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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 19, 2009
Contact: Rhonda Ramiro, 415-377-2599, secgen@bayanusa.org
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Melissa Roxas, a U.S. citizen abducted and tortured in the Philippines from May 19-25, left the United States today and traveled to the Philippines, where she will pursue her case against the Philippine government. “I am not doing this for myself,” stated Ms. Roxas at San Francisco Airport shortly before boarding a plane bound for the Philippines. “The Philippine government must be held accountable for what they did to me and thousands of other victims of human rights violations.” Ms. Roxas, an American human rights advocate of Filipino descent, is the first known American citizen to have become a victim of abduction and torture during the administration of President Barack Obama while in the Philippines, a country which has drawn international condemnation for state-sponsored human rights atrocities.

“I am returning to the Philippines to testify at a hearing for my Petition for Writ of Amparo and Habeus Data regarding my abduction and torture by the Philippine military,” said Ms. Roxas. “Of course I am concerned about my safety. However, I decided to come back to the Philippines because of the promise of safety and security offered by the Chair of the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines.” Ms. Roxas’ Petition for Writ of Amparo and Habeus Data seeks protection for Ms. Roxas and her family, as well as the production of informational documents pertinent to her case and to allow the inspection of Fort Magsaysay where Ms. Roxas believes she was held captive and tortured.

To ensure her safety while traveling, Ms. Roxas is accompanied by a delegation of the California Nevada Conference of the United Methodist Church, Philippines Pastoral and Solidarity Visit. The solidarity delegation has been traveling to the Philippines annually since 2007, to respond to the reported extra-judicial killings taking place in the Philippines, along with other human rights abuses targeted against religious activists, educators, labor leaders, and students. The delegation visits families of victims in various regions of the Philippines, and an Advance Special offering has been established to help support the needs of surviving family members. This year’s delegation includes United Methodist Church Bishop Warner H. Brown. Before they passed through the airport gate leading to their flight this afternoon, the delegates joined hands in a circle with Ms. Roxas and said a prayer for safety, guidance and strength in their journey.

Ms. Roxas’ return to the Philippines comes just 11 days before President Obama will meet with Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in Washington D.C. on July 20. To the dismay of many people in both the U.S. and the Philippines, the agenda of the first state visit between the two countries currently omits the discussion of human rights violations, including the case of Ms. Roxas even though she is a U.S. citizen. Representatives of churches, community organizations, labor unions, and other concerned groups are currently appealing to President Obama to live up to his declarations of “change,” by asking President Arroyo what action she intends to take about the rampant human rights violations that continue to plague the Philippines and to specifically ensure that her government cooperates with the investigation into Ms. Roxas’ case.

In a sworn affidavit submitted to the Philippine Supreme Court, Ms. Roxas described being abducted at gunpoint by several heavily armed men, brought to what she believed is a military camp, held against her will, questioned without the presence of an attorney, beaten repeatedly, and asphyxiated using plastic bags before being released. Reports by the United Nations, Amnesty International, Philippine-based human rights organization Karapatan, and Human Rights Watch have overwhelmingly concluded that the Philippine military is responsible for systematically carrying out human rights violations such as abduction, torture and extra-judicial killings against innocent civilians. Human rights advocates and activists have been the vast majority of victims; Ms. Roxas, a member of Habi-Arts Los Angeles and the first Regional Coordinator of BAYAN-USA, was in the Philippines conducting human rights and community health work as well as doing research for a writing project when she was abducted and tortured.

The experience of Ms. Roxas is considered typical for the over 200 cases of abduction and 1,036 cases of torture recorded since Gloria Macapagal Arroyo became president of the Philippines in 2001. The Philippine government’s quick denial of responsibility for Ms. Roxas’ abduction and torture is also considered a typical response; in his 2007 report on the Philippines, U.N. Special Rapporteur Philip Alston cited such systematic denial by the government as one of the primary obstacles to stopping the rampant human rights violations plaguing the country. In his 2009 follow-up report, Alston indicated a general failure of the Arroyo government to stop the persistent human rights violations.

“We hail Melissa’s courage to testify in court about the horrendous trauma she experienced at the hands of the Philippine military,” stated Berna Ellorin, Chair of BAYAN-USA. “She will confront head-on the lies and denials of the Philippine government, and speak on behalf of the thousands of victims of human rights violations who are no longer able to speak for themselves.”

