‘Philippine Military Has Its Own Abu Ghraib’

The Arroyo regime has been under fire from local and international groups for the worsening human-rights situation in the country. Various reports from several human-rights groups, among them Human Rights Watch and the United Nations Human Rights Council, have blamed the government for the extrajudicial killings, tortured, abduction and harassments of activists. They said the government has done little or no action to stop these atrocities.

Rewarded

In fact, several officials who have been accused of these atrocities have been rewarded with public offices or promotions. One of them is former general Jovito Palparan, who is allegedly behind the abduction of Cadapan and Empeno and whose men allegedly tortured Manalo. He has been given a Congress seat.

Three military officials — Lieutenant Colonels Noel Clement, Melquiades Feliciano and Edison Caga – have been promoted to full colonel. The promotion came despite accusations that the three had something to do with the disappearance of activist Jonas Burgos.

“The Burgos family cannot but see that this promotion is a reward,” Edita Burgos, the mother of Jonas and the president of Desaparecidos, said in a statement. “I am truly scared because of the message this promotion delivers. Will there be more enforced disappearances so that those who aim to be promoted will gain favor in the eyes of the superiors? The commander-in-chief maybe?” she said.

Clement was commanding officer of the 56th Infantry Battalion where a vehicle with plate number TAB 194 had been impounded. The same license plate was used in the abduction of Jonas in 2007.

Feliciano was the commanding officer of the 56th IB when Jonas disappeared. Clement and Feliciano, along with the other respondents in the habeas corpus case filed by Jonas’s family, were ordered by the Supreme Court to release Jonas and to explain the basis for his detention. Jonas remains missing.

The Burgos family had earlier filed a petition to cite Clement and Felicano for contempt for offering no proof to the claim that the license plates had been lost, no explanation when it was lost, how it was lost, who lost it and where it was lost. The case is still pending in the Supreme Court.

“The promotion of these men only confirms the truth in our claim that the government, the state forces are behind the disappearances,” Edita Burgos said.

“The government can no longer deny that it is a state policy that abduction is a means that they use to further their ends no matter if this means violating the rights of the people they have sworn to protect,” she said. (Bulatlat.com)