Front Line is deeply concerned by information received concerning the recent testimony of Raymund Manalo, a witness to the ill-treatment of Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeño while in detention at the Camp Tecson barracks in San Miguel, Bulacan.

Further Information

Posted 15/02/2008 On 26 June 2006, students from the University of the Philippines, Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeño, were reportedly kidnapped by soldiers, together with farmer Manuel Merino, while conducting research in Barangay village, San Miguel, Hagonay, Bulacan.

On 14 February 2006, farmers Raymund Manalo and his brother, Reynaldo Manalo, were abducted from their home in Barangay Buhol na Mangga, San Ildefonso, Bulacan. On 12 November 2007, Raymund Manalo presented his signed affidavit to the Court of Appeals (CA) in which he described Sherlyn Cadapan as a “chained woman". He informed the court that although he had been told not to speak to her he approached her to give her food and learned that in addition to being forced to do the laundry for the camp every day, she had been sexually assaulted by soldiers named Mickey, Billy, and Donald. Donald, a.k.a. Master Sgt. Donald Caigas, is reportedly a suspect in the killing of human rights defender and community leader, Eddie Gumanoy, in April 2003, and is reportedly identifiable by the tatoo “24th IB” on his shoulder.

According to the testimony on 22 November 2006, Raymund Manalo, Reynaldo Manalo, Manuel Merino, Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeño were transferred to the 24th Infantry Batallion (IB) camp in Limay, Bataan. It was there that Raymund Manalo witnessed Sherlyn Cadapan being tied to a bench while her feet were raised and soldiers tortured her, pouring water over her and electrocuting her. When Sherlyn Cadapan admitted that Karen Empeño had helped her to write a letter to her mother-in-law, Raymund Manalo saw the soldiers taking her outside. He did not see what they did to her but reports hearing her cries. The following day, he heard the soldiers taunting the women, recounting that they had suffered sexual assault, having been subject to rape with wooden sticks.

Raymund Manalo testified that in June 2007 he heard the retired Major General Jovito Palparan ordering Manuel Merino to be burned to death and witnessed the killing. He did not see Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeño after June 2007. On 21 November 2007, Sherlyn Cadapan's mother-in-law, Adoracion Paulino, testified to receiving death threats from soldiers visiting her home and interrogating her.

On 18 January 2008, Raymund Manalo identified one of his captors as Lt. Col. Felipe Anotado, who was present in the Court of Appeals at the time. The court has adjourned until March.