Yesterday, April 28, marked the 6th year that farmer-activist Jonas Burgos disappeared.
The Burgos family observed the day with renewed hope after new
information surfaced early this month which strengthen the accusation
that the military was behind the abduction of Jonas.
The information, which apparently came from the files of the
military, included a picture of Jonas looking dazed with a large
bandana around his neck, which was probably used to blindfold him.
Other materials that surfaced were confidential military reports
consisting of the “After Apprehension Report,” the “Psycho Social
Processing Report,” and the “Autobiography of Jonas Burgos.”
How these documents got to the Burgos family is proof that truth
cannot be kept hidden forever. Based on those new information, the
Supreme Court ordered the re-investigation of Jonas’ disappearance
case.
This is what sustains the hopes of the Burgos family. Jonas, son of press freedom fighter Jose Burgos Jr., was abducted by
identified men at the Ever Gotesco mall in Quezon City on April 8, 2007.
Despite repeated denials by the military, a military officer, Maj
Major Harry Baliaga, is under investigation for his alleged abduction of
Burgos. His superiors, however, have remained untouched. One of them,
Brig. Gen. Eduardo Año, is now chief of the AFP Intelligence
Service.
Yesterday, the Burgos family released an eight-minute video of the
wife of Jonas, Me-Ann, sharing her thoughts, pains and hopes about
Jonas.
In the video she recalled her feelings when Jonas failed to call her for several hours. “Parang sasabog ang dibdib ko. Kasi alam ko may problema…(My heart felt like bursting. Because I knew there was a problem.) “
She said the feeling was difficult to explain.”Hindi mo maintidihan ang pakiramdam kasi para kang mababaliw.(You can’t understand the feeling because it’s like you are going crazy.)””
She said she had tried to protect her daughter (who was two years old
in 2007)from the trauma of her father’s disapperance all these years
but when the picture of Jonas was flashed on TV two weeks ago, the girl
knew it was bad.
Me-Ann said she is still hoping Jonas is alive. “Mahirap paniwalaan ang pakiramdam na un. Pero sigurado ako sa pakiramdam.(It’s hard to believe that feeling. But I’m sure of that feeling.)”
Edith Burgos, mother of Jonas, who has become the spokesperson for the families of Philippine desaparecidos, said she is encouraged by the recent order of President Aquino to intensify the investigation on the Jonas Burgos abduction.
Apparently treading lightly on the involvement of the members of the
military, Aquino said, “Our system of justice is based on the
presumption of innocence, but also guarantees that culpability derived
from hard evidence will exact accountability.”
“Our system of justice is based on the presumption of innocence, but
also guarantees that culpability derived from hard evidence will exact
accountability,” Aquino added.
The Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances continues to put pressure on the Aquino government.
In its statement yesterday, AFAD said after six years of the Jonas
Burgos disappearance, “no one has yet been put on trial despite the
government’s repeated pledges of making Jonas’ disappearance case its
top priority. So far, the Aquino government has done nothing concrete
to shed light on the number of enforced disappearance cases and other
forms of human rights violations committed during the Arroyo
administration. Far worse is that enforced disappearance continue,
albeit in lesser number compared to the previous administration. Under
the present political dispensation, 18 cases have been documented by the
Families of Victims of Involuntary Disappearance.”
But AFAD also took note that “The Philippines has recently made
history being the first in Asia to criminalize and penalize enforced
disappearances with the enactment of Republic Act No. 10353 or the
Anti-Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance Act of 2012 on 21 December
2012 and the promulgation of the law’s Implementing Rules and
Regulations (IRR) on 12 February 2012.”
The group said, “ But a law is as good as its implementation. It
requires strong will on the part of the Aquino government to ensure its
implementation. The disappearance case of Jonas Burgos is a litmus test
of the government’s commitment not only to ensure accountability but to
combat impunity and guarantee that it will never happen again.”
The Unheard Voice
