Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you of the disappearance of two student activists and a peasant on June 26, 2006. The victims Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeño were staying at a house in Purok 6, Barangay (village) San Miguel, Hagonoy when armed men believed to be military forcibly took them. Cadapan was pregnant at the time of the incident. When peasant Manuel Merino confronted the attackers to help the victims he too was bound and was taken together with the victims. The victims were seen to be taken by the perpetrators onboard a service vehicle with license plate number RTF 597 towards a nearby town in Iba, Hagonoy and have not been seen since.
After the incident, an alliance of a local human rights group Alyansa ng mga Mamamayan para sa Pantaong Karapatan-Bulacan (People’s Alliance for Human Rights-Bulacan) immediately formed a quick response team in an effort to locate the victims. They proceeded to the headquarters of the 56th Infantry Battalion, Philippine Army in Iba, Hagonoy, Bulacan where they spotted the getaway vehicle used by the perpetrators. The quick response team however was refused entry inside the headquarters. While they were outside, a vendor asked them “yong mga babae ba?” (Are you looking for the women?), referring to the victims they were looking for. The vendor, however, keep silent when the group said they are indeed looking for three missing persons, two of whom were women.
Although the military denied having them in custody, under the circumstances they might have known of their whereabouts. A person whom the military allegedly illegally arrested but later released on June 28, Alberto Ramirez, has confirmed that one of the disappeared victims is being used by the military as guide. He was referring to Manuel Merino. The service vehicle used in arresting Ramirez had the same license plate number to the vehicle used in abducting the three victims, RFT 597. Ramirez was taken to an army detachment in Barangay (village) Mercado, Hagonoy, Bulacan. Upon his arrival at the army detachment, Ramirez was asked about, but denied that he knew of Cadapan and Empeño. Although he has been released he is still unable return home for fear of further harassment by the military.
On July 12, the UP Diliman University Council passed a Resolution expressing concern for the abduction and disappearance of two of their students. It is learned that Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary, Ronaldo Puno and Department of National Defense Secretary, Avelino J. Cruz, have already been requested by the school authorities to help locate the two students. However, there has been no progress yet.
The Councils resolution strongly support and reiterate the request to Secretary Puno and other government authorities that they immediately furnish us with information of the whereabouts of Empeno and Cadapan, provide them with medical and legal assistance, and release them to the care of the University as soon as possible.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The AHRC has previously reported an increasing number of disappeared victims since early this year. Most of the victims whereabouts have not been discovered and remained unknown.
There is the case of activist Philip Limjoco who was last seen on May 8 by his son Glen at a bus terminal in Dau, Pampanga. Limjoco lost contact with his family and was believed to have been abducted and disappeared. On May 16, activist Roland Porter was riding his bike along Sacramento corner San Rafael Streets in Barangay (village) Olympia, Makati City when several unidentified men in a van forcibly abducted him (UA-170-2006).
On May 17, armed men believed to be military agents forcibly took victims Domingo Guinto (a.k.a Jojo), Abelardo Interior and Virgilio Tranquilino from their houses in General Tinio, Nueva Ecija. The perpetrators were hooded with bonnets, army camouflage pants, and some had black long sleeve shirts on at the time of the incident (UA-172-2006). The three whereabouts of the victims remained unknown.
There was one case where an activist, Audie Lucero of Abucay, Bataan, was reported missing and was later found dead on 13 February 2006. He was last seen talking to some police and military personnel before he went missing and was found dead the following day (UA-078-2006). Those victims whose whereabouts remain unknown were activist Ronald Intal of Tarlac, Tarlac (UA-127-2006); Dario Almonte of Batangas (UA-124-2006); Joey Estriber of Baler, Quezon (UP-048-2006); labour leader Rogelio Concepcion of San Ildefonso, Bulacan (UA-087-2006) and Francis Noel Desacula of Batangas (UA-042-2006).
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write letters to concerned agencies requesting them to exhaust all means to locate the disappeared victims. An impartial and effective investigation must be conducted to look into the allegations of an alleged involvement by the military. They must answer the allegations against them. The families and relatives of the disappeared must be actively involved in any effort to locate the victims.
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SAMPLE LETTER
Dear ___________,
PHILIPPINES: Two female student activists and a peasant forcibly abducted and disappeared; one of the victims is pregnant
Name of disappeared victims:
1. Sherlyn Cadapan (29), a student of the College of Human Kinetics (CHK) of the University of the Philippines (UP), Quezon City, Metro Manila. She was a community organizer for Anakbayan, a youth group. She volunteers as researcher for Alyansa ng Magbubukid sa Bulacan (Alliance of Peasants in Bulacan or AMB), a peasant organisation in Central Luzon.
