VP LENI ROBREDO: AN OPEN LETTER

 

April 28, 2022
Vice President Maria Leonor G. Robredo Dear VP Leni:

Greetings of peace and grace!

At this critical point of history in our country, the Philippines, I believe that each Filipino parent has that God-given opportunity to act concretely to secure a better future for their children.

I am one such parent and I choose to act. Unlike, most parents though, I have lost a son to enforced disappearance. My son Jonas Burgos, was taken in April 28, 2007. We commemorate his 15th anniversary of abduction with the same vigor and determination. Yet, though with sadness, in the spirit of joining our will to God’s will and accepting reality as it is, we look at this year’s commemoration in the context of the present socio-political situation in our country and endeavor to open new doors. This perspective has given us hope.

Hope to find the truth, hope to obtain justice, hope to be able to continue our response to our baptismal promise to ‘work for justice and peace in the world’ ... by helping the poor, the voiceless, and the oppressed, now fill our hearts. We have been praying for this hope to come.

Drawing confidence from what I have heard about your track record, your values from your speeches, and interviews, and seeing how you are drawn to the least served people in our country and most of all knowing that above all you are a caring and loving mother to your children, I take courage in asking you to please be the voice of the voiceless. The victims of enforced disappearance were taken away from the protection of the law, their whereabouts are kept unknown to their families. They are the poorest among the poor because they are voiceless.

I am confident that you will open your heart, the heart of a mother to this mother and to all relatives of victims of enforced disappearance and be the VOICE OF THE VOICELESS by putting the issue of enforced disappearance and the search for justice in your electoral agenda.

With prayers for an honest and peaceful elections and with God’s grace, the victory of the good, the true and the deserving, I place this my appeal in the hands of your and my patroness, Mahal na Ina.

EDITA TRONQUED BURGOS, OCDS Mother of Jonas Burgos

Farewell Chair Chito

The Free Jonas Burgos Movement along with the desaparecidos and the many human rights communities mourn the sudden passing away of Jose Luis Martin ‘Chito’ Gascon, chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights.

It is so sad that just as our hopes of having principled people in government are raised , we loss one of the few leaders who stood fearlessly against those who abused their powers and violated the rights of the people. For more than five years, Chito was a constant source of strength, support and courage for the Free Jonas Burgos Movement.

More than the firm courageous stand he would take when subjected to malicious attacks, we treasure his kind, gentle sincere inquiry into how we were faring every time we met. There was always a gentle assurance that he was always ready to help. The last assistance to a victim he probably extended through his office was to the family of Jonas. There was much more to be done… possibly a permanent relief to families left by victims of enforced disappearance. Yet this is not meant to be. Farewell Chair Chito. Go in peace to our real Homeland where there is true peace and justice. May the heavenly Father welcome you into His embrace. You will be terribly missed. FJBM shall continue to be vigilant and even as Davids, we shall fight the Goliaths for the sake of truth and justice.#

ON OUR 12TH YEAR COMMEMORATION (By Mary Ann Burgos)

Three days after my daughter was discharged from a 5-day stay in the hospital, we got the news about the delisting. 625 names, one name of which is my husband’s, Jonas Joseph Burgos.

A solo-parent for 12 years since Jonas’ abduction, day to day living has not been easy for my daughter and myself. And to hear that the government has petitioned the UN-WGEID to delist the 625 names! This is like scraping an open wound right to the bone.

Undersecretary Severo Catura of the Presidential Human Rights Committee never consulted any victim or any of their families nor did he get his information from the CHR.

Catura’s premises for the delisting are all false. 

1. Legal reliefs for ED cases such as the Writs of Habeas Corpus and Amparo, do not work. In the case of Jonas, we were granted the Writs. We won the case but Jonas remains missing. The AFP did not comply with the order of the Supreme Court. Plus, Baliaga was acquitted.

