Mother of abducted activist Jonas Burgos concerned about community pantry organizers

Fourteen years since the disappearance of political activist Jonas Burgos, his family has yet to attain justice.

The son of the late freedom fighter Jose Burgos, Jonas Burgos was allegedly abducted by government security forces on April 28, 2007, while having lunch at a restaurant inside Ever Gotesco Mall in Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City.

“Fourteen years have passed, justice is still elusive. Family and friends continue to suffer from the absence of Jonas. Yet we remain steadfast in our demand for justice and the return of Jonas,” Edita, Jonas’ mother, said in a statement commemorating the 14th anniversary of her son's abduction.

“We remember and shall not forget as we continue to let Jonas live in our actions.”

As Edita lamented about Burgos being as active and selfless as community pantry organizers, she expressed worry that these organizers would suffer the same fate as her son after they were linked to the communist movement.

“Based on the human rights records of this government, it is not farfetched,” she said.

Malacañang has already asked government security forces to allow community pantries to operate. Interior Secretary Eduardo Año has even ordered police and local government officials not to interfere with such private initiative amid the alleged red-tagging.

Edita, in her statement, cited the words of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) vice chairperson Hermogenes Esperon Jr., a former Armed Forces chief of staff who said the possible links of pantry organizers to communist rebels will be looked into.

“[T]his is the same general who refused to provide our lawyer with the provost marshal report about the abduction of Jonas, claiming it was just an administrative investigation,” she said.

Edita believes the report, “concluded a few days after the abduction, contained information that could have helped us find Jonas. It was only years after that we saw a copy thanks to a court order. Jonas continues to remain missing.”

Edita in 2019 claimed that previous and current administrations are part of efforts to conceal the location of her son, noting their broken promises and the country's "flawed" justice system.

“We have heard in a homily that ‘When a rich person gives to the poor he is called a saint. But when a poor person gives to the poor, he is called a communist.’ Could this be the reason why Jonas as well as hundreds, nay thousand others were taken?” Edita said. 

Despite this, Edita said they are still holding out hope that her missing son would come home.

“We have confidence, after all ‘I will pay them back,’ says the Lord,“ she said. --Joahna Lei Casilao/KBK, GMA News