The human rights group Karapatan and its affiliates have hailed the Court of Appeals decision on the Jonas Burgos case stating that the military was behind the abduction of Burgos.
According to the Court of Appeals, its decision is based on evidence and testimonies. Karapatan says that it expects full disclosure on other cases of enforced disappearances for which they have laid the blame on the military in Southern Luzon. Maybe their rejoicing will go on for some time with the New People’s Army hailing it as well as a triumph for the communist cause. (In fact, NPA rebels may now feel emboldened because of the decision.)
If so, human rights abuses against government troops and civilian victims should also be attended to and resolved swiftly, as victims or their families have been hoping for. I often wonder why, when law enforcers and soldiers are the victims of human rights abuses, human rights groups keep mum on their cases.
What if Jonas Burgos was really an NPA rebel who had caused harm to his fellowmen when he was alive and active? We may never know if he is alive or dead. But those who are trying the case will have in their conscience some doubts and even will feel some sense of guilt, for they could have done a great injustice to the Filipino people with their wrong decision.
—RJ AMABLE
rj.amable@yahoo.com