Ma. Luisa Posa Dominado 2

Ma. Luisa  Posa Dominado:  A Filipino Woman  Fighter for  Freedom, Justice &  Liberation

(2nd of 3 parts)

During the elections of 2007, the 3rd time in five decades that the legal Left participated in the electoral process since 1934 when the Communist Party of the Philippines was operating as a legal political party.

But in 1946, the Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas (PKP) was declared illegal party by President Manuel Roxas. Since that time, the communist party has to operate underground. But years later, thru the Partylist Law, sectoral groups can be represented in Congress. The legal Left immediately participated.
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In May 2001 elections, Partylist Bayan Muna, under Satur Ocampo garnered highest votes among the Partylists winning 3 seats in Congress. A new horizon in the country’s political processes was shaping. Three years later, in May 2004 elections, Bayan Muna got 3 seats in Congress, Gabriela Women’s Party got 1 seat and Anak Pawis, also got 1 seat.

In May 2007, a new partylist election campaigns was underway. Here, Maria Luisa Posa Dominado, Nilo Arado and Eli Garachico were campaigning. Maria Luisa with his group went to Antique for consultation with their Partylist groups. In the late afternoon, they went back to Iloilo City.

That night of April 12, 2007, at Brgy. Cabanbanan, Oton, Iloilo about seven kilometres from Iloilo City, their pick-up was overtaken by a green Mitsubishi Delica Van, reportedly with Plate No. 463. It stopped suddenly in front of their pick-up, forcing Garachico to stop behind the van. Immediately, two men with machine pistols, yelling in Tagalog. One of them shot Garachico, hitting him on the neck. Maria Luisa and Nilo Arado were forcibly taken. Nothing was heard of them again, until today. Witnesses o the road side, where it happened, claimed that Maria Luisa was forced on board a green Mitsubishi Delica Van while Nilo Arado was forced into maroon Starex vehicle with Plate No. GEW or GEM 847 or 874. A third man boarded Garachico’s pick-up and speed away with the two other vehicles.

Who abducted them? A military spokesman told the media a day after the abduction, that it was done by the Communist Party/New People’s Army on order of Jose Ma. Sison, said to be the founding chairman of the Communist Party of the Philippines, now in excile in the Netherlands. The military spokesman asserted that Sison wanted their former friends and allies liquidated.

But the New People’s Army Walingwaling Command, in a press release refuted the allegations fo the military. The NPA press release said in part: “We have initially uncovered a wealth of information from witnesses from three provinces, and even from outside Panay. As initial evidence showed, those who are directly involved include some high-ranking officers of the national intelligence community, some high ranking officers of the 3rd Infantry Division, some ranking officers of the 301st Brigade and its battalions, selected operatives of the RPA-ABB and some military officers who are only now intervening in politics.”

“The scope of the area covered by the operations against the three and some other targets, the length of time used in surveillance, the large number of operatives, weaponry, facilities and funds involved, the swiftness, accuracy, ruthlessness and brutality of the strike and the immediate, coordinated and programmed cover-up by psy-war experts of the military to the mass media, all points to planning and expertize at the national levels of a machinery built and trained for the purpose – those who operate the death squads of Campaign Plan Bantay Laya 11”.

The Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches, a national church organization in a statement, expressed deep concerns with the increasing problems of human rights violations, liquidation and extra-judicial killings of militants, media men and religious leaders critical of the administration in the country.

The CPBC Statement issued through the Committee on Social Issues and Environmental Concerns was signed by Rev. Joel Valdez, Chairperson and Rev. Job A. Santiago, General Secretary, It said in part:

“We expressed grave concerns over the fact that there seems to be no end to to the violence being inflicted on our people, most specially those who advocate for justice and human rights.”

“It truly pained our hearts to realize that the country’s armed forces, which is supposed to be the peoples protector, washed their hands free of the responsibility to run after those who are responsible for the tragic incident. Whether it Is carried out by private groups or by the persons connected with the government, abduction is always illegal and punishable by law, aside from its being a violations of the victims human rights. We fear for the victims’ lives. Truly, in this instance, we could not help but consider the armed forces’ washing their hands inexcusable and a betrayal of public trusts.”