BAYAN-USA is an alliance of progressive Filipino groups in the U.S. representing organizations of students, scholars, women, workers, and youth. As an international chapter of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN-Philippines), BAYAN-USA serves as an information bureau for the national democratic movement of the Philippines and as a campaign center for anti-imperialist Filipinos in the U.S. ###

News coverage:
Inquirer.net
Bulatlat.com

Bulatlat - Audio Slideshow: In Emotional Presser, Melissa Roxas Vows to Pursue Justice

Arkibong Bayan - Photo stills of live internet TV broadcast by Habi Arts in Los Angeles

@HabiArts (Twitter) - Press conference mini-transcript

Related links/sources:

BAYAN-Philippines, USA

Habi Arts - Facebook, Facebook group, Myspace

Karapatan

News Release
May 28, 2009

Philippine government trying to cover-up Fil-am abduction

The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan condemned in the strongest terms the statement coming from the Philippine government and its Presidential Human Rights Commission on the circumstances of the abduction and eventually surfacing of Filipino-American activist Melissa Roxas and her companions Juanito Carabeo and John Edward Handoc.

“The PHRC has shown utter incompetence once more when it says that there are no police reports regarding the abduction of the three. This is a lie,” said Bayan secretary general Renato M. Reyes , Jr.

The group said that as of May 20, 2009, the La Paz police through its police chief,  Police Chief Inspector Ronald R. Fernandez signed and filed a special report  addressed to Tarlac Provincial Director Police S/Supt Rudy Lacadin based in Camp Makabulos.  The initial police investigation was spurned by the May 19 report of the homeowner where Roxas and company were abducted and by the report of the baranggay captain of the area where the three were taken.

“We received a copy of Police C/Insp. Fernandez’ report last May 24, from a Karapatan Central Luzon official who personally talked to the La Paz police and was given the report,” Reyes said. 

Tarlac provincial director S/Supt. Lacadin, eventually confirmed the incident to the Police Anti-Crime and Emergency Response headed by Police S/Supt. Leonardo Arias Espina. Further proof is that the PACER has contacted Karapatan to formally inquire about the abduction.

Bayan said that it was the La Paz police report, based on their initial investigation, which revealed that Roxas and company were forcibly taken by at least eight armed men, wearing bonnets and riding a van last May 19 in Sitio Bagong Sikat, Bgy. Kapanikian, La Paz, Tarlac.

“It is ridiculous that the PHRC claims that no such report of an abduction was ever filed. It’s obvious that the PHRC did not conduct its own investigation. It seems that it merely relied on word of non-governmental organizations like FIND and AFAD. That the PHRC did not conduct its own probe shows the very little regard it has for the plight of the abducted activists,” Reyes said.

“What is even more outrageous is that despite not conducting its own thorough investigation, despite existing police reports, the PHRC is now forwarding the theory that the three abducted activists were held by the New People’s Army. What is the PHRC’s basis for saying this? What shred of evidence to they have?” the Bayan leader asked.

Bayan believes that as in previous cases of disappearances, the Arroyo government is quick to absolve the military from any involvement and shifts the blame to other entities like the NPA. This theory lacks any credibility even with the international community, the group said.

“There are credible indications that the three were abducted by elements of the military and were taken possibly to a military camp before their eventual release. There is an ongoing investigation as to the circumstances of the abduction. Right now, the organizations and the families of the victims are focused on looking after the recovery and well-being of the three,” Reyes said.

“The PHRC, by prejudging the incident as a mere propaganda tool by Bayan and Karapatan, shows that it has really no intention of uncovering the truth behind the abduction of Roxas and company. The Philippine government is more interested in saving face. From their statements, it is clear that the Arroyo government is gearing for another cover up, first by trying to downplay the incident and next, by blaming it on the NPA,” he added. 

Bayan believes that in time, the truth will come out. “And when it does, no amount of official cover up can suppress it,” Reyes said.  ###

 
Philippine Embassy

News Release
27 May 2009


UPDATE ON THE RECENT ALLEGED ABDUCTION OF MELISSA ROXAS, JUANITO CARABEO, AND EDWARD HANDOC AS REPORTED BY KARAPATAN AND BAYAN

27 May 2009. The Philippine Government is committed to the protection and promotion of human rights and takes very seriously any report or allegation of abuse of human rights. With regard to reports on the abduction of Filipino American activist Melissa Roxas and her two companions, Juanito Carabeo and Edward Handoc, police authorities are currently investigating this. We encourage all those who may have information to cooperate with the police.

