2 FILIPINAS ABDUCTED BY MILITARY WERE ALSO SEXUALLY ABUSED

sfbayarea gabriela network wrote:

NEWS RELEASE
November 13, 2006

Reference: EMMI DE JESUS, GABRIELA Secretary General 09173221203,

3712302

2 NGO WOMEN-WORKERS ABDUCTED BY THE MILITARY WERE ALSO SEXUALLY ABUSED—GABRIELA

The militant women's group GABRIELA revealed that the two young
women-workers of a non-government organization in North Cotabato
were also sexually molested by their military abductors.

According to reports submitted to GABRIELA, on November 4, 2006, Lourilie Naiz, 22, and Mary Bernadette Solitario, 21, both staff of Disaster Response Center (DIRECT) were abducted by plainclothes men armed with.45 caliber pistols. DIRECT is a community-based disaster management institution where Naiz is its field officer in charge of its socio-economic programs for internally displaced peasant families, while Solitario is one of the DIRECT's literacy-numeracy teachers.

The reports stated that the armed men were not only in civilian
clothes but they rode motorcycle without a plate number. Naiz and
Solitario were forced to get inside a pick-up truck, which also did
not have a plate number, and were brought to Camp Sumabat of the
39th Infantry Battalion in Makilala, North Cotabato Province. The
motorcycle followed the pick-up truck but turned left and entered
the 27th IB Camp at Brgy. New Panay, Tulunan Town of the same
province.

The two were blindfolded and detained in separate rooms. Both were
interrogated without the presence of a lawyer with interrogators
insisting they were members of the NPA. Bernadette, accused by her
interrogators of having a hand grenade in her bag and of having
participated in the Makilala bombings of October 10 this year,
experienced minor physical assault as she was beaten. She was
commanded to take off her clothes.

Lourilie, on the other hand, was threatened to be buried alive if
she will not admit to her membership with the NPA and her
participation in a detachment attack in Brgy. Bituan on November 1.
Their interrogation continued overnight.

On the following day, they were forced to take off their clothes
while blindfolded. After an hour, Lourilie was transferred to
another place about 15 minutes travel from the camp and again, she
was interrogated. Bernadette was informed that Lourilie was already
buried and was threatened to be the next if she will not admit to
being an NPA member. The two met again in the afternoon, and were
brought to a physician for a medical check-up, and then they were
turned over to the Tulunan Police at around 8 p.m. A certain George
Reyes of the ISAFP signed the PNP logbook.

The families of Naiz and Solitario reported to the police about
their missing daughters in the morning of November 5. And with their town mayor, they went to the 27th IB camp in Brgy. Kablon, Tupi, South Cotabato, however, the commanding officer of the military unit denied having the two women inside their camp.

Still according to the reports, Lourilie suffered trauma and is
still in a state of shock. She is frightened whenever she sees men
in uniform, and tinted cars, pick-up trucks and motorcycles. She
still trembles every time she recalls her interrogation, her hand
being pulled, her transfer to an unrecognized place and how she was
made to undress while blindfolded and the hands of her abductors
touching her body. Lourilie was also psychologically harmed by the
incident especially that the military took a photo of her holding a
small placard with "CAPTURED" and as "FSMR LIAISON OFFICER OF THE
NPA" on it.

Emmi de Jesus, secretary general of GABRIELA, said, "We condemn this grave disrespect of the human rights of Solitario and Naiz shown by the military in this incident. Their abduction, illegal detention
and sexual molestation by the military is deplorable."

GABRIELA also condemns the military's statement that the two young women were just "invited" for questioning. "Who does the military want to fool when they claim that the incident was just
an `invitation' if the victims were forcibly taken at gunpoint,
blindfolded, threatened, sexually molested and beaten?"

"This incident is just the latest case demonstrating the military's
grave lack of recognition of due processes and, more especially, of
human rights. This is not an isolated case," add de Jesus, citing
the illegal arrest and detention of four GABRIELA leaders in Quezon
Province on March 2005. The four women leaders of GABRIELA were in community consultations regarding the presence of US troops in the area for joint "war games" at the time of their abduction.

