Search for Jonas and for justice continues 13 years after his disappearance

“In a just universe, Jonas Burgos’ abductors should be in jail now and not leading a crucial government agency and heading the government’s task force to save lives from COVID-19,” says Erlinda Cadapan, chairperson of Desaparecidos, the organization of families and friends of victims of Enforced Disappearance.

Today is the 13^th year of the disappearance of agriculturist and activist Jonas Burgos.

“But it is such that this system now headed by President Duterte rewards those whose hands are soiled with criminal acts, such as the case of General Eduardo Año who was alleged as one of the perpetrators of Burgos’ disappearance. It is not a surprise then that goons in uniform have been terrorizing the city with their arrogance and abusive behavior in enforcing quarantine rules, having committed enforced disappearance and other crimes in the past,” added Cadapan whose daughter, UP student Sherlyn Cadapan remains missing to this day.

Año was the chief of the Philippine Army’s Intelligence Service Group (ISG). He was among those tagged by the family as responsible for the disappearance of Jonas because the ISG is mainly responsible for the hunt-down operations that led to the enforced disappearance of Jonas.

Burgos was abducted inside the Ever Gotesco Mall in Quezon City by alleged military intelligence agents, one of whom was positively identified by a witness.

The Supreme Court has affirmed a March 27, 2013 resolution of the Court of Appeals that the Philippine Army took Burgos on April 28, 2007, establishing that Jonas is a victim of enforced disappearance. The Burgos family decried how the order to produce Jonas has not been complied up to this day but no one is cited in contempt. The charges filed against one of the suspects Major Harry Baliaga Jr. was dismissed by the local court in 2017.

Filmmaker JL Burgos shared his post on December 2016, a photo of his brother Jonas “in captivity” that he posted when Año’s appointment as AFP Chief-of-Staff was announced.

“Share this until it reaches General Año. May this photo haunt you forever, General. This is the photo of my brother, Jonas, in captivity by General Año’s men. Jonas was abducted on April 28, 2007. He remains missing almost 10 years after. The photo was given to the family by a source inside the military institution,” the post said.

JL also shared a video of Yumi’s message to his father Jonas, marking the 13^th year of his disappearance.

Año has denied any involvement in the disappearance of Jonas and claimed to have no personal knowledge of the activist.

Despite being implicated in a high-profile disappearance case and petitions to block his appointment, Año would go on to be promoted as Chief of the Intelligence Service of the AFP, Commanding General of the 10^th Infantry Division up to being Commanding General of the Philippine Army in July 2015. President Rodrigo Duterte picked him as Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff in December 2016.

Upon his retirement from the military, Año was appointed by Duterte to his cabinet as Undersecretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) in October 2017 and as Secretary of the DILG from November 2018 to present. He was appointed Martial Law Administrator in Mindanao during the five-month long Marawi siege. He is currently the vice chair of the National Task Force COVID-19 that implements the government’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak in the country since the time Duterte acquired additional powers to respond to the pandemic through the passing of the Bayanihan to Heal As One Act.

Jonas is the son of Joe Burgos, Jr., known freedom fighter during the Marcos dictatorship and a press freedom icon in the country.