As allegations of abuse of human rights has been made, the Presidential Human Rights Committee (PHRC) has looked into this and its Secretariat released today the following update:

“As a policy, we consider with serious doubts all allegations of human rights violations from groups like Karapatan, Bayan and their allied organizations, given their penchant for and track record in coming up with unfounded allegations, and for bringing such cases before the media and international organizations with nary an intent to officially refer such cases to government for proper action.

We recall the 836 alleged cases of unsolved killings (aka extra-judicial killings) Karapatan released to media in 2006 but which was eventually debunked to be an exaggeration, and the recent 1,016 alleged cases of torture it raised before the UN Committee Against Torture and which to this date remain unsubstantiated.

Hence, on this recent allegation of abduction and enforced disappearances, the PHRC Secretariat immediately referred the matter to the Coalition Against Involuntary Disappearances (CAID), a more credible alliance of NGOs involved in cases of disappeared persons, to verify if indeed such a case did exist.

Initial information from the Families of Involuntary Disappearances (FIND) and the Asian Federation Against Disappearances (AFAD), both active member-organizations of the CAID, based on their on-going investigations, revealed the following:

•  There are no reports of this case in the local government office or with local police authorities of the Municipality of La Paz, Tarlac, where the abduction allegedly took place, filed by anyone, let alone Bayan and Karapatan.  This is surprising considering that both organizations would know that the standard operating procedure is for such cases to be immediately filed by the interested party/ies.

•  Roxas has already surfaced, while Carabeo and Handoc are allegedly still missing.  On the other hand, Roxas, and for that matter Bayan and Karapatan, have yet to come out with a statement as to the actual circumstances of the alleged abduction.

•  There is strong possibility that Roxas and company were on an “immersion” in NPA-infested areas.  And that the NPAs could have hidden them for safety purposes, perhaps after receiving reports of a possible encounter or attack by government forces.  At some point, organizations like Bayan and Karapatan wanted to take advantage of the situation by letting loose a press statement that an abduction took place, in anticipation of the possibility that Roxas and company would be killed in the crossfire.  Fortunately, no such incident occurred.

•  Another scenario being contemplated on is that Roxas was released by the NPAs precisely because her “immersion” was over, and that her two companions, being actually active members of the movement, have opted to stay on with their colleagues.

•  Despite due diligence by FIND and AFAD, there are no leads that direct to an incident of abduction.

Simply put, there is high probability that the alleged abduction of these persons has been fabricated.

Karapatan and Bayan have been very silent lately.  There is apprehension, even among other NGOs and CSOs, that both are busy fabricating another story to explain the sudden surfacing of Roxas and the continued “disappearance” of the other two, all at the expense of the Philippine government.

As of this writing, law enforcement authorities contacted by the PHRC Secretariat have denied ever receiving reports or having been informed of any abduction.

The PHRC Secretariat shall be posting developments on this case.” END.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 27, 2009

Reference: Rhonda Ramiro, 415-377-2599, secgen@bayanusa.org, www.bayanusa.org

10 Years Too Long, 200 People Too Many: Filipinos Across the U.S. Call for the Termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement and Justice for the Disappeared

In the wake of the abduction of Filipino American human rights advocate and health worker Melissa Roxas and her companions Juanito Carabeo and John Edward Handoc one week ago in the Philippines, BAYAN-USA launches actions against the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) today, the 10th anniversary of the VFA’s ratification. BAYAN-USA demands the termination of the VFA and justice for victims of abduction and all human rights violations, which have climbed to record levels in the Philippines since the VFA was ratified on May 27, 1999.

“Human rights violations have escalated to unprecedented heights since 2001, when Gloria Macapagal Arroyo became president and the U.S. launched its ‘war on terror.’ It is no coincidence that the Visiting Forces Agreement was ratified just two years earlier in 1999,” stated BAYAN-USA Secretary General Rhonda Ramiro. “The VFA paved the way for U.S. military advisers, troops and equipment to flood the Philippines and to train and equip the Philippine military which has been implicated in 1,017 extra-judicial killings and 1,010 cases of torture. Melissa’s abduction adds an American citizen to the list of over 200 victims of enforced disappearance under Arroyo.”

Roxas, Carabeo, and Handoc, all members of a volunteer health worker team preparing for a medical mission in La Paz, Tarlac, Philippines, were reportedly abducted at gunpoint on May 19 by at least eight heavily-armed masked men riding motorcycles and in a van without license plates. The circumstances of their abduction typify the pattern of dozens of politically-motivated abductions of activists critical of the Arroyo administration, and evidence points to the military as responsible for these acts. Roxas and Carabeo were officially surfaced on May 24 and 25, respectively; unconfirmed reports of Handoc’s surfacing were received as of the writing of this statement. Because the vast majority of abductions and enforced disappearances remain unresolved, BAYAN-USA believes their surfacing was a direct result of rapid community response and an international campaign by BAYAN Philippines, BAYAN-USA, and the human rights organization Karapatan.