"We likewise denounce the military's employment of sexual abuse on
women arrested and detained. Apparently, employment of sexual
molestation is part of the military's tactic to demoralize and
weaken the women's resistance while were being held by the military.
Another proof of this is the case of Angie Ipong, a 60-year-old
peace advocate who experienced sexual molestation form her military abductors during interrogation and detention. She was also abducted in Mindanao in March 2005."

"We demand that military elements and officials involved in the
Tulunan abduction be held responsible. We cannot remain silent while
these atrocious acts are being committed against women who are
deemed as true public servants. The perpetrators cannot simply
commit crimes against the people and leave scot-free," de Jesus
concluded. ###

NEWS RELEASE
Nobyembre 13, 2006

Reference: EMMI DE JESUS, GABRIELA Secretary General 09173221203,
3712302

2 KABABAIHANG NGO WORKERS NA DINUKOT, BIKTIMA RIN NG PANG-AABUSONG
SEKSWAL NG MILITAR—GABRIELA

Ibinunyag ng militanteng grupo ng kababaihan na ang dalawang babaeng NGO workers sa North Cotabato ay sekswal na minolestiya rin ng mga militar na dumukot sa kanila.

Batay sa mga report na nakarating sa GABRIELA, noong Nobyembre 4,
2006, sina Lourilie Naiz, 22, at Mary Bernadette Solitario, 21,
parehong staff ng Disaster Response Center (DIRECT) ay dinukot ng
mga nakasibilyang kalalakihan na armado ng .45 kalibreng baril. Ang
DIRECT ay isang community-based disaster management institution kung saan si Naiz ay field officer nito habang si Solitario naman ay
isang guro para sa programang literacy-numeracy ng DIRECT.

Ayon pa sa report, lulan ng motorsiklong walang plate number ang mga kalalakihan. Pilit na pinasakay sa isang pick-up truck na wala ring plate number sina Naiz at Solitario at dinala sa Camp Sumabat ng
39th Infantry Battalion sa Makilala, North Cotabato. Nakasunod ang
motorsiklo sa pick-up truck ngunit lumiko ito at pumasok sa kampo ng
27th IB sa Brgy. New Panay, bayan ng Tulunan ng parehong probinsya.

Piniringan sina Naiz at Solitario at idinetine sa magkahiwalay na
silid. Buong gabi silang dumanas ng interogasyon nang walang abugado habang pilit na pinaaaming mga miyembro sila ng NPA. Inakusahan din si Bernadette na may hand gernade diumanong nakuha sa kanyang bag at kasama diumano siya sa pambobomba sa Makilala nitong Oktubre 10. Dumanas din siya ng pambubugbog mula sa kanyang mga interrogators at pinaghubad siya ng mga ito.

Sa kabilang banda, pinagbantaan naman si Lourilie na ililibing siya
nang buhay kung hindi niya aamining kasapi siya ng NPA at kasama sa naganap na pag-atake ng NPA sa isang detatsment ng militar sa Brgy. Bituan nitong Nobyembre 1.

Nang sumunod na araw, pinaghubad ang dalawa habang nakapiring.
Matapos ang isang oras, 15 minutong ibinyahe si Lourilie upang
ilipat sa ibang lugar sa labas ng kampo kung saan muli siyang
ininterogeyt. Sinabihan naman si Bernadette na inilibing na nang
buhay si Lourilie at tinakot na isusunod siya kung hindi siya aamin
bilang kasapi ng NPA. Muling nagkita ang dalawa nang pinagsama sila
kinahapunan at dinala sa isang duktor para sa medical check-up bago
itinurn-over sa Tulunan Police nang bandang alas 8 nang gabi. Isang
nagngangalang George Reyes ng ISAFP ang pumirma sa logbook ng PNP.

