Junio 2, 2007

Phl - Burgos believes her son is still alive

free225.jpgBy KATHERINE ADRANEDA

The Philippine Star

More than a month after her son went missing, Edita Burgos expressed a "mother’s feeling" that her son Jonas Burgos is still alive.

Showing the softness and strength of a mother all at the same time, Edita said she expects to see her son very soon.

"I really firmly believe that he is alive," Edita said. "In my heart, I know that he is still alive."

Edita, however, admitted her concern for the condition of Jonas under his captors.

"I don’t even want to think about it," she told reporters in an interview prior to the tree planting activity at the culmination of the International Week of the Disappeared that was organized by the Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani yesterday.

"You know how things are when victims are (at the mercy) of their abductors," she said.

Edita appealed anew to her son’s supposed captors to spare her son.

"I am appealing to my son’s captors, if there’s still compassion left in your hearts, please don’t hurt him," she said.

Burgos, son of the late journalist and press freedom fighter Jose Burgos Jr., has been missing after he was snatched by unidentified men in a shopping mall in Quezon City late April.

The military denied having a hand in the disappearance even though witnesses tagged two soldiers from the Army’s 56th Infantry Battalion based in Norzagaray, Bulacan as among those who allegedly snatched Burgos.

Militant groups and various human rights organizations accused the military of being behind Jonas’ enforced disappearance.

The military, however, consistently denied the accusation but offered to help in locating the missing activist.

International human rights groups were also quick to condemn the incident.

The European Union lamented human rights abuses had become a daily occurrence in the country.

The US-based Amnesty International also said Jonas’ disappearance had reinforced the country’s image as a "land of lawlessness."

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) expressed concern over the disappearance of Burgos.

"In our prayer we would like to request that those who are handling him may have the mercy and the compassion to return him to his family. This is our prayer," CBCP president Archbishop Angel Lagdameo said.

"We would like to express our sympathy to the mother and family of Jonas Burgos with our prayers. We do not know what is the objective of his disappearance, but we sympathize with the family over his disappearance," he said.

Edita, in turn, thanked Lagdameo "for taking importance of the disappearance of my son."

Edita is the elder sister of Diocese of Legazpi’s vicar general Msgr. Ramon Tronqued.

"The bishops’ prayer for the release of my son is definitely a big help for us," she said. With Edu Punay

Posted by marga at Junio 2, 2007 4:50 AM | TrackBack
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