2. Compensation or reparation of ED cases is, practically, nil--- ask the families of ED cases now present here. My daughter and I have not received any reparation for the very reason that the AFP continuously deny the fact that my husband is a victim of their abduction despite of the Supreme Court’s ruling that it is, indeed, a case of Enforced Disappearance. Apparently, Catura, his committee, and all others who share his opinion on this issue, have not an inkling of an idea of what the victims of enforced and involuntary disappearance as well as their families are going through and, therefore, should never be given the right to speak for any of us.

They have gone through tremendous lengths of effort in conspiring and covering up every bit of truth of their crime against us and many others like us. This move to delist the 625 cases proves how insincere they are in upholding human rights. They intend to officially/legally disappear completely the victims along with all of us, their families. This is their concept of “closure”.

I have but this to say…so long as we, the families of the desaparecidos, have our breaths, no one can stop us in our fight to surface our disappeared loved ones, for only when they are surfaced, when the whole truth is revealed to the public and the victims and their families given justice and the guilty punished, will there be closure. But even then, no one may have any right to delist anyone’s case. The record of these crimes against the people in the past must always be a constant reminder for all so as never to repeat the same mistakes again.

Twelve Years

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It has been 12 years of constancy in the search for Jonas. No stone was left unturned, no information was ignored, Intervention of all possible agencies, personalities and communities were sought. Commitment to the vows of love and fidelity to the ways of peace urged us on.

The first 6 years was spent in fighting the legal battle until finally the Supreme Court ruled in March, 2013 that Jonas was taken by the Philippine Army of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, declaring that Jonas is an enforced disappearance victim. The case was won but the battle was lost. Jonas has not been returned to the family in spite of the order by the Supreme Court to the military. Worse, the suspect, identified in open court was acquitted. The perpetrators, instead of being punished were promoted and remain free, some are now occupying high government positions.

The next 6 years since then, was a roller coaster of events, new evidence was obtained, submitted to the courts, as a result of which a new investigation started. This was full of promise, but the loss of the key witness relegated the case to 'nowhere'. On hindsight, in the series of events, one sees an invisible hand that caused the loss of the one hope of convicting the suspects. It is a no brainer to see who would benefit at this development.

Yet, we know that there is hope, for what is hidden to man's eyes is revealed at the perfect time. Meanwhile... the family holds on to the just order of the Supreme Court: “Return Jonas to his family.” And for as long as this order is not complied with, we hold the government accountable for Jonas' fate. Clearly, the Supreme Court resolved “ The Philippine Army is accountable for the disappearance of Jonas.” If they do not comply, the officers responsible should be held in contempt.

Today as we commemorate the 12^th year of the abduction of Jonas, we highlight the following realities:

1. The past presidents, Gloria Arroyo and Benigno Aquino III failed to surface Jonas, even after they promised they would help. As commander in chief of the AFP, they could have surfaced Jonas, thus it is easy to conclude, they are part of the cover-up.

2. The legal reliefs do not work in the Philippines. Only when the institutions cooperate to implement and comply, will the laws be effective, thus no wonder, the victims distrust the courts and impunity continues.

3. Under the present dispensation, there is less hope that justice will be obtained for the victims of enforced disappearance. And with the petition to delist the 625 names submitted to the UN-WGEID, the government only reveals their evil design to sweep under the rug, all the cases of enforced disappearance. As if their memories would be erased if they do this.

This is the height of insensitivity to the plight of the families of the victims. We victims need to rethink … what should we do with leaders of a government who are insensitive to the least, the last and the lost?

Unless we find a voice who will represent the disappeared, the voiceless, we, the small people with small voices, may never obtain the justice and peace we are praying for. The challenge is to find that voice.

Our prayer is that the 12 years of the search would be like the other 12s. It is said that 12 “is the number of what is completed'. There are only 12 months in a year, 12 hours in the clock... Lord let it be on this 12^th year that Jonas is found and returned. Let the family be complete on the 12^th year. 

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Statement of Dr. Edita Burgos on the 12^th of the anniversary of abduction of her son Jonas Joseph Burgos