Bayan Muna: Coordinator was tortured

During the three days he was missing, a coordinator of Bayan Muna party-list in the Southern Mindanao region allegedly underwent torture at the hands of the military. This was the claim of Bayan Muna, which said it is now conducting its own investigation into the abduction of Gilbert Rey Cardiño, whom police said had "surfaced" last Friday. In a statement posted on online news site MindaNews (www.mindanews.com) Saturday night, the group said it plans to use the findings, along with Cardiño’s statements, to file charges against suspected military elements. Cardiño was among the first victims of political repression after the elections following the forced disappearance of farmer-activist Jonas Burgos last April 28. He is the third to be abducted in South Cotabato since last year. "Cardiño, 27, a regional coordinator of Bayan Muna Socsargen, surfaced after three days of mental and physical torture since his abduction last June 6 in Barangay Pangasinan, Barrio Dos, South Cotabato by suspected military elements linked with retired Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan’s Oplan Bantay Laya machinery," it said. “The trauma and physical injury suffered by Gilbert Cardiño was excruciating that he remains shocked as of press time," Bayan Muna Southern Mindanao regional coordinator Jeppie Ramada added. Ramada said the group's investigation has so far uncovered important leads to the identification of the perpetrators. “We are reiterating the participation of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in this yet another case of political repression basing on the statement of the witnesses and the pattern in which the abduction of Cardiño appears very similar to other operations of political killings and repression in the country," Ramada said. He added Cardino's abduction goes to show that the Arroyo government is "bent in pursuing and intensifying political repression." Ramada said the last elections have shown the still overwhelming people's support for Bayan Muna despite massive and nationwide campaign for electoral fraud and militarization. “We urge the people, the local government units in Southern Mindanao and other concerned human rights groups to join in claiming the justice for all the victims of political killings and repression in the country," he said. - GMANews.TV