LE September 18, 2023

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Friday reported that the two (2) students who Leftist groups claimed were abducted by government security forces had actually bolted their organization and sought the help of authorities for their safe return home.

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Police Captain Carlito Buco of the Bataan Provincial Police Office, told reporters in a press conference at the National Press Club that Jhed Tamano and Jonila Castro are currently safe and sound in a government safehouse after they went to authorities for help.

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“It is not true that they were abducted. They left the movement of their own volition para magbagong buhay. They have been visited by the Commission on Human Rights and the Public Attorney’s Office of DOJ. The claim by Leftist organizations that they were abducted is pure and simple fake news,” said Buco.

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The police presented videos of the two (2) students meeting their parents, the CHR and the PAO. “The Bataan PNP did a very thorough investigation into this case. Case closed,” he said. Mr Enrique Manalastas, father of Jhed Tamano, also joined the press conference.

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“First, hindi po totoo na abducted itong dalawa. They left the movement on their free own will,” NSC Assistant Director General Jonathan E. Malaya, told the media at the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict press briefing held in Manila.

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“Second. They are not environmentalists, they were organizers ng kaliwa,” Malaya added, referring to local communists’ front organizations like Karapatan and Anakbayan. “The Left portrayed them as environmentalist para sumakay sa issue ng Manila Bay reclamation which was ordered stopped by the President.”

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Malaya described the allegations of abduction as an “elaborate hoax” and “elaborate scam” on an unsuspecting public the allegations that the two were abducted but which the two girls themselves denied in their sworn affidavits.

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He particularly lashed at the orchestrated fact-finding mission led by Karapatan that reported the supposed abduction as “state-perpetrated.” “Ang pakay ng Karapatan ay propaganda lamang at makakalap ng pera through donations.

“Gusto sana nilang humarap ngayon, ‘yung dalawang bata, pero natatakot sila. Alam nila na nagkamali sila sa tinahak na landas. Alam naman natin na armado ang kabila at pumapatay ang mga ‘yan. Pero sa tingin ko haharap din sila sa media sa mga susunod na araw,” Malaya further stressed.

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Buco said that on September 1, the two young girls were temporarily staying at a Methodist church in Orion town and had since been planning to leave their organization. There, they sought help of a certain “Ate” who then brought them to Guagua, Pampanga where they stayed since September 2 without money to buy food and other things they needed.

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“Binenta na nga po nila ang kanilang mga cellphone para may ipambili ng pagkain at iba pang gamit nila,” Buco narrated.

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“Ate” then sought the help of the authorities who arranged for them to be taken to a safe house for safety reasons on September 12.

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At present, Buco said that their parents can visit them at their safehouse anytime by just coordinating with the police or the Commission on High Rights Region 3. “Natatakot po sila para sa seguridad nila kaya humingi sila ng tulong sa mga authoridad,” said Buco.

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Their sworn statements, Malaya said, we’re done not in front of soldiers or police, but with lawyers from the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) and Commission on Human Rights (CHR) representatives.

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Malaya also disclosed that they have sought the Justice department’s assistance in preparing charges against individuals and groups that perpetrated this elaborate hoax on the public.

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He said they are eyeing charges in relation to the anti-cybercrime law, the Revised Penal Code (RPC) and other special laws against those who perpetrated the “hoax.”

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“This is also a scam, may mga kumakalap ng pera (through g-cash or paymaya) calling for donations to find the two girls,” Malaya said. He challenged the communist front organizations to return the money they collected in the name of the two students.###