Former VP, Burgos family get shabby treatment from AFP during rally

By Ronron
May 25, 2007

Former Vice President Teofisto Guingona, Jr. and the family of missing Joseph Jonas Burgos received a shabby treatment from the military when they attempted on Friday morning to hold a rally in front of its general headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

Edith Burgos, mother of the missing agriculturist, said she went to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) main camp in search for her son but the loud music played before them at its Gate 1 along Santolan Road showed the military’s refusal to listen to her cries.

“We asked them to stop playing the music. What we’re only asking for is that our voices be heard. We asked the commander to tell his men to listen to the voice of a mother looking for her son,” Edith, 63, told reporters.

“But they just said that they are following orders,” she said.

When Edith and Guingona arrived at the rally site at around 11:20 am yesterday, not more than 30 militants from Anakpawis, Bayan and Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas have already begun a demonstration since 10:30 am, calling for the release of Burgos, who was abducted last April 28 from a shopping mall in Quezon City.

The militants were joined by Burgos’ younger brother, JL, who said that one of their purpose in holding the rally at the military headquarters was to demand for the release of the investigation report of the military’s Provost Marshall regarding the license plates attached to the car that was used in abducting Burgos and two other companions.

The license plates, TAB-194, were traced to actually belong to a vehicle impounded at the Philippine Army’s 56th Infantry Battalion headquarters in Norzagaray, Bulacan.

The military leadership said the Provost Marshall investigated the administrative lapses of Corporal Castro Bugalon and Private First Class Jose Villena, the custodian of the impounded vehicle, as well as 56th IB commander Lt. Col. Melquiades Feliciano for command responsibility.

But the criminal aspect or the circumstances surrounding the abduction in particular of Burgos is being investigated by the Philippine National Police.

Bugalon and Villena already showed up to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in Camp Crame on Thursday afternoon and promised to come back on Monday to give their sworn statements.

Feliciano, on the other hand, was also given up to May 31st to appear in the same investigation.

JL said to prove its innocence, the AFP should open all its facilities, like barracks, to inspection to show that indeed his brother is not in their hands.

But just a few minutes after they started their rally, JL and the militants were treated to a loud playing of novelty, pop and disco music coming from the camp gate.

The playing of music lasted until the arrival of Guingona and Edith, and until everyone voluntarily dispersed before 12 noon.

The music includes double-meaning songs like, Jumbo Hotdog (Kaya Mo Ba ‘To?), Pasaway, and Kiliti (Wag D’yan). Other song played were disco music from the 1980’s.

“The music should be stopped because there will be calls for justice here… The message is to release Jonas and all victims of abduction, and justice for the victims,” said Guingona who was in formal attire, wearing a Barong Tagalog.

In a brief talk with the ground commander at the gate, Guingona and Edith were told that they are just following orders about the music-playing, and that they will only stop that if an order is issued.

“It’s sad. We are a family in search for our missing family member. And yet, we get that kind of response from the military,” JL said.

The rally almost resulted to a scuffle when the anti-riot military personnel shoved the placards-bearing militants away from the camp gate using their shields.

What could have been a violent encounter was prevented through the physical intervention of JL, Edith and Guingona, who all stood in the middle.

“We are not here to fight against the government. We are here to look for my son… And we intend to do that peacefully,” Edith said.

“Isn’t it just natural for a mother to look for her son?” she added.

Both Edith and JL said they are convinced that Burgos is in the hands of the military, based on the evidence they have, particularly the license plates.

“All the circumstantial evidence points to them (military) so we hold them responsible,” Edith said. Guingona nodded in agreement, saying that “by all indications,” Burgos is under the custody of the AFP.

in a separate interview, Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro, Public Information Officer of the AFP, denied the allegation. “As far as the information that I have, we don’t have Burgos with us,” Bacarro said.

But he assured that should the investigation of the police find some military personnel to be really involved in the abduction of Burgos, then the full force of the law will be imposed on them.

“It’s not a policy of the AFP to abduct,” Bacarro said.

Told about the loud music-playing for the rallyists who include the former Vice President, Bacarro said: “The music (we played) is universal. It’s very soothing … and the music played could also alleviate the plight of those caught in the middle of the traffic.”

Asked if the military does not see it as a form of disrespect to the former Vice President and to the family, Bacarro replied: “They should also respect that part of the camp… We want to make it clear that we do recognize their right to air their sentiments. However, we are checking if they have the permit to conduct that rally in front of the camp.”/DMS