Court junks mom’s petition to get daughters out of Army custody

AMITA LEGASPI, GMANews.TV
07/16/2008 | 01:34 PM
MANILA, Philippines – The Court of Appeals has junked the petition for writ of habeas corpus filed by Maria Gumanoy after one of her daughters denied that they were abducted by the military, radio dzBB reported Wednesday.

Radio dzBB’s Teresa Tavares reported that Fatima Gumanoy, 17, told the CA justices that she voluntarily went to the Fort Bonifacio Hospital to accompany her sister, Rose Ann, who was seeking treatment.

The report said Rose Ann, 21, was wounded in an encounter between government troops and suspected communist insurgents in Quezon province sometime April this year.

The report said Fatima also denied that she was prevented by the military to go out of the premises of Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City.

It added that the Gumanoy family, particularly Maria, was devastated after her daughter refused to go with her after the hearing.

Maria filed the petition for writ of habeas corpus last week in a bid to compel military officials to produce her daughters.

Maria is the wife of peasant leader Eddie Gumanoy who was killed in April 2003 long with human rights activist Eden Marcella. Fatima and Rose Ann are Edie and Maria’s daughters.

The military had claimed that the two girls willingly and obligingly sought custody of the AFP to distance themselves from Karapatan, a local human rights group.

The two girls’ mother and Karapatan, on the other hand, claimed that the Gumanoy sisters are under duress when they were held under the custody of the AFP.

READ ENTIRE ARTICLE

SABWATANG AFP AT CA SA KASO NI ROSEANN AT FATIMA GUMANOY BINATIKOS

Binatikos ngayon ng GABRIELA Timog Katagalugan ang mistulang pakikipagsabwatan ng Court of Appeals sa Armed Forces of the Philippines sa naging desisyon nitong ipagkait ang kustodiya ng magkapatid na Fatima at Rose Ann Gumanoy sa kanilang ina, si Nanay Maria.

“Lantarang tinapak-tapakan ang karapatan ni Nanay Maria maging sa naging takbo ng hearing. Ni hindi siya pinayagang makausap ang kanyang mga anak o magsalita man lamang para ipahayag ang kanyang mga saloobin bilang isang inang nawalay sa kanyang anak,” ani Helen Asdolo, pangkalahatang kalihim ng GABRIELA Timog Katagalugan.

“Her right as a mother has been violated. Fatima is a minor and Nanay Maria had every right to be with her. ”

Dagdag pa ni Asdolo na ang desisyon ng Court of Appeals ay nangangahulugang ipinagagamit nito sa AFP sina Fatima at RoseAnn sa opensiba nito laban sa mga progresibong grupo tulad ng Karapatan.