By JACINTO LINGATONG
Bulatlat.com

SANTA CRUZ, Laguna – Human rights workers in Southern Tagalog have been prevented from speaking to the three indigenous peoples rights advocates in Mindoro who were reported to be last seen on September 19.

In a statement, Karapatan-Southern Tagalog (ST) said that they learned of the detention of Job Abednega David, Peter Del Monte Jr. and Alia Encela when the police regional office in Mindoro published a social media post containing partially blurred mugshots of the three missing advocates.

While this post by the Police Regional Office Mimaropa (PRO-Mimaropa) contained their photos, their names and the circumstances of their supposed “arrest,” among others, appeared to be wrong, Karapatan-ST said.

The said post is now deleted in PRO-Mimaropa’s Facebook page.

ST-based human rights defenders said that the three were abducted by suspected state security forces. They were last seen on September 19 in Lisap village, Bongabong, Oriental Mindoro while investigating human rights violations there in relation to reports of bombings and shelling by the military early this year.

Residents of Bongabong, mostly small rice and coconut farmers, have been affected by armour rock quarrying projects in the area, Karapatan-ST said in an earlier statement.

“There are further violations of the rights of the three missing advocates,” Jordan Cruz, spokesperson of the humanitarian mission, said. He added that upon arriving in Mindoro Oriental, they conducted a courtesy call at the office of Rep. Alfonso Umali Jr. to seek assistance. They were then endorsed to Col. Molina of the PRO-Mimaropa.

Over the phone, Molina confirmed that the three were under military custody. The humanitarian team, however, were made to wait outside his office as they were informed that the police official was engaged in a meeting with “higher-ups.”

As of this writing, human rights defenders have not yet seen or talked to David, Del Monte and Encela.

“We call on PRO-Mimaropa and Col. Molina to meet with our humanitarian team and provide essential information about Job, Peter, and Alia. The 203rd IB has no basis for their detention, and PRO-Mimaropa, including the 203rd IB, is now responsible for their unjust abduction, detention and false charges, for which they will be held accountable,” Cruz said. (JJE, DAA)