A family of 4 abducted by soldiers of the 74th IBPA in Agdangan, Quezon Province, Philippines

At around 8:00 in the evening of October 28, 2007, the couple Luil and
Marivic Robles noticed some men in the vicinity of the water source
near their house. Thinking that said men were out to steal the
electric cables, the couple went out and Luil shone a flashlight at
the direction of the men. To their surprise, the men in civilian
clothes aimed rifles at them and ordered them to lie prone on the
ground.

Meantime, Rosalia Sanez went out of her house to buy something at the
retail store. As she was walking towards the store, a soldier in
uniform aimed a rifle at her and ordered her to lay prone on the
railroad tracks.

At the Malapote household were Roperto Malapote, his son, Edwin
Malapote, Edwinalyn Malapote Reduta (Edwin's daughter who is nursing a
2-month baby), and Primo Reduta, Edwinalyn's husband. At around 8:00
in the evening, Edwin Malapote went out of the house. After a few
minutes, his father Roperto and Primo heard a commotion coming from
the direction of the railroad tracks. Primo went out to check what the
commotion was about, leaving behind Roperto and Edwinalyn and their
2-month old baby. Then he came back asking for a rope from Roperto
but without telling the two what he needed the rope for. He again went
out after Roperto gave him the rope. He later came back and informed
them that Edwin was taken by soldiers and the rope was used to tie his
hands. He added that the soldiers were also taking him, Edwinalyn and
the baby (his family).

At that moment, a soldier in civilian clothes went up to the kitchen
of the Malapote house to get more rope. The soldier reassured the now
terrified Edwinalyn that they were not going to hurt her son, they
will only transform him. Very much frightened, Roperto helplessly
watched his family members being taken by the soldiers. Edwinalyn and
her family were only there for a vacation.

As the soldiers were about to leave the area, they ordered Luil
Robles, Marivic Robles and Rosalia Sanez to get up because the
soldiers were also taking them. When the three got up, they saw two
men and a woman with a baby who were made to board a van. Upon seeing
that the soldiers were taking his wife Rosalia, Nestor Sanez
volunteered to accompany her. Thus, the four of them (Luil, Marivic,
Rosalia and Nestor) were made to ride on a jeep.

The four were brought to the 76th IBPA detachment in Brgy. Marao in
the town of Padre Burgos. They were separated from each other and were
photographed. They were interrogated almost the whole night. The
Robles couple was forced to admit that they are concealing a carbine
rifle and documents of the Communist Party of the Philippines. Their
interrogators told them that they have been monitored for quite some
time now.

The soldiers released the Sanez couple first at 2:30 in the morning of
October 29; they were taken to the Agdangan Municipal Hall on board a
military service vehicle. The Robles couple was released at 9:00 in
the morning and brought to Brgy. Kinaguan also in the town of
Agdangan. Luil and Marivic overheard the soldiers talking that they
were going to bring the baby and the other captives to a hospital in
the town of Lucena in the province of Batangas. Marivic's mobile
phone was taken by the soldiers.

Roperto and his wife sought the assistance of KARAPATAN-Southern
Tagalog and they are now placed in a sanctuary for security reasons.

On November 6, 2007, together with KARAPATAN, Roberto and his wife
filed a complaint at the Commission on Human Rights in Region IV in
the town of San Pablo, Laguna Province, and on November 9 they sought
the assistance of the International Committee of the Red Cross in
Makati City.

Today, November 14, at 2:00 PM, the couple assisted by Atty. Pura
Ferrer Calleja and KARAPATAN-Southern Tagalog will file a Petition for
the Writ of Amparo at the Supreme Court in Manila City.

The victims remain missing as of this writing.