COURT SETBACKS OF JONAS BURGOS ABDUCTION CASE DEPLORED
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. (PDP-Laban) today deplored that
the quest for justice of the family of abduction victim Jonas Burgos has not
yielded concrete results in the courts even after they availed of the
extraordinary writ of amparo crafted by Chief Justice Reynaldo Puno.
Pimentel deplored that the men in the military establishment suspected of
having perpetrated the abduction of Burgos, a political activist, remain
scot-free two years after his disappearance despite available evidence of
their involvement in the gruesome crime.
He noted that Edita Burgos, the victim’s mother, filed a writ of amparo with
the Court of Appeals as a remedy to expedite the investigation and
prosecution of the case on the part of justice and judicial authorities
concerned. As a final solution, he said Mrs. Burgos went to the Supreme
Court in her effort to trace the whereabouts of Jonas and to unmask and
punish the culprits.
“But up to now, there seems to be no action from the Supreme Court,” the
minority leader said.
“My understanding is even the writ of amparo has gone nowhere. And so even
the extraordinary writ of amparo formulated by Chief Justice Puno is found
ineffectual. Where will the families of these abducted victims now go to
seek redress for of grievances?”
Pimentel said it is also appalling that Mrs. Burgos strongly suspected that
the abduction case involving her son has hardly moved in the prosecution
stage because of a coverup by concerned officials in the civilian and
military agencies, probably due to pressure or order from higher-ups.
“I cannot imagine a situation where there is a cover-up of a crime like this
happening and being tolerated under a so-called democratic regime,” he said.
Pimentel said that Jonas Burgos was an agriculturist who willingly shared
his expertise to the farmers of Bulacan in his desire to uplift their
economic condition. But he became a target for abduction due to his alleged
active involvement in the underground communist movement.
“But whether the allegation that he was a communist insurgent was true or
not, I don’t think that the solution was to abduct him. And I hope that this
was not what happened to him – exterminating him under very cruel and
dubious circumstances.”
Pimentel said although Jonas was the son of the late journalist Jose Burgos,
Jr., a personal friend, he did not know him and he doubted if he had met
him.
“Whether or not he is the son of Joe Burgos, what is important is the life
of every citizen in this country is precious. And under the law, the
officials of this land has the responsibility to do everything to try to
locate the whereabouts of Jonas Burgos and bring the culprits to justice,”
he said.
Pimentel said that retired Gen. Jovito Palparan, who was the commanding
general of the 7th Infantry Division a unit of which (56th Infantry
Battalion) reportedly owned a car with plate number TAB 194 in which Burgos
was driven at the time of his abduction. Palparan, he said, was rewarded by
being proclaimed a duly-elected party-list congressman.
He said Palparan is a fellow Mindanaonon, and like him, hailed from Cagayan
de Oro City.
“But we certainly are not proud of the achievements that seemed to have
etched his colorful career as an officer of the armed forces,” the senator
said.
Jonas Burgos was forcibly taken away from a Quezon City restaurant in broad
daylight.
Date: April 29, 2009
Ref: Omeng Maglangit / (02) 5526733 |
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