Karen and Sherlyn Commemoration Week in the Philippines

On June 26. 20006, two University of the Philippines Karen Empeño, Sherlyn Cadapan and Manuel Marino, were abducted by unidentifible men while doing research in a farm community of Hagony, Bulacan.

When I was in the Philippines in November of 2007,  I met Erlinda Cadapan (Karen’s mother) while going to a viewing  of the Batasan bombing victim 54 yr old driver, Marcial Taldo, for Gabriela Partylist Representative Luz Ilangan. Connie narrated  how the Raymund Manalo and his brother escaped from their capturers and have attested of meeting Sherlyn and Karen while they were in Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Camp Tecson in San Miguel, Bulacan.

Manalo testified that Karen told him that she was being molested and raped by army personel who used the names Mickey, Donald and Billy. Manlo described the details of what the three men looked like.

Erlinda went on to add that Manalo stated they were all transfered to the 24th Infantry Battalion (IB) camp in Limay, Bataan where the two women  were tortured, taunted, touched and had wooden sticks inserted inside their sex organs.

Manuel was said  to have witnessed the murder of two suspected realtives of New People’s Army (NPA) guerillas.

Manalo said that he last saw the two women after they were taken to the forrest and when they returned the next morning the two women were no longer sited.

Next week in the Philippines there will be a week of commemoration for Sherlyn and Karen…..

In light of the third year anniversary of the involuntary disappearance of UP students Karen Empeno and Sherlyn Cadapan on June 26,2006, the Student Christian Movement of the Philippines(SCMP), University Student Council UP Diliman(USC-UPD), Student Alliance for the Advancement of Democratic Rights in UP(STAND-UP), and Kabataan Partylist, will be conducting week long activities to commemorate their bravery and steadfastness. The schedule of activities are as follows:

From June 23-26, there will be a photo exhibit featuring updates,photo and video documentary of Karen and She at the Gallery I, Faculty Center, UP Diliman.

On June 23, an ecumenical mass will be held at the Parish of the Holy Sacrifice in UP Diliman from 6:00-7:00PM

On June 24, there will be a forum, in coordination with the UP Faculty, on the current human rights situation in the Philippines at CM Recto Hall, Faculty Center, UP Diliman, fron 1:00-3:00PM

On June 26, there will be a free concert for peace and freedom entitled: HULING BALITA 2 from 4pm-12am. This will be held at the UP Sunken Garden and will feature popular acts and homegrown UP bands such as Brownman Revival, Giniling Festival, Datu’s Tribe, The Wuds, The Jerks, and the UP Repertory Company.

ANNA TEJERO
Student Christian Movement of the Philippines-UP Diliman Chapter
09156885716

We are Melissa Roxas

We are the eyes that see,
the ears that listen,
the voice that tell their stories.
We are Melissa Roxas.

We fight for the people,
give medical care for the
sick and poor,
protect those in danger,
seek those who are missing,
feed the hungry.
We are Melissa Roxas.

We are silenced,
abducted,
beatened.


We are Melissa Roxas.

We are Jonas Burgos,

Sherlyn Cadapan,

Karen Empeno,

and many others.

The things that we have in common with Melissa are the same fire and passion to help those who are in need. We strive to provide the basic human rights like health care and fare wages/jobs  that our governments have vowed to provide but cannot.

Does the government view helping people as a threat that they have to use the military to intimidate and abduct people?

Witnesses have testified that hooded men on motorcycles with heavily armed weapons patrol around the areas and making their way to where their targets are. A van usually follows the caravan  of motorcycles. They grab their targets, force them into the van and drive off.

Melissa is one of few who have surfaced from their abductors, however,  many of the desaparecidos (abducted) still remain missing. Many of those who escaped say they were tortured, sexually abused, beatened and more.

For more information and updates on the human rights issue in the Philippines click: Karapatan: Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights