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“Five long years passed, to those who have him, please, have a heart and let him come back home to us. If you killed him, like what our late father said, give us back his bones so that we can give him a proper burial.” -- Balao siblings
“Enforced disappearances continue, the government does not own up to its accountability, no perpetrator has been prosecuted or jailed and, human rights violators are being promoted.” – Desaparecidos
"The prosecution thus far had shown that evidence of guilt against the accused for said crimes is strong." -- Judge Teodora Gonzales of the Malolos Regional Trial Court Branch 14
So meeting Samuel felt like meeting a brother whom I shared a similar childhood, having activist parents; and a shared pain of losing them. But more than that, it felt like meeting a comrade from the different side of the world, which I shared the same struggle with --the struggle for justice.
How many more mothers would have to shed tears before justice prevails?
“We have gone to the courts. We have followed the government’s slow judicial process and still, we have not found our daughters.”
“Seven years quickly passed by but the progress of our case has been painstakingly slow.” – Mrs. Concepcion Empeño, mother of Karen
Benguet Provincial Police Office (PPO) Provincial Director Rodolfo Azurin admitted lapses in the investigations conducted in relation to the disappearance of activist James Moy Balao.
"Disappointingly, the investigative efforts of the Special Investigation Task Force Group-Balao falls way below acceptable standards given today's available technological and sophisticated measures." -- RTC Branch 63
Today is the sixth year since farmer-activist Jonas Burgos was abducted by state security forces. For the first time, his wife speaks in this video made by Jonas's younger brother, JL.
“He missed to celebrate four of his birthdays with us. This is the fifth. Nevertheless, we never forget to celebrate it with or without him. It feels empty to celebrate a birthday without him though. But what can we do? He was taken away from us forcefully and we were left with no choice but to deal with this emptiness.” -- Nonette Balao.
"Manong! Be strong as always! We share your hardships, feel your pain, we miss you so much and we will not stop searching for you! May you have a Happy Birthday!"
"I felt that while we had the documents with us, we were in constant danger. Somehow, I was relieved after I submitted these to the SC."
Will this finally lead to finding Jonas? Will those responsible for this abhorrent crime be finally be brought to the bars of justice? Will this be the first significant step toward addressing impunity?
Is this the smoking gun that would force the Armed Forces of the Philippines to finally surface Jonas?
Adoracion Paulino, mother-in-law of missing UP student Sherlyn Cadapan, had a lot of questions when Sherlyn suddenly appeared in her house, being guarded by three women and two men, but Sherlyn did not answer her queries.
By RONALYN V. OLEA
The new law, the first of its kind in Asia, imposes a punishment of life imprisonment on those directly involved in the crime of enforced disappearance as well as on superior officers who order or are otherwise implicated in a disappearance.
By RONALYN V. OLEA Bulatlat.com MALOLOS, Bulacan – For the third time, a key witness to the torture of University of the Philippines (UP) students Karen Empeño and Sherlyn Cadapan, faced two of the accused and answered all the questions hurled at him by the...
By RONALYN V. OLEA Bulatlat.com MANILA – The parents of the two missing students of the University of the Philippines (UP) are enraged over retired Gen. Jovito Palparan’s recent legal move. Palparan and co-accused M/Sgt. Rizal Hilario recently filed a petition...
Kin remember those abducted by state security forces (Photo by Ronalyn V. Olea / Bulatlat.com)
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