When two young activists, Jonila Castro, 21, and Jhed Tamano, 22, were reportedly kidnapped on the night of Sept. 2, it was a relief to learn that they were alive when they were presented at a press conference by the military and the National Task Force to End Local Communist Conflict (NTF-Elcac). Given the circumstances, it would have been understandable if they had expressed support for their captors. After all, in 2006, two former University of the Philippines students, Karen Empeño and Sheryl Cadapan, disappeared under similar circumstances and are still missing to this day.
However, like many others, I was curious to see how the authorities would explain the disappearance of the two girls. The fact that the NTF-Elcac called a press conference on Sept. 19 hinted that they intended to use the event to improve the agency and military’s image. They wanted to replace the disturbing story of military abduction with a triumphant narrative of former rebels repenting and returning to society.
To the military and NTF-Elcac’s eternal shame, the press conference became an unexpected platform for the two young women to refute the government’s version of events. Instead of confirming their alleged rescue from the communist movement, they rejected their affidavits of contrition and surrender, claiming they were coerced into giving false statements under duress. It was clear that these young activists would not be coerced into parroting a story of moral conversion after being detained for over two weeks.
The orchestrators of this charade had naively thought that having the girls write their own affidavits and witnessing them being sworn before a government lawyer would ensure their compliance. This was disingenuous and unlikely to stand legal scrutiny. They even brought in the girls’ parents to witness the event, trying to convey the narrative that they were misguided and had been taken advantage of by the communist movement. But the truth could not be suppressed.
The press conference abruptly concluded when it became evident that the government’s narrative had been completely dismantled. However, before it ended, someone from the audience asked if the girls would be released from military custody. Instead of achieving their desired outcome, the government was subjected to a scathing critique by these young activists, exposing their oppressive tactics and collaboration with powerful business groups that harm the environment.
I watched the entire press conference video, which was hosted by the Mayor’s office in Plaridel, Bulacan – the hometown of one of the girls. It was an unprecedented event where the youth publicly chastised the government for distorting facts and manipulating events. The authorities should have stopped after the first failed press conference and accepted their shame silently. However, they wanted to salvage their reputation and held a second press conference, accusing the young activists of perjury. They claimed that the entire affair was a communist plot to embarrass the government and depict the military as human rights violators.
While the charge of perjury may be argued, it could be excused considering the circumstances under which the testimony was obtained – in military custody without legal representation. However, to claim that the government was deceived by the communists into participating in an elaborate scheme is a pathetic admission of intelligence failure.
This second press conference, coincidentally held on the 51st anniversary of the declaration of martial law, serves as a reminder that history repeats itself in different forms. The Marxist axiom rings true – events and individuals reappear both tragically and farcically.
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