2 ‘missing’ environment activists say they were abducted by military

The two environmental activists who were earlier reported missing on Tuesday denied that they surrendered to government authorities, saying they were abducted by the military.

Jhed Tamano, 22, and Jonila Castro, 21, were presented in a press conference of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) to debunk the claims of abductions.

However, the two said that they were indeed abducted.

“Ang tanong na dinukot ba kami o kusa kaming nag-surrender. Ang totoo po ay dinukot kami ng mga militar sakay ng van,” Castro said.

(On the question if we were abducted or we surrendered, the truth is we were abducted by military personnel onboard a van.)

Castro said the military threatened them to force them to surrender, and that the content of the affidavit they signed was false.

“Napilitan din kami na sumurrender dahil pinagbantaan ang buhay namin. Iyon po ang totoo. Hindi rin namin ginusto na mapunta kami sa kustodiya ng militar. Hindi rin totoo iyong laman ng affidavit dahil ginawa, pinirmahan iyon sa loob ng kampo ng militar. Wala na kaming magagawa sa pagkakataon na iyon,” she said.

(We were forced to surrender because they threatened our lives. That’s the truth. We also do not want to be in military custody. The content of the affidavit is not true because it was done and signed inside the military camp. We cannot do anything during that time.)

On Friday, the NTF-ELCAC said the two activists surrendered to the Philippine Army’s 70th Infantry Battalion (70IB) in Doña Remedios Trinidad in Bulacan province on September 12.

According to the NTF-ELCAC, the two are linked to the rebel group New People’s Army (NPA).

But according to Tamano, she and Castro were walking on the street on the night of September 2 when an SUV stopped in front of them. She said they were forced to get inside the vehicle.

“Noong gabi po ng September 2, naglalakad lang po kami sa kalsada nang meron pong dumukot sa amin. May tumigil na SUV sa harap namin tapos dinukot po kami. Tapos pinilit kaming pasamahin sa kanila. Iyon po ang totoo. Akala po namin sindikato pero kilala po kami,” she said.

(On the night of September 2, we were just walking on the street when we were abducted. An SUV stopped in front of us and took us. We were forced to join them. That’s the truth. We thought they were members of a criminal syndicate but they knew us.)

Castro said the individuals who abducted them introduced themselves as military. She added that she saw 70IB or 70th Infantry Battalion written on the paper during an interrogation.

Two activists 'rescued'

Lieutenant  Colonel Ronnel dela Cruz, commanding officer of the 70IB, meanwhile, maintained that Castro and Tamano had surrendered to authorities.

“Kami po hindi po namin alam iyong sinasabi na po na iyon na event nila. Ang naging ano po ng 70IB roon ay ang pagre-rescue po natin na na-report po sa amin,” he said in the same press conference.

(We are not aware of what they are saying as to happened to them. What the 70IB only did was to rescue them after they were reported to us.)

He also said the 70IB just helped the two process their surrender.

“Ang pinanghahawakan po natin kasi pumirima po sila ng kustodiya po. Pumirma po sila ng papel. Ang tingin po namin pala ay ito ay pagtulong na amin silang tutulungan sa kanilang pag-surrender, so kaya inaayos namin ang proseso,” he added.

(We are standing by on the paper they signed for custody. We saw it as our help for them to surrender so we were conducting the appropriate process.)

Dela Cruz said an informant had reported the two activists to authorities. On September 12, the military pursued the two and initiated a negotiation.

While standing by the report of the military, NTF-ELCAC director Alexander Umpar said the task force is ensuring that the government would continue to give assistance to Castro and Tamano.

“My thoughts on this kailangan pa rin natin tulungan iyong ating dalawang nagbalik-loob sa atin sa gobyerno,” Umpar said.

(My thoughts on this is we should still help these two people who returned to the fold of the government.)

Call for release

Meanwhile, a group calling itself Environmental Defenders Congress (EDC) is demanding the "immediate and unconditional release" of Tamano and Castro after they admitted that they were abducted by the military.

"This admission, made even under duress and undeniable coercion, exposed the undeniable truth that Jhed and Jonila were taken by state agents and targeted for their environmental defense — as we have suspected since the day they went missing," the group said in a statement.

The group described the two as "dedicated environmental defenders who have been unwavering in their commitment to protect our marine ecosystems from the irreparable damage caused by large-scale reclamation projects."

"We call upon the authorities to ensure the safety, security, and well-being of Jhed and Jonila during this critical time," EDC said.

Peer pressure

When sought for comment, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said he hoped he could help Tamano and Castro if they were telling the truth, but added that he believes this was brought about by “peer pressure.”

“If there’s any truth to it, good luck. I hope that we can help these people kung meron talagang masamang ginawa. Pero ang tingin ko dito ay peer pressure ang tawag dito,” Remulla said in a media briefing.

[If there’s any truth to it, good luck. I hope that we can help these people if there is something bad that is done. But I think this was peer pressure.]

“Kasi ang pamilya nila, hindi naman nag ingay. The parents actually did not raise hell on this matter. ‘Yung political groups lang ang maingay tungkol dito,” he added.

[Because their family did not say anything. The parents actually did not raise hell on this matter, only the political groups.]

He said the Department of Justice will look into the situation.

“Pero ang tingin ko naman, the government has nothing to gain by violating the law. I think that is very clear to all of us that we do not want to violate the law as government officials,” he said.

[But I think the government has nothing to gain by violating the law. I think that is very clear to all of us that we do not want to violate the law as government officials.]—With Joahna Lei Casilao/KBK/LDF, GMA Integrated News