2. Karen Empeño (23), a senior student of UP with the Bachelor of Arts Sociology. She was an active member of the League of Filipino Students (LFS).
3. Manuel Merino (55), a local peasant. He was also attached with the Alyansa ngMagbubukid sa Bulacan (Alliance of Peasants in Bulacan)
Possible perpetrators: Unidentified military men possibly attached to the command of Lieutenant Colonel Rogelio G. Boac of the 70th Division Reconnaissance Company
Place of incident: San Miguel, Hagonoy Bulacan
Date of incident: June 26 2006 at 2 a.m.
It has come to my attention that three more activists, Sherlyn Cadapan, Karen Empeño and Manuel Merino, were forcibly abducted and disappeared on 26 June 2006 in San Miguel, Hagonoy Bulacan. Cadapan and Empeño were students of the University of the Philippines (UP) in Quezon City, Metro Manila, while Merino was a peasant in the area. Cadapan was pregnant at the time of incident.
According to information I received, Cadapan and Empeño were staying in a villagers house when armed men forcibly took them. The two were at the time reportedly conducting research work for local peasant groups when the incident took place. One of the victims, Merino, reportedly tried to help the victims but he too was taken together with them onboard a service vehicle with license plate number RTF 597 and last seen heading towards Iba, Hagonoy.
I am deeply concerned of the increasing cases of forcible abduction and disappearance, in particular of the activists in your country. I am aware that this is yet another case of disappearance where the victims whereabouts could not be located. In this case, however, I have learned that there are essential circumstances pointing to the possible involvement of the military men. I am aware that Alberto Ramirez, a person whom the military allegedly illegally arrested but was later released on June 28 confirmed that the military have already used one of the victims, Manuel Merino, as their guide. The service vehicle used in arresting Ramirez also had almost similar license plate number to a vehicle used in abducting the victims, RFT 597.
There should be an effective investigation to look into the claims of Ramirez to determine whether it is true or not. Should there be an investigation regarding Ramirez claims, he should also be afforded with appropriate security and protection to ensure his full cooperation in the investigation. The military men involved must answer the allegations of their possible involvement. They must fully cooperate with the victims families and relatives in an effort of exhausting all means to look for the victims whereabouts. The families must also be actively involved in this process.
Finally, I urge you to use your authority to again request the members of Congress and Senate to consider the enactment of House Bill No. 1556, An Act Defining and Penalizing The Crime of Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance, as a priority. I am deeply concerned at the governments inadequate action to ensure that disappearance is considered a crime. I am deeply concerned of the lack of an enabling law, increasing number of disappearance and the lack of existing remedies available to the victims families.
I am looking forward that your action on this matter is forthcoming.
Yours sincerely,
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PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1. Ms. Purificacion Quisumbing
Commissioner
Commission on Human Rights
SAAC Bldg., Commonwealth Avenue
U.P. Complex, Diliman
Quezon City
PHILIPPINES
Tel: +63 2 928 5655 / 926 6188
Fax: +63 2 929 0102
Email: drpvq@yahoo.com
2. Director General Oscar Calderon
Chief, Philippine National Police (PNP)
Camp General Rafael Crame
Quezon City
PHILIPPINES
Tel: +63 2726 4361/4366/8763
Fax: +63 2724 8763
3. Mr. Raul Gonzalez
Secretary
Department of Justice
DOJ Bldg., Padre Faura
1004 Manila
PHILIPPINES
Fax: +63 2 521 1614
Email: sechbp@infocom.com.ph
4. Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
President
Republic of the Philippines
Malacanang Palace
JP Laurel Street, San Miguel
Manila 1005
PHILIPPINES
Tel: +63 2 735 6201 / 564 1451 to 80
Fax: +63 2 736 1010
5. Mr. Orlando Casimiro
Deputy Ombudsman for the Military and
Other Law Enforcement Offices
3rd Floor, Ombudsman Bldg., Agham Road
Diliman (1104) Quezon City
PHILIPPINES
Tel: +63 2 926 9032
Fax: +63 2 926 7572
6. Mr. Stephen J. Toope
Chairperson
UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances
Attn: Tanya Smith
c/o OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: + 41 22 917 9176
Fax: +41 22 917 9006 (ATTN: WORKING GROUP EXTRAJUDICIAL EXECUTIONS)
7. Ms. Yakin Erturk
Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women
Attn: Ms Vernonica Birga
Room 3-042
C/o OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 917 9615
Fax: +41 22 917 9006 (ATTN: SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN)
Email: vbirga@ohchr.org
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ahrchk@ahrchk.org)
