Serrano’s Side

The following is based on Karapatan’s interview with Eduardo Serrano, conducted by Karapatan-Southern Tagalog spokesperson Doris Cuario:

It was around 9 a.m. of May 2 when Serrano was abducted by burly men in civilian clothes at the Tritran bus terminal in Lipa City, Batangas.

“I was shouting while being forced into a van.  They were armed with baby armalites,” he told Karapatan.

It took about 15 minutes for the men to bring him inside the van. He tried to push his leg outside the van to keep its doors open. He sustained minor wounds in the legs and feet, as a result.

Serrano said he was brought to an undisclosed detention cell and interrogated by a man who identified himself as James Burgos of the 204^th IBPA. He said that when he was asked if he was Rogelio Villanueva, who is also known as Ka Makling, he replied, “I told them I did not know who those persons were.” 

The military also reportedly took his identification cards.

On May 3, his captors told him he was in Fort Bonifacio in Makati City.  He was then brought to the Army headquarters where a certain General Cabuay talked to him.  He was told that he was going to be presented to the media but was warned not to raise his fist.

At around 7 p.m. of the same day, Col. Fernando Mesa, commanding officer of the 204^th Infantry Brigade PA, came and interrogated him. 

At around 9 p.m. the next day, May 4, his military custodian told him that his youngest brother Cesar called to inquire about him and that there were people picketing outside the detention hall.  

After the interrogation, he was made to fill up his bio-data.

Serrano was transferred to Mindoro on May 7 and not on May 5 as the military reported.  He and his custodians reached Calapan City at around 7 p.m. and was brought to the PNP Provincial Headquarters where he met provincial director Col. Voltaire Calzado. 

Calzado said they could not detain Serrano at the police headquarters and should therefore be transferred to the 204^th IBPA in Naujan. 

Serrano said he should not be given to the military. He also asked that he be allowed to call his lawyer but was not allowed to do so. 

It was a certain SPO4 Henebe who turned him over to a certain Capt. Gutierrez of the 204^th IBPA.   

On May 6, he was visited and interrogated by a Lt. Dela Fuente. On May 7, a certain Romy Macaraeg visited him and told him that he received a text message which wanted Serrano to clarify his participation in the recent cases of rebel surrenders. 

Karapatan said this psy-war tactic was only employed to break the will of Serrano. 

Interrogations continued for the next two days (May 8 and 9).  On May 10, he said he had no visitors. 

On May 11, a certain Joshua Quimba talked to him over the phone. Quimba supposedly told him that they knew each other and that he (Quimba) knew Serrano’s children.  Quimba also told him that he would visit him at the BJMP. 

On May 12, Capt. Gutierrez told him he would be transferred to the Calapan RTC.  It was a certain Capt. Yncardo who headed the military group who brought him to the Calapan RTC.  They rode an armored personnel carrier (APC).

Serrano said Col. Mesa told him that he was not allowed to talk to his family who tried to locate him on the same day at the 204^th IBPA “for security reasons”. 

At around 11:15 a.m., he was presented to a certain Judge Leynes of the Calapan RTC for inquest. 

He was again asked to fill up a bio data and sign papers that would confirm he is Rogelio Villanueva a.k.a Ka Makling. Serrano said he refused to sign the papers.

It was about 1 p.m. when he was brought to the BJMP in Calapan City where he is now detained.  It was also in this detention center that he met for the first time with his brothers Tam and Ben, Dr. Reginald Pamugas, Pastor Dionito Cabillas and human rights workers from Karapatan. Bulatlat.com

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