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GUESTS: Edith Burgos, mother of abducted man Jonas Burgos, Mervin Toquero, National Council of Churches in the Philippines

Edith Burgos, a mother of a missing activist, is currently on a month-long tour of the United States to demand justice for her son and for all disappeared persons in the Philippines. Sponsored by various Philippines human rights organization, the tour is aimed at raising awareness of the abuses committed under the regime of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. During the Washington D.C. leg of her trip, Burgos visited the offices of numerous congressional lawmakers in the hopes that they would reconsider US aid to the Philippine military. It was elements of the Philippine army that abducted her son Jonas, a farmer’s rights activist, nearly one year ago. Seeking accountability, Burgos submitted to the Philippine Court of Appeals a military document that said that her son had been “neutralized.” The family has continually faced harassment in the course of seeking justice. Unfortunately the case of Jonas Burgos is not an isolated one. Documented by numerous human rights reports, nearly 300 persons have been disappeared during the reign of President Arroyo. Edith Burgos, also representing the Desaparecidos organization, will continue her speaking tour, on behalf of victim’s families, through Los Angeles before returning home to the Philippines later this month.

Edith Burgos will be speaking tonight at the Rosewood United Methodist Church, 4101 Rosewood Avenue, Los Angeles at 7 pm.

Mervin Toquero recommends that listeners call Representative Howard Berman at 818-994-7200 and urge him to add human rights conditions on US military aid to the Philippines.