MANILA, Philippines -- The witness testified he saw the missing student in a military camp where he had been taken after he was kidnapped by paramilitary soldiers last year.

A farmer Tuesday told the Court of Appeals that he saw the missing student of the University of the Philippines, Sherlyn Cadapan, chained to a bed in a military camp in Bulacan. Raymond Manalo testified during a hearing on an amparo petition filed by the mothers of Cadapan and Karen Empeño, another missing UP student, to stop the military from harming their daughters as well as Manuel Merino, who was allegedly abducted with the women. The mothers are seeking the release of the three.

The Supreme Court earlier issued a writ of amparo directing the appellate court to conduct a hearing on the mothers’ petition to determine if there is basis to grant their plea for the protection of their daughters.

Cadapan, 30, a community organizer for Anakbayan, and Empeño, 23, a member of the leftist League of Filipino Students, were allegedly abducted in June 2006 along with Merino, 57.

Manalo, 33, and his brother Reynaldo, 23, were allegedly abducted from their homes in San Ildefonso, Bulacan, in February 2006 by troops of the paramilitary Citizen Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu).

The Manalo brothers, who have been accused of being guerrillas of the communist New People’s Army and of killing a Cafgu member, escaped reportedly from military detention in August and are now under amparo protection.

The military has been accused of involvement in the kidnapping of the students and their companion and of the Manalo brothers—a charge denied by the military.

Manalo yesterday testified he first saw the UP students at Camp Tecson in Bulacan, which was used by the 24th Infantry Battalion, in September last year.

He said he met Cadapan first and added that he managed to talk to her because he had been ordered to clean the barracks where they were detained.

They talked freely

“We could talk and exchange stories freely. Sherlyn was in chains, but I was not. I was the one who cleaned the room,” Manalo testified.

Manalo said Cadapan’s foot was chained to a double-deck bed.

He said he and Cadapan, who wore fatigue shorts and a T-shirt, talked about their lives, and that the student had mentioned her parents. She told him that she had been abducted by the military.

Empeño and Merino arrived at Camp Tecson two days after he met Cadapan, Manalo said. They were brought to a separate room. He said Cadapan told him that she recognized their voices.

Under questioning, Manalo narrated that he, his brother and the UP students were later brought to Limay, Bataan, from Camp Tecson.

Captives moved around

He said he was unsure if the place in Limay was a military camp because what he saw were nipa huts. The Manalo brothers and the UP students also were brought to a safehouse in Iba, Zambales, Manalo said.

Later, the group was returned to Limay, where the students were separated from Reynaldo Manalo. He last saw the UP students in June.

Manalo also identified Cadapan, Empeño and an Oscar Leuterio through pictures shown to him by Rex Fernandez, the lawyer of the students' mothers. Manalo said he saw the three while in detention.

Leuterio was allegedly abducted in April last year and had testified that he saw the students in a Nueva Ecija military camp in June 2006.

Jonas Burgos case

On the case of missing activist Jonas Burgos, his mother Edita announced yesterday that she would petition the Court of Appeals today to issue a writ of amparo and order the military to release him immediately in a bid “to fast-track our search for him.”

The son of the late press freedom icon Jose “Joe” Burgos Jr. was kidnapped from a shopping mall in Quezon City on April 28. His family said the military was responsible.

In Iloilo City, the families of two abducted activists filed on Monday with the Regional Trial Court a petition for a writ of amparo to compel the government to release Ma. Luisa Posa-Dominado and Nilo Arado and to look into places where they may be detained.

Arado and Dominado were abducted in Oton town in Iloilo on April 12 after their vehicle was ambushed. Their companion, human rights worker Jose Ely Garachico, was shot and seriously wounded and was left behind. With reports from TJ Burgonio and Nestor P. Burgos Jr., Inquirer Visayas