“While we are elated that Melissa and Juanito have surfaced and that John Edward might also have been found, we are outraged that they were even abducted in the first place,” said Ramiro. “We call for justice for all three, including a full investigation and prosecution of the abductors.”

“The abduction of Melissa, Juanito and John Edward is directly linked to the VFA and U.S. military aid to the Philippines,” continued Ramiro. “The U.S. government cannot claim ignorance or wash its hands of responsibility, when it is U.S. advisors who are training the Philippine military, U.S. aid that is funding the military training, and U.S. guns and bullets that are being used to threaten and kill innocent civilians.”

BAYAN-USA claims that despite its rhetoric of “change,” the administration of President Barack Obama has clung to Bush’s foreign policy when it comes to the Philippines. Earlier this year, President Obama phoned Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to express support for the VFA and continuing the annual joint military exercises known as “Balikatan” (“Shoulder-to-Shoulder”). The estimated total expense borne by U.S. taxpayers for U.S. militarization in the Philippines since the VFA was enacted in 1999 is a lofty $1 billion. An additional $660 million—up from a reported $400 million just one month ago—is reportedly set to be granted to the Philippines in the coming year.

The VFA also provides justification for the basing of U.S. troops throughout the country, in what is widely perceived as an affront to national sovereignty. Moreover, witnesses have observed U.S. troops participating in combat operations, which is in violation of the VFA itself. In the months of February-May this year alone, the “Balikatan” exercises also led directly to the killing of a young girl and wounding of four more children, the rape of 22 year old Filipina “Vanessa,” and the forced displacement of tens of thousands of residents in Bicol where the exercises were held. No one was held responsible for the killing of the child, and although there was clear evidence that “Vanessa” was raped by a U.S. marine, she refrained from pressing charges because she did not believe she could obtain justice. “Vanessa’s” rape was committed just weeks after the acquittal of U.S. Marine Daniel Smith, who was the only American ever convicted of raping a Filipina despite reports of thousands of rapes committed by U.S. military personnel.

“The VFA fosters a culture of militarization and violence, and both the U.S. and Philippine military are guilty of committing human rights violations with impunity,” stated Ramiro. “Melissa’s abduction should give Congress and the Obama administration even more impetus to terminate the VFA and stop pouring billions of dollars into a regime that abducts and kills innocent people. In the face of a budget deficit in the trillions, it is unconscionable to continue providing aid to the Arroyo government and to perpetuate the costly VFA. Congress should cut both during the budget appropriations process this spring and summer.”

BAYAN-USA is an alliance of progressive Filipino groups in the U.S. representing organizations of students, scholars, women, workers, and youth. As an international chapter of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN-Philippines), BAYAN-USA serves as an information bureau for the national democratic movement of the Philippines and as a campaign center for anti-imperialist Filipinos in the U.S. BAYAN-USA’s online petition against the VFA can be found at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/JunkVFAnow/. The online petition to demand justice for Roxas, Carabeo, and Handoc can be found at http://www.gopetition.com/online/28021.html. # # #

Actions being held in the U.S.

Los Angeles

Vigil in front of the PhilippineConsulate

Wednesday, May 27, 2009, 7:30pm

3600 Wilshire Blvd (between S Harvard Blvd and S Kingsley Dr)

Los Angeles, CA 90010

New York

Rally at the Philippine Consulate and March to Military Recruitment Center

Wednesday, May 27, 2009, 5:30 PM

556 Fifth Ave., New York

San Francisco

Action and Meeting with the Philippine Consulate

Wednesday, May 27, 2009, 4:00 PM

447 Sutter Street, San Francisco

Teach-In on the VFA

Wednesday, May 27, 2009, 6:00-8:00 PM

At South of Market Community Action Center

1070 Howard Street, San Francisco

Seattle

Visiting Forces Agreement Teach-In

Thursday, March 28, 6:30-8:30 PM

Filipino Community Center,

5740Martin Luther King Jr. Way

San Diego

“As If They Never Left” Teach-In on the VFA

Thursday, May 28, 7:00-9:00 PM

At Filipino American Veterans Association Hall

2926 Market Street, San Diego