The Municipal Council of Pototan, residence of the family of Maria Luisa in a resolution lamented the the abduction and the slow efforts of the government agencies to solve the crime. “Whereas, the cries for justice and due process of the Pototanons, whose natural tendency it is to express moral indignation over the questionable fate of one of their own, are rising to the crescendo with each passing day.”

“Whereas, it is now the official stand of the Municipality of Pototan that, it need not know the complete background and particulars, whereof to justify the passage of a resolution earnestly and urgently requesting the concerned government agencies, authorities, commissions, to exert more serious efforts to find the missing persons, and give them due process, without which, authentic justice could never be had.”

The Provincial Council of Iloilo, resolution said: “The abduction is a brazen act of violence directed against unarmed members of the opposition and utter disregards for human rights and rule of law.”

“…We are supposedly in a democracy but almost always, people advocating opposite views to the government are not just disrespected, they are physically attacked or abused by the government that is supposed to protect them.”

“…It is hereby resolved to condemn the shooting of Jose Eli Garachico and abduction of Ma. Luisa Posa Dominado and Nilo Arado.”

The Municipal Council of Dumangas, residence of Nilo Arado in a resolution said they: “find the incident an injustice not only to the victims and their families but to the entire constituency of Dumangas and violate due process of law which the victims inherently deserved.”

Statements and resolution expressing grave concerns and anger over the abduction and slow investigation by the military, police and other government agencies were expressed by other local government units- Pavia Municipal Council, Oton Municipal Council, Janiuay Municipal Council, the Iloilo City Council, Aklan Provincial Council and non-government organizations in the country and abroad.

The day after the abduction, on April 13, 2007, Tomas Dominado, Jr., husband of Maria Luisa Posa, in a statement indicted directly the Arroyo regime and its military operatives for the crimes.

His statement, released by the First Quarter Storms Network (FQSN), eloquently voices the revolutionary commitment and dedication of Tomas Dominado, Jr., the victims and the entire lot of activists and leaders in the transformation movement. The statement said in part:

“Just recently, on March 28,2007, I gave 30 stems of red roses to my wife, Maria Luisa, .symbolising our 30 years of marriage amidst arduous struggle for democracy. Through thick and thin, for 30 years we marched together with our people in their fight for liberation.”

“Is this about to come to an end? Last night, April 12, agents of the state under the Arroyo regime forcibly abducted my wife and Nilo Arado of Bayan. They shot Leeboy Garachico in the neck and left him on the street for dead.

“For all the sacrifices and danger that my wife and I had gone through in our years of struggle against the Marcos dictatorship, we came out much alive and active to fight again…this time against the thinly … veiled dictatorship of the Arroyo regime.”

“ ….I am out rightly accusing the Arroyo regime and its henchmen of the crime of abduction of Maria Luisa Posa. I accused the 301st Brigade of justifying armed state terrorist attacks against the various progressive organizations and their leaders.

“I am very sorry that I cannot personally attend to my wife and his companions cases. As much as this grieved me, I cannot allow the regime the satisfaction of doing to me what they have done to Luisa, specially after having branded me in its previous statements of being a leader of the armed Left. But even from a distance, drawing renewed strength from Luisa’s example, I will quietly, painstakingly, arduously and relentlessly follow her path, much reddened by the blood of martyrs.”

“ Allow me to cry out my pain, and that of my family, Luisa’s family, friends and co-workers. Yet what strange solace we do get from realizing that such pain is but a drop in the ocean of oppression, exploitation, hunger and hopelessness that have befallen our people. What great inspiration we do derived in the thought that justice and peace can definitely be achieved if only we redouble our collectively efforts in realizing democracy. That only in the protracted struggle for liberation can we achieved our goals, which are far more worthy than anything we have achieved and may lose – even our most loved ones, even ourselves. That Justice for Luisa and Nilo can only be fully realized if justice from all state repression can be achieved.

“ I shall still be preparing 31 stems of very red roses next year, whatever the outcome of this case will be – that much is certain. A flood of red roses shall also be offered next year and in the years to come for all victims of repression and for our people. For an unending stretch of flower gardens has already been planted, in full bloom and dedicated to their cause.”, the statement concluded.
--2nd of 3 parts