CHR tells AFP, PNP to produce Burgos in five days, or submit report on investigation; car plate of vehicle used to bring victims traced to Bulacan res

By Ronron
May 3, 2007

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) ordered on Thursday the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to produce the abducted son of press freedom icon Jose Burgos and his two companions within five days.

If not, the two agencies should submit their respective investigation reports to the office of CHR Chairperson Purificacion Quisumbing within the same period.

“Look for him, whether Jonas (Joseph Burgos) is dead or alive. This is an order from the Commission,” said Commissioner Dominador Calamba during yesterday’s en banc session at the CHR head office in Quezon City.

“We are asking for your help,” he added, noting that only the AFP and the PNP have the resources to investigate the alleged abduction incident last April 28 at the Ever Gotesco Mall on Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City.

Present in the session were Chief Supt. German Doria, chief of the PNP Human Rights Office; Lt. Col. Benedicto Jose, chief of the AFP Human Rights Office; Maj. Serme Ayuyao, legal counsel of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP); Supt. Edgardo Wycoco, assistant director of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) – National Capital Region (NCR); and, Chief Inspector Roman Loreto of the PNP Directorate for Investigative and Detective Management (DIDM).

Those who failed to arrive were Maj. Gen. Delfin Bangit, head of ISAFP; Rear Admiral Leonardo Calderon, Deputy Chief for Intelligence of the AFP; and Chief Supt. Geary Barias, DIDM chief and Task Force USIG Commander. Their representatives said the three were on official business missions outside of Metro Manila.

“We would like to state that we are not calling you here to tell you that you abducted the three,” Calamba told the present officials from the PNP and AFP.

Nonetheless, Ayuyao stated that according to the chief of the military intelligence group in the NCR, there was no operation by ISAFP operatives on April 28 along Commonwealth Avenue.

Doria, for his part, said the PNP is continuously investigating the case.

Both gave assurances to the CHR leadership that they will try to comply with its directive.

In a statement later in the day, Barias said investigators have already traced the owner of the license plates attached to the suspects’ and victims’ getaway vehicle to a resident of Norzagaray, Bulacan.

Barias said the plate TAB-194, which was found attached to the Toyota Revo that took away the victims, was registered to a certain Mauro Mudlong, and it was supposed to belong to a 1991 Isuzu utility vehicle.

“Mudlong’s statement will be taken to establish how the car plates registered to his car was transferred to another vehicle,” Barias said.

Quisumbing said Burgos’ mother, Edith, personally went to her office last Wednesday to ask for assistance in the search of his son.

“She (Edith) could not think of any possible motive. But I think it’s related to his affiliation with activists groups, since the family could not think of any enemy of Jonas,” Quisumbing said.

Burgos reportedly used to provide trainings on agricultural technology to members of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, a peasant group linked by authorities with the communist movement of the Philippines.

Of his two companions, only was identified to be a certain Melissa Reyes, while the other guy remains unidentified.

Barias said police investigators have already established contact with the family of Burgos and is backtracking his last activities.

“We are giving preferential attention to this particular case because of the status of the person involved whose father is considered a national figure in promoting press freedom,” Barias said./DMS