Justice department holds preliminary hearing on criminal cases filed by Burgos family against military
“I want to believe that there is hope.” – Mrs. Edita Burgos, mother of missing activist Jonas
By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO
Bulatlat.com
MANILA – Unlike Jonas Burgos, an activist abducted on April 28, 2007,
military officials implicated in his enforced disappearance are being
given an opportunity to defend themselves.
“The chance that they are giving Harry to defend himself is not an
opportunity they gave my son. But we are not like them. We are
God-fearing. We know how to love and we know how to forgive,” Mrs. Edita
Burgos, mother of Jonas, said.
Jonas, who is also the son of late press freedom icon Jose Burgos
Jr., was abducted on April 28, 2007 inside a mall in Quezon City. His
family, friends and comrades continue to search for him to this day. The
military has long been implicated to his enforced disappearance but it
was only until Jeffrey Cabintoy, the busboy of the restaurant where
Jonas was seen eating, identified Major Harry Baliaga Jr. during the
investigation of the Commission on Human Rights that his alleged
abductors finally had a name and a face.
Cabintoy, during the recent Writ of Amparo hearing before the Court
of Appeals, positively identified Baliaga, who was sitting inside the
courtroom. “It is him. It is him,” he said in Filipino.
Major Harry Baliaga Jr takes his oath before the state prosecutor of the Department of Justice (Photo by Janess Ann J. Ellao / bulatlat.com)
“I want to believe that there is hope. Today is the first hearing and I am happy that these people [referring to former top state security officials] went out to give their sworn statements [before the state prosecutor],” Mrs. Burgos told Bulatlat.com.
Military did not cooperate
In an ambush interview, Gen. Esperon, one of the high ranking military officials charged with Obstruction of Apprehension and Prosecution of Criminal Offenders, said he ordered an investigation on Jonas’ abduction but it is “classified,” meaning that it is not open to the public, including Mrs. Burgos..... MORE
Source: Bulatlat.com
URL: http://bulatlat.com/main/2012/06/11/justice-department-holds-preliminary-hearing-on-criminal-cases-filed-by-burgos-family-against-military/
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