HUMAN rights group Karapatan in Northern Mindanao lambasted the military for not making good its promise to return the two women rights advocates whom they brought to a military camp in Bukidnon for questioning, exactly one week ago Monday, February 18.
Karapatan-Northern Mindanao spokesperson Father Allan Khen Apus said the army's 1st Special Forces has yet to release Gloria Jandayan and her daughter Gleceria Balangiao, residents of Barangay Macabalan, Cagayan de Oro City, despite the agreement between the military and barangay officials.
Apus said the military had agreed to return the two within 24 hours, after the questioning over their alleged links with the New People’s Army (NPA).
"Hangtod karon naa pa gihapon sa military camp sa Bukidnon ang duha," Apus said.
(The two women are still being held in the military camp in Bukidnon.)
"Wala tumana sa military ang agreement nga ilang i-uli ang duha within 24 hours pero isa ka semana na ang nilabay wala pa gihapon ma-release,"he added.
(The military did not honor the agreement that they would release the two women within 24 hours. One has passed and the women have not been released.)
Apus said officials of the barangay can assert the agreement for the immediate release of the two.
Apus also said holding the two women for a week is a ground for "illegal detention", even as he said they will exhaust possible legal remedies for their release.
"Klaro ni nga grounds for illegal detention kay walay rason para gunitan sila sa ingon ana kataas nga panahon nga walay unsang kaso kanila," Apus said.
"Kung naa silay kasaypanan pwede man nga ipadayag sa military nga duna silay kaso," he added.
The human rights group has expressed concern for the family and is worried for the safety of the two as they do not know how the two were being interrogated.
"Nabalaka kita sa gibati karon sa pamilya ug ingon man sa ilang duha kay wala ta kahibalo sa metodolohiya sa pag-interrogate kanila," Apus said.
"Ato pud i-welcome katong dunay legal nga kapasidad nga makiglambigit ug motabang," he added.