Daughter refutes mom: I am not missing, brainwashed; I left home willingly

Members of militant group Anakbayan urge the Duterte administration to resume peace talks, release all political prisoners and remove the military from rural communities at a rally near Malacañang Palace in February.—MARIANNE BERMUDEZ/INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — The daughter of a woman, who testified before a Senate inquiry on the alleged recruitment of students by leftist groups, has clarified that she never was missing nor kidnapped, or even brainwashed by Anakbayan.

Alicia Lucena, child of Relissa Lucena who turned emotional during a Senate hearing on Wednesday, insisted on a Facebook post that she left her home voluntarily and nobody forced her to do so.

“Nagpasya akong umalis ng aming bahay dahil lagpas isang buwan na akong naka-house arrest dahil sa kagustuhan kong maglingkod sa bayan. That was so traumatic, lalo na it happened at the hands of my parent na inasahan kong pinaka makakaunawa sana ng aking decisions,” Alicia wrote on social media on Thursday.

Instead, the Far Eastern University (FEU) student insisted that a family problem was the reason why she went away.

“Nandito lang po ako at isang personal na issue ng aming pamilya ang pasya ko na hindi umuwi sa amin,” she added.

On Wednesday, Alicia’s mother revealed that she had considered committing suicide when her daughter left their home and studies to join the militant group Anakbayan.  With her daughter gone for three days, she reported it to authorities.

But that move even created a bigger rift between the mother and daughter.

“Sabi nya po sa akin kalaban na daw ako. Isipin ko daw wala na akong anak,” Lucena recounted during the Senate hearing. “Lumuhod ako sa anak ko. Sabi ko anak, hindi ko naman alam ‘yang mga ganyan… Anak ayusin natin… Sabi nya hindi,  kalaban na daw ako.”

READ: Mothers of minors recruited by leftist groups turn emotional at Senate probe

Contrary to her mother’s statements, however, Alicia claimed that Anakbayan did nothing to brainwash her.

“I was never coerced to do things na hindi ko gusto o gumawa ng bagay na beyond sa aking pagpapasya.  It’s really painful and outrageous na ina-accuse ako, kami, nila Bato at ng mga cohorts ni Duterte na ‘brainwashed’,” she further noted in her Facebook post.

“Hindi ‘yan totoo. Sumapi kami ng organisasyon dahil gets namin ang kalagayan ng bayan at ang kawalan ng karapatan ng marami gawa ng kabulukan ng gobyerno,” she added.

In the end, Alicia criticized the government and the military for allegedly using her and her family for their anti-progressive propaganda.

“Para sa AFP at sa rehimeng Duterte (To the AFP and Duterte administration): Don’t you dare use me and my family to cover up your inutility and rotten administration,” she said.

“Muli, para sa aking pamilya.  Please, ‘wag na po kayong sumama diyan sa mga militar. Sila ang tunay na terorista dahil pumapaslang sila ng magsasaka at masa sa kanayunan,” she added. /kga