AFP to turn over men involved in Fil-Am’s alleged torture, abduction

The military men involved in the alleged torture and abduction of Filipino-American activist Melissa Roxas would be placed under the custody of proper authorities once there is enough proof to nail them, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) vowed on Friday. AFP spokesperson Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner Jr. said the military would cooperate in the early resolution of the case. "Pag napatunayang may nagkaroon ng abduction at involved ang ating tauhan, personnel di tayo maghe-hesitate i-turnover ang taong ito sa authorities (Once it can be proven that there is an abduction and military personnel are involved, we will not hesitate to turn them over to the proper authorities)," Brawner said in an interview over dzXL radio. The AFP's cooperation promptly drew praise from the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), which said the military showed a change of heart from past instances where its officials would engage in alleged "cover-ups." CHR Commissioner Manuel Mamauag noted that the AFP sent senior officers and even some lawyers to the hearing on Thursday. "Parang nagbago na nga eh. Medyo salute din ako sa AFP as an organization. Very cooperative sila (It’s as if the AFP had changed. I salute it as an organization. They've been very cooperative)," Mamauag said in a separate interview on dzXL. No concrete evidence yet But the military had already downplayed Roxas' accusation, saying it has no sufficient basis. In fact, the victim's description of the area where she was brought did not match the military camp in Nueva Ecija, said Lt. Col. Hermilo Barrios, lawyer of the Army's 7th Infantry Division. "Walang nag ta-tally kahit isa sa mga sinabi niya. Wala naman talagang (The things she says do not tally, there really is no) evidence," Barrios told reporters on Thursday. During the hearing, Roxas tagged the military for her six-day ordeal. "I confirmed that [they were military] when I saw one person in fatigue ... they [also] addressed each other as sirs," she said, "The way the language was used, their type of questions ... I actually heard radios." Barrios however, was quick to say that anybody could have worn a fatigue uniform. In an affidavit she executed last June, Roxas, a member of the militant Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) US-chapter said she and her companions, John Edward Jandoc and Juanito Carabeo, were abducted by 15 armed men on May 19 before being released on the 25th. She said she was interrogated, tortured, and was accused of being a member of the New People’s Army (NPA). She named "RC", "Dex", "Rose", "James," and a man they called "Boss" or "Sir" as her torturers. She recounted that she was detained in two separate cells during the ordeal and that the gate of the location was worn out. She also described the roads around the area as bumpy. The activist added that she heard planes taking off and landing in the area. She also heard gunshots in a firing range nearby. CHR chairperson Leila De Lima confirmed the presence of an air strip, several firing ranges, near Fort Magsaysay when they inspected the alleged detention earlier this month. But Barrios said the roads around Fort Magsaysay were concrete and were not "bumpy." He also said that Fort Magsaysay has only one detention cell and its gates are new. He also submitted to the CHR a list of 19 other sites along the area that might match Roxas’ description. "Hayaan na lang natin si Chairman De Lima mag-decide kung nagsasabi ng totoo [Let’s just let Chairman De Lima decide who’s telling the truth]," he said. A separate AFP investigation Brawner said the AFP would have to conduct its own investigation to identify the five personnel Roxas named when she testified before the CHR. "I cannot quite make out the names. We will have to investigate it too. But the CHR can be assured of our cooperation. If they need to clear things up with us, or visit our camps, they are free to do so," he said in Filipino. Finding the suspects Roxas said she would be able to identify at least two of her captors should she be given the chance to face them. She also said she would able to identify a woman named "Rose" who took care of her during the ordeal. "I saw her face at least twice but pretended not seeing anyone because they [the abductors] told me that if I saw anyone I would never be able to leave that place," she said. On Friday, Roxas would be asked to help create a sketch of her abductors. Roxas is also set to appear before the Court of Appeals (CA) on May 30 in connection with a petition for a writ of amparo she filed before leaving for the United States last month. The writ is a remedy available to any person whose right to life, liberty, and security is violated or threatened with violation by an unlawful act or omission. It was conceived to solve extrajudicial killings and forced disappearances in the country in recent years. The writ denies respondents, such as government authorities and private individuals and entities, the defense of simple denial. The Fil-Am activist is also set to return to the United States after appearing before the CA. - with Kimberly Jane T. Tan, GMANews.TV