang Jelyn Dayong iyan si Rose Ann?” (If the military have good intentions, why did they deny the mother to visit her children? They hid the daughters. I ask, for what purpose? Do they want to make Rose Ann another Jelyn Dayong?)

Dayong was captured by the military by the AFP after an encounter with the NPA in Surigao del Norte in 1999. She was later recruited to the AFP.

Tanggulan, a youth network for human rights and civil liberties, shared the same fear. In a statement, the group said that the AFP might be concocting a scenario by holding Fatima Gumanoy, a minor, under military custody in time for the United Nations Special Representative on Child Soldiers visit in the country this August.

Enriquez said that Karapatan could not be blamed for searching for Fatima and Rose Ann. She said that amid the spate of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances, they fear that the two might be victims, especially after the military charged Rose Ann as an NPA fighter.

She asked, “Sino ang hindi titingin sa context ng counter-insurgency operations sa ginawa ng Army? (Who will not look at the context of counter-insurgency operations in the light of the actions of the Army?) Are the justices not aware that the military uses coercion against victims of human rights violations?” (Bulatlat.com)

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