“You took Jonas away from us. Now, you want the history of Jonas’ own abduction and disappearance erased from history. Stop abducting your own citizens. The ones who should be made to pay for the violations are the very criminals within your ranks.”
“An order by the [Supreme] Court for the military to produce Jonas was not complied with and to this day, nobody has been cited in contempt.”
“The consistent promotion and assignment of Año in key government positions is indicative of the Duterte regime’s design to intensify its repressive policies and its lack of intent to prosecute human rights violators.”
“We call on him to tell us where Jonas is.”
For more than 10 years, the Burgos family has been searching for Jonas Burgos. Bulatlat has chronicled the painstaking journey of fighting for justice.
“We will still find Jonas.” — Edita Burgos
By RONALYN V. OLEA Bulatlat.com MANILA — Three days before the International Human Rights Day, a military officer known for gross human rights abuses was named Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff. President Rodrigo Duterte appointed Lt. Gen. Eduardo Año to the highest military post this morning, replacing Lt. Gen. Ricardo Visaya…
Jonas’s brother Jose Luis or JL Burgos was supposed to testify in court as the fifth prosecution witness. Earlier, however, the defense objected to JL Burgos taking the witness stand.
Aquino, when he was still senator, mentioned and assailed Jonas’ disappearance before a speech in the senate back in 2007, in commemoration of his father’s asassination.
Mrs. Burgos, who has held the AFP accountable for the April 2007 abduction of her son Jonas, said the failure of the troops to explain their presence cannot but create suspicion and alarm.
“With the appointment of Gen. Año as army chief there is no hope at all that justice will be obtained for human rights crimes during the watch of Aquino.”