Karen Empeño and Sherlyn Cadapan still alive... but barely

You see, they were tortured by Palparan and his goons. From Ernesto Maceda:

Two farmers, Raymond Manalo and his brother Reynaldo, who escaped from their military captors two weeks ago, have disclosed that University of the Philippines (UP) coeds Karen Empeño and Sherlyn Cadapan are alive and that they had seen them at Camp Tacson, an Army camp at Limay, Bataan. The two farmers also claimed they have witnessed the torture of the two UP coeds.

Their statement corroborates earlier statements of Oscar Leuterio and Lourdes Rubrico, former military detainees.

This revelation makes a complete liar of Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan Jr., Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr., who used to be Philippine Army chief, Lt. Gen. Romeo Tolentino and Lt. Col. Rogelio Boac, who have continuously denied the two coeds were in military custody.

When the two women were abducted by a military detachment in Hagonoy, Bulacan, even then Malacañang chief of staff Michael Defensor denied they were taken by military men. GMA never ordered an investigation of their disappearance and even praised Palparan before a packed audience in her Sona speech last July 14, 2006.

The above-named military officials formally denied having the women in their custody in habeas corpus proceedings before the Court of Appeals (CA) which Palparan snubbed.

They are therefore guilty of contempt of the CA and those who appeared and testified are guilty of perjury. They should be correspondingly charged.

The lying in the case of the two UP coeds also destroys all credibility of GMA, Esperon and company on their denials of military involvement in the extra-judicial killings and abductions of more than 900 militants, the bigger number belonging to Bayan Muna and affiliated organizations.

The case of Empeño and Cadapan emphasizes the indifference, if not neglect, by all sectors — Malacañang, Congress, the Supreme Court (SC), the CA, the Commission on Human Rights, The Melo Commission, media groups and citizen watchdogs including lawyers organizations, for not giving all-out attention and priority to the obvious GMA administration’s policy of extra-judicial and extra-legal measures in the war against insurgency and terrorism.

The entire Empeño-Cadapan episode should be fully reviewed and revisited by all, to put a stop to these incidences once and for all.

Chief Justice Reynato Puno, who pledged to lead the fight against extra-judicial killings in the summit he organized, must seize this opportunity to make the military and executive officers involved account for their acts, besides immediately ordering the release of Karen and Sherlyn before they are terminated.

The case is pending with the SC.

Sana imbestigahan rin ito ng Senado, dahil wala akong tiwala sa DOJ, PNP at NBI eh.

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