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Two Mothers Denied Access to Detained NPA Amazons

Under international humanitarian law, political prisoners have the basic right to contact with family, friends and human rights institutions and that they cannot be detained without charges. Two mothers and a human rights watchdog bear witness to the fact that no such law exists particularly in Davao del Sur.

By BULATLAT.COM

The Armed Forces particularly the Philippine Army’s 25^th Infantry Battalion has been accused of illegally detaining and concealing for five days two suspected amazons of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur. Army authorities were also accused of barring the two young suspects’ parents and a human rights watchdog, Karapatan, from seeing the detained NPA suspects.

In a May 10 press statement, Karapatan-Southern Mindanao also held the Army unit “accountable for grave human rights violations” including the alleged killing of two village leaders and the wounding of civilians in a peasant community in Magsaysay, Davao del Sur last May 2.

“Not only did the men under the command responsibility of Col. Glorioso Miranda hide and deny the family of the political prisoners access on their first visit with Karapatan volunteers, they have barred Karapatan volunteers from entering the camp since then,” the watchdog said.

International humanitarian laws explicitly provide that prisoners have the basic right to contact with family, friends and human rights institutions, Karapatan said.

In its account, Karapatan narrated its volunteers accompanied the mothers of the two detainees, Rosalie Uripaypay, 18, and Evelyn Ngujo, 37, to the 25th IB camp in Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur on May 6.

Capt. Lyndon Paniza, 25^th IB executive officer, told the mothers that the two were not in their custody. But the mothers insisted they would not leave the camp until they see the two alive and united with their parents even just briefly.

In tears

However, by late afternoon, Evelyn's mother, Mila Ausa, saw her daughter by chance coming out of the hut inside the camp with Rosalie. Then and there, the two mothers broke down in tears and ran to their daughters.

Rosalie's mother even confronted Paniza telling him, "Nia ra man diay akong anak sir. Nganong gilimud man nimo?" (My daughter is just here. Why did you have to deny it?), Karapatan recounted.

Apparently shamed by the glitch, Paniza made no remark and disappeared moments later.

It did not end there, however, Karapatan said. When the mothers and Karapatan volunteers tried to talk to the detainees, an Army official gave orders that the detainees be brought back to the hut. The mothers tried to go with the detainees but the armed men blocked them off.

A few seconds after, an intelligence officer came out and yelled at the team, "Who gave you the right to interview detainees?" The mothers had to wait for another two hours before they could get an official statement on the circumstances of the arrest of the two prisoners, Karapatan said.

When the Karapatan team was finally able to talk to the Colonel Miranda, the latter maintained that the military did not violate any human rights of the prisoners. Instead, Miranda pointed out that the prisoners were even "lucky" because under the circumstances they were found, "they should have been shot."

When pressed for answers why the 25th IB were still holding the prisoners inside the camp even if the law provides only a maximum of 72 hours detention without a case being filed, Miranda only answered they were set to turn over the prisoners to Davao del Sur Gov. Reynerio Llanos that day, anyway.

The turnover did not take place, however, as the governor changed his mind and decided to have the two suspects brought to the Local Amnesty Board the following day.

Karapatan made a follow up-visit to the 25th IB camp the following day, this time with the Task Force Women and Children and other NGO volunteers. They were stopped at the camp's entrance and told by the officer in charge that strict orders were given to bar Karapatan from the camp. Bulatlat.com

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