Nagreport sa pulisya noong umaga ng Nobyembre 5 ang mga pamilya nina Naiz at Solitario hinggil sa pagkawala ng dalawa. Kasama ang mayor ng kanilang bayan, nagtungo rin sila sa kampo ng 27th IB sa Brgy. Kablon, Tupi, South Cotabato, ngunit itinanggi ng commanding officer ng militar na nasa loob ng kampo ang dalawa.

Ayon pa sa mga report, dumanas si Lourilie ng trauma at hanggang sa
ngayon ay tulala. Nakakaramdam siya ng takot tuwing nakakakita siya ng kalalakihang nakauniporme at mga sasakyang tinted, pick-up trucks at motorsiklo. Nanginginig pa rin siya tuwing naaalala niya ang
interogasyon sa kanya, ang paghila sa kanyang kamay, ang pagdala sa
kanya sa hindi niya malamang lugar at kung paano siya hinubaran
habang may piring at hinipu-hipuan ang iba't ibang bahagi ng kanyang katawan. Dumanas din si Lourilie ng sikolohikal na karahasan nang pinahawak siya ng militar ng maliit na plakard na may nakasulat na "CAPTURED" at "FSMR LIAISON OFFICER OF THE NPA" rito at kinunan
ng litrato.

Sinabi ni Emmi de Jesus, pangkalahatang kalihimk ng
GABRIELA, "Mariin naming kinokondena ang malalang di-paggalang sa
karapatang pantao nina Solitario at Naiz na ipinakita ng militar sa
insidenteng ito. Ang pagdukot, iligal na pagdetine at sekswal na
pangmomolestiya sa kanila ng militar ay kasuklam-suklam."

Tinuligsa rin ng GABRIELA ang pahayag ng militar na ang dalawang
kababaihan ay "inimbitahan" lamang para sa pagtatanong ng
militar. "Sino'ng niloloko ng militar para sabihin
nilang `imbitasyon' lamang ang naganap kung ang mga biktima ay
sapilitang dinukot, tinutukan ng baril, piniringan, pinagbantaan ng
buhay at binugbog?"

"Pinakahuling kaso lamang ito ng pagpapakita ng militar ng kanilang
kawalan ng pagkilala sa tamang proseso ng batas at, lalo na, sa
karapatang pantao. Hindi ito hiwalay na kaso," dagdag pa ni de
Jesus, habang tinukoy ang iligal na pag-aresto at pagdetine ng
militar sa apat na lider ng GABRIELA sa Quezon Province noong Marso
2005. Ang apat ay nasa konsultasyon sa komunidad noon kaugnay sa
presensya ng mga tropang Kano sa lugar para sa "war games" nang sila
ay dinukot.

"Mariin din naming kinokondena ang paggamit ng militar sa pang-
aabusong sekswal sa kababaihang inaaresto at/o idinedetine nila. Ang
pangmomolestiya ay bahagi ng taktika ng militar para idemoralisa at
pahinain ang loob ng kababaihang "hawak" nila. Isa pang halimbawa
nito ay ang ginawang pangmomolestiya kay Angie Ipong, isang 60-year-
old peace advocate, ng mga militar na dumukot din sa kanya. Dinukot
si Angie sa Mindanao noong Marso 2005 at hanggang sa kasalukuyan ay nakakulong.

"Hinihiling namin na mapanagot ang mga elemento ng militar gayundin ang mga opisyal nito na sangkot sa mga kaso na ito. Hindi tayo maaaring manahimik habang ginagawa ang mga ganitong kahindik-hindik na paglabag sa karapatan ng kababaihan at mamamayan. Hindi maaaring basta-basta na lamang gumagawa ng krimen ang mga maysala nang hindi napaparusahan," pagtatapos ni de Jesus. ###

GABRIELA Network is oldest, and only national Philippine-US women's solidarity mass organization, since 1989.
GABNet provides the means by which Filipinas in the US can empower themselves, functions as training ground for women's leadership, and articulates the women's point of view. GABNet effects change through organizing, educating, fundraising, networking, and advocacy.

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