Two student activists from the university were abducted almost two weeks ago in Bulacan. They are Karen Empeño, a BA Sociology student of the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy, and Sherlyn Cadapan, an award-winning triathlete from the College of Human Kinetics and was its representative to the University Student Council a few years back.
They remain missing up to this moment. Witnesses, who are now in hiding for security reasons, and who were also present during the abduction, claim that vehicles used during the capture were military vehicles. The army denies these accusations. However, General Jovito Palparan, popularly labeled as a butcher of leftists, issued a statement saying that these women were better off gone because they were New People’s Army members who extorted money from the townsfolk anyway. What the hell? These two ladies were simply volunteer researchers for a peasant group. For the sake of argument, let’s say they were NPA members, does it justify that they be abducted helplessly? Who knows what have become to the two right now. If they were indeed NPA members, then file charges against them! Abduction is never justified. Gloria Arroyo’s administration hark the “rule of law” and “due process” everytime accusations and cases are hurled against her and her allies but whenever an acitivist gets assassinated or abducted, everything just gets shrugged off! Nothing can justify enforced assassinations or enforced abductions!
This administration is really bent on crushing not only the New People’s Army, but all other legitimate groups expressing legitimate dissent. Karen and Sherlyn are two new additions to the growing list of hundreds of abducted, arrested, and assassinated activists since President Arroyo came into power five years ago.
law student, national democracy activist, film school graduate, photography hobbyist
kinda sad…sherlyn was my highschool mate. my blockmate was abducted in mindoro about 2 or 3 years ago and that time palparan was doing his reign of terror there. buti na lang they were released upon the clamor of the public. then palparan terrorized eastern visayas and i’ve heard a lot of terrible stories from people who live there. some of they hid here in metro manila just to keep themselves alive. grabe talaga yun. ang masaya pa nito baka maging AFP chief pa yan. *nginig*
mr. palpak-an is nothing but a sniffing dog of malacanang. sipsip!
bikoy, can i put this article on my blog (also other forums) to spread it?
Mag-ingat!
bikoy,
our solidarity , ingat ka.
gari
Hmmm…
Seems like the administration are having clueless (well, obvious perhaps) desperate extra-judicial method of intimidating mind-set people of our republic. Can’t digest if this so-called president manages to sleep comfortably in her evenings.
She overcomes (and overcoming) Marcos’ record of human rights violations in history. Is GMA proud of that? I think if this issue would be disclosed internationally, then GMA would be submerged to her own nutty dimwits for her exaggeratingly horrendous administration–a bloody and inequitable one.
hi bikoy, we are moderators of the tigil paslang blogsite for karen and sherlyn. do you mind if we lift your blog entry as well as the GMA cartoon? we will post a link back to your site.
i am sure your fellow iska karen and sherlyn appreciate your thoughts. see you at the sona. we will wait for your response.
the moderators