It has been almost three years since Edith Burgos, wife of the late Jose Burgos, Jr, founder of Malaya and regarded as a press freedom icon, last saw her son, Jonas.
On April 28, 2007, Jonas, father of an 18-month old girl, was abducted by unidentified men and a woman while having lunch at the Hapag Kainan restaurant in Ever Gotesco Mall in Quezon City. He was dragged into a waiting van and he has been missing since then.
Jonas is described in new reports as “activist-farmer”. Probably because at the time he was abducted, he was a member of the Alyansa ng Magbubukid sa Bulacan (AMB), a provincial chapter of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP).
Jonas studied agriculture at Benguet State University. He practiced organic farming in the Burgos family farm in Bulacan and shared his knowledge of it with other farmers.
Since the abduction almost three years ago, the Burgos family, headed by Edith Burgos has been searching relentlessly for Jonas. Mrs. Burgos has taken all the avenues — courts, police, military, morgues, government agencies including the Office of the President, international organizations and the streets — to look for her son.
She has endured hunger, insults and harassment.
Along the way, she has found friends – fellow mothers, wives, sisters, children looking for missing loved ones. Drawing strength from each other, they continue the search.
Edith said, “ We have failed to find Jonas by going to the authorities. We cannot give up. We shall bring our search to any peaceful venue available to us and bring our cause to the people.”
Edith now brings her search to the stage with a monologue dubbed as “Mrs. B”. It’s a one-act play that deals with the gamut of emotions a mother must go through in search of a missing son.
“Mrs. B” will be on stage on February 5, 6, 12 and 13 at 3 and 6 pm, at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani auditorium in Quezon City. Veteran actresses/directors Gina Alajar and Bibeth Orteza will alternately play the role of Edith Burgos.
This is actually Mrs. B’s second run, the first in April 2008 with Pinky Amador as lead actress. Conceptualized and directed by Soc Jose of the tv series Darna and Full House, the play was written by award-winning playwright Joi Barrios together with Rowena Festin and Grundy Constantino of the Concerned Artists of the Philippines(CAP). It is being produced by Bienvenido Lumbera, National Artist for Literature. The Free Jonas Burgos Movement, Desaparecidos and CAP are joining hands in the mounting of this play.
For details and ticket reservations, contact Aya Santos at (02)434-2837 and (0929)441-4270 or Peachy Burgos at (0916)782-6374. You can also get your tickets starting this weekend at the Popular Bookstore and The Reading Room at Cubao Expo.
* * *
It’s mother’s love gone bad in the case of visual Artist Marlene Aguilar Pollard who was exposed to have been harboring her fugitive son, Jason Ivler, who has been accused of killing two persons on separate vehicular incidents.
Talking to media after she was freed on bail (she is charged with obstruction of justice), an emotional Marlene said, “Whatever Jason did, whatever they call him -they called him a monster- and even if the world will condemn him, I will love him just the same. I love my son with all my heart and soul.”
Marlene is the sister of singer Freddie Aguilar who wrote and sang the classic hit “Anak”.
There’s a part of “Anak” that is hauntingly apt in the situation of Marlene and her son.
Nagdaan pa ang mga araw
At ang landas mo’y naligaw
Ikaw ay nalulong sa masamang bisyo
At ang una mong nilapitan
Ang iyong inang lumuluha
At ang tanong,”anak, ba’t ka nagkaganyan?”
Why can’t the justice department and all the agencies working under it do deploy the necessary means to find Burgos!
What’s wrong with Gloria’s govt?
you can not ask Gloria`s goverment to look for jonas burgos, how can they do that when it is her goverment using the state police who did it..!! let us all pray that in a few months this evil goverment of GMA will be at end.. and by that time, let us all unite and put those people in bars who have commited crimes to the pilipino people..let justice prevail..!!!
Look at May2010 because this is an issue that each of the presidentiables can be asked about. Unless a candidate says otherwise, then one can assume continuity of current government practices about seeking closure on Jonas Burgos and other desaparecidos. Okay if same-old same-old is what you want. Not okay if you want different.
Do not be surprised if the next president makes no policy changes, unless, of course, the next president had (during the campaign) identified planned changes.
I am vague about it, but isn’t it the case that the Cory administration re desaparecidos was not different from Marcos administration?
Nahuli kaagad ang pumatay ng anak ng taga-Malacanang pero si Jonas ay wala silang pakialam. Talk of double standard.
Hindi nila mahuli ang pumatay kay Jonas Burgos. Ano, hulihin nila sarili nila?
These kinds of atrocities should be enough proof to deny Gluerilla and her posse of thieves from travelling to the UK and US. Problem is the US Embassy looks the other way and the US itself is not too drawn in human rights violations of each countries, they task the toothless UN for such crimes.
The massacre in Maguindanao is just an example. Imagine for a second, those journalists/lawyers killed were Aussies, Brits, or Americans. All eyