U.S. Citizen Abducted, Tortured in Philippines

Melissa Roxas Los Angeles Press conference

In May Filipino-American Melissa Roxas, was kidnapped and tortured over a six day period while in the Philippines. Roxas alleges that her captors were part of the Philippine Military (AFP), but the government has denied any involvement and says an investigation of the incident is underway. Two companions were taken along with Ms. Roxas, though they have yet to re-surface and their fate is currently unknown.

According to the victim, the three were traveling through the Tarlac province, scouting locations for a medical mission being planned by BANYAN. They had stopped at the home of a local man to rest when approximately eight armed men burst into the home, blindfolded Roxas and her companions, then forced them into an unmarked van.

From there they were transported to unknown location. Ms. Roxas was kept blindfolded throughout her detainment, and says she suffered food and sleep deprivation, beatings, and asphyxiation at the hands of her captors. (Her affidavit appears here: http://philcsc.wordpress.com/2009/06/06/melissa-roxas-affidavit-on-her-torture-by-arroyo-military/ )

A number of agencies, including Amnesty International and the United Nations, have reported that the AFP is responsible for human rights violations, including extra-judicial executions, torture, and kidnappings. In addition, one month before Ms Roxas abduction, the UN Committee Against Torture (UNCAT) made public a report detailing the Philippine Military’s use of torture against civilians.

The Presidential Human Rights Committee, an arm of the Philippine government under President Arroyo, claims Roxas has fabricated the entire incident “…at the expense of the Philippine government.” In 2005, Roxas investigated human rights violations throughout the Philippines under the current  administration. She is a member of BANYAN, a group opposing Arroyo’s administration.

Bayan’s Secretary General, Renato Reyes Jr, stated, “There is credible basis to say that Melissa was abducted by the military as part of the government’s counterinsurgency operations.” During the ordeal, Ms. Roxas recalls one of her interrogators revealing that those who tortured her, “…came from the SOG,” (Special Operations Group).

The Philippine government receives material support from the United States in the form of military aid, weapons, and training as part of the ten-year-old Visiting Forces Agreement. The VFA is the legal instrument allowing U.S. Forces to utilize the Philippines as military outpost from which to conduct the war on terror. Since the agreement was ratified in 1999, the U.S. has granted nearly $1 billion in military support to the Philippines.