KIN OF TWO MISSING STUDENTS SEEK ROXASS HELP

A month of failure did not dampen their hope of ever finding again their missing loved ones. They now pin their hope on Senator Mar Roxas to nudge the authorities to do so.

Erlinda Cadapan, mother of Sherlyn Cadapan, 29, and Ogie and Concepcion Empeo, brother and mother, respectively, of Karen Empeo, 23, yesterday went to the Senate and asked help from Roxas in locating the two UP students.

The two, together with a peasant worker, Manuel Merino, who belonged to the Alyansa ng Magbubukid ng Bulacan, have been missing since June 26 when, witnesses say, uniformed armed men snatched them at dawn from their homes in San Miguel, Bulacan. Nothing has been heard from them since.

Ang tangi po naming nais ay muling mabawi ang aming mga anak, Mrs. Cadapan ang Mrs. Empeo said in Tagalog, when the media asked them if they have any idea who may have caused the disappearance of the two.

Cadapan, who hails from Los Baos, Laguna, was, at the time of her abduction, completing three more subjects at the UP School of Human Kenetics. She is, according to her mother, married to a certain Bal Paulino who, he revealed, has also been missing. On the other hand, Karen is completing her thesis on agrarian issues at the UP School of Sociology when she went missing. She is from Zambales.

The mothers of the two both deny their missing children were members of the communist underground movement.

If they were, why were they abducted? If they have proof, why dont they just bring them out and charge them in court, deal with them in a democratic (due) process? they retorted.

On Roxass part, he said he takes the abduction as one of many happening around the country but refused to speculate on the suspects.

I dont want to be precipitate. I dont want to speculate or generalize, but from the humanitarian point of view, my office will coordinate with the appropriate government agencies and we will see where the information leads to, he said.