Kabataan Party-list Member Foils Abduction Attempt

As the election nears, the harassment of progressive party-list members is intensifying.  Last April 18, a University of the Philippines- Diliman (UPD) student and Kabataan (Youth) Party-list member was almost abducted on her way home to Quezon City. The police declared it a robbery.  But the Kabataan Party-list said it is an “attempt by the Arroyo government to rob the youth of their voice in Congress.”

BY ZOFIA LEAL
Bulatlat

As the election nears, the harassment of progressive party-list members is intensifying.  Last April 18, a University of the Philippines- Diliman (UPD) student and Kabataan (Youth) Party-list member who wishes to remain anonymous for security reasons was almost abducted on her way home to Quezon City.

At 12:30 a.m., after getting off the tricycle she was riding, she noticed that a car was following her.  She then changed direction and walked along a parallel street but the car still followed her. 

When she realized that the street she was on was dark she tried to go back but the car was already headed towards her.  A man then tried to pull her into the car but she struggled.  A second man also tried to shove her inside the car.  She saw that there were four men in the car.  The scene caught the attention of the tricycle drivers nearby.

As the tricycle drivers were approaching she heard a man inside the car say, “Pare, yung cellphone na lang” (Just get the cellphone).  She then took her cellphone and threw it inside the car.  The car immediately left.  The incident lasted about 15 minutes.

The tricycle drivers then assisted her and brought her to the police station.  The police report stated that what happened was a robbery since they took her cellphone.

Johanna Urbiztondo, UPD Kabataan Partylist Spokesperson said that the incident cannot be a robbery since the suspects were in a car.  Urbiztondo further stated that it would not be logical for four men inside a car to follow someone just to rob her cellphone.  “It is a clear case of political harassment.  The incident is very similar to recent abduction cases against progressive party-list members”, Urbiztondo added.

“Since the victim is a known active member of Kabataan Party-list, this is an attempt to threaten our members and weaken the machinery of our party-list.  Sa totoo lang, gusto nilang nakawin ang pagkakataon ng kabataan na magkaroon ng boses sa loob ng Kongreso.  (What they really want to do is to rob the youth of their voice inside Congress). This incident is a manifestation of a systematic plan of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her minions to paralyze her critics and prevent them from having a seat in the government,” said Urbiztondo.

Urbiztondo then cited other cases of harassment against Kabataan party-list members in other regions.  According to Urbiztondo, “In Cebu, Kabataan Party-list coordinator Beethoven Avila, together with Preciousa Daño, a Bayan Muna (People First) coordinator, were subjected to psychological torture after they were forced inside a gray Delica van.  In La Union, military vehicles parked outside their headquarters and even took pictures.”

Urbiztondo stressed that the military and the government’s efforts to frighten Kabataan Party-list members are not succeeding.  “What they are doing is only making us stronger and firmer in our resolve to win in this election to give a voice to the needs of the youth and the people.” Bulatlat

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