MANILA, Philippines — In a surprising move, the two previously missing environmental activists revealed during a press conference organized by the anti-communist task force itself that they were abducted by soldiers.
Jhed Tamano and Jonila Castro revealed this as they were presented by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac) on Tuesday in a bid to dispel doubts about the circumstances surrounding their supposed surrender to authoties.
The NTF-Elcac officials, who said that Tamano and Castro surrendered in their own volition, also claimed that their reported kidnapping was propaganda and an “elaborate hoax” from the left.
“Ang tanong kung dinukot ba kami, o boluntaryo kaming sumurrender? Ang totoo po eh dinukot kami ng mga militar na sakay ng van,” Castro said.
(As to the question if we were abducted or we surrendered voluntarily, the truth is, we were abducted by the military in a van.)
Castro also revealed that they surrendered only after being threatened, and they only signed the sworn statement under duress.
“Napilitan din kami na sumurrender dahil pinagbantaan ang buhay namin, iyon ang totoo,” she said.
(We were forced to surrender because they threatened our lives, that’s the truth.)
“Hindi rin namin gusto na mapunta kami sa kustodiya ng militar. Hindi totoo yung laman ng affidavit dahil ginawa iyon, pinirmahan yon sa loob ng kampo ng militar, wala na kaming magagawa sa pagkakataong iyon,” she continued.
(We didn’t want to be under military custody. The contents of the affidavit are not true. We signed that inside the military camp because we were helpless in that situation.)
Tamano also backed her statement, saying they were abducted on September 2 and were forced to surrender.
“Katulad lang po ng sinabi ni Jonila hindi po totoo na kusa kaming sumurrender, pinilit lang po kami,” Tamano said.
(Just like what Jonila said, we did not surrender; we were just forced.)
“Noong gabi po ng September 2, naglalakad lang po kami sa kalsada nang meron pong dumukot sa amin. May tumigil na SUV sa harap namin tapos dinukot po kami, tapos pinilit kaming pasamahin sa kanila. ‘Yun po ang totoo. Akala po namin sindikato pero kilala po kami,” she said.
(On the night of September 2, we were walking on the road when we were kidnapped. An SUV stopped in front of us then they kidnapped us and forced us to come with them. That is the truth. We thought they were part of a syndicate, but they knew us.)
However, Lieutenant Colonel Ronnel dela Cruz, Commanding Officer of the 70th Infantry Battalion, disputed their statement, maintaining that they voluntarily surrendered in Doña Remedios Trinidad in Bulacan on September 12.
“Sila po ay kusang sumurrender noong September 12,” Cruz said.
(They voluntarily surrendered on September 12.)
The military official said an informant reported that they found the two missing activists, prompting them to conduct a negotiation.
“Nakausap po namin ang informant … ni-report po sa amin, hanggang malaman namin na sila nga iyon, nagkaroon po ng negotiation,” he said.
(We talked to an informant, and they reported to us about their whereabouts, and when we learned that they were the ones who were missing, there was a negotiation.)
“Hindi po namin alam ang sinasabi nilang iyon, ang naging ano po ng 70IB doon ay yung pagre-rescue namin, na na-report po sa amin. Ang pinanghahawakan po namin kasi, pumirma sila ng papel,” he also said.
(We do not know what they are saying. The 70IB rescued them upon receiving a report. We are holding onto the paper that they signed.)
Tamano, 22, works as coordinator of the Church-Community Partnership for the program “Turn the Tide Now,” while Castro, 21, serves as a community volunteer for AKAP Ka Manila Bay, a group opposing reclamation projects on Manila Bay.