Filipina American health worker abducted

We received news on Saturday about a friend and constituent who had moved to the Philippines to be a health worker administering medical aid to those in need.
She was abducted by gunpoint from a farmers' house where she was staying , mouth duct taped and eyes blindfolded.

Maybe it was because she was an American citizen but six days after her abduction,
she was surfaced yet her two companions (also health workers) are still missing.

May 26, 2009

While happy that Filipino-American activist Melissa Roxas was surfaced yesterday morning, the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan said that the search for her companions Juanito Carabeo and John Edward Handoc continues.

“It is regrettable that military and the police are either clueless or in a state of denial over the abductions of Roxas, Carabeo and Handoc. We are demanding the immediate surfacing of Carabeo and Handoc and an end to the pattern of enforced disappearances happening under the Arroyo regime. We call on Gloria Macapagal Arroyo herself to address the issue of the abduction of the three activists,” said Bayan secretary general Renato M. Reyes, Jr.

“The military in Tarlac claims that no such abduction took place. Are they not aware of a formal report filed by the La Paz police? We are again seeing the start of a wave of denial from the military. It is very unlikely that the military does not know the incident. They may be trying to cover up something,” Reyes said.

The three were abducted last May 19 in La Paz, Tarlac by at least eight armed men wearing bonnets and on board two motorcycles and a Besta van. The account came from the report of the La Paz police after receiving a complaint from witnesses in the abduction.

Roxas was surfaced after six days of being disappeared. The circumstances regarding her release are still unknown.

“We are holding the Arroyo government responsible for the abduction or Roxas and the continued disappearnce of Carabeo and Handoc. The manner of abduction has all the trademarks of a mliitary operation,” Reyes said.
Bayan’s chapter in the US has undertaken a campaign to release Roxas, Carabeo and Handoc.

“The abductors of Carabeo and Handoc must respect their rights. No harm must come to them. Too many have been abucted under this regime, some tortured, others never seen again. And since no one has been punished, there is now impunity,” Reyes said.

“What is needed now is to exert more pressure on the Arroyo regime to do everythin to surface the two abducted activists. We also hope that the United States government would stop supporting the Arroyo regime now that an American citizen has been a victim of abduction by suspected state security forces,” he added. ###

Urgent Action: Help stop the lies and gov't cover up of Melissa Roxas, Carabeo, Handoc!

Dear Friends,

We urgently need your help to stop the lies and government cover up of the abductions of Melissa Roxas, Juanito Carabeo, and Edward Handoc. Please take a minute to call or fax the Philippine Embassy in Washington DC to demand that they remove their posting of the PHRC statement. See below for details. Many of you have been asking how you can help. Following these steps takes only a few minutes and can go a long way to achieving justice for Roxas, Carabeo, and Handoc.

Thank you in advance for your support!
AnakBayan LA

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Background:
On May 27, the Philippine Embassy posted on its website a statement by the Arroyo government’s Presidential Human Rights Commission (PHRC), “UPDATE ON THE RECENT ALLEGED ABDUCTION OF MELISSA ROXAS, JUANITO CARABEO, AND EDWARD HANDOC AS REPORTED BY KARAPATAN AND BAYAN.” The statement made baseless claims that the abduction was fabricated and involved the New People’s Army (NPA).

Simple review of the statement revealed that it was filled with factual errors and outrageous speculations. Release of the statement is clearly a propaganda tactic by the Arroyo administration to shift blame and absolve itself of responsibility for the triple abduction and the human rights violations being committed under its watch. Moreover, the statement makes dangerous accusations that imperil the investigation of the abduction of and the justice due to Melissa, Juanito and John Edward; advance Arroyo’s “Oplan Bantay Laya” campaign that has already resulted in the targeting of civilians; and undermine the credibility of BAYAN and KARAPTAN.

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Action:

The BAYAN-USA Executive Committee urges all BAYAN-USA members and allies to act urgently to stop the Philippine government’s cover-up of the triple abduction. We are calling for the following actions:

1. Circulate the BAYAN-USA statement denouncing the PHRC’s statement. The statement is pasted below and attached.
2. Fax and Phone Barrage: Contact the Philippine Embassy in Washington DC to demand that they remove their posting of the PHRC statement. Include a copy of the official police reports (click here for La Paz Police Report and Pacer Police Letter) on the abduction case. Sample text for a fax cover sheet and a sample phone script are at the end of this memo. The Philippine Embassy can be contacted at:

Phone: 202-467-9300
Fax: 202-467-9417

FYI : When you call the Philippine Embassy, you have to navigate the voice mail system. You can direct your call to their press and public affairs office (press 3 and then 4 when prompted). If the receptionist refuses to patch your call through to the person in charge of press/public affairs leave a message and tell them you'll fax the police reports.
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Sample Fax Sheet Text:

Dear Ambassador Gaa, I am writing to demand that the Philippine Embassy remove its website posting of the PHRC statement on the abduction of Roxas, Carabeo and Handoc, on the grounds that the statement contains major inaccuracies and dangerous speculations which jeopardize a fair and thorough investigation into the incident, including the false claim that a police report was not filed. For your information, a copy of the filed police report is attached. In the interest of protecting the integrity of this case, I urge the Embassy to remove the statement immediately.

Sample Script:

“Hello, my name is _______________. I am calling to demand that the Philippine Embassy remove its website posting on the abduction of Roxas, Carabeo and Handoc. The statement published on the website is filled with factual errors and wild speculations which jeopardize the investigation of the abductions. The statement must be removed from the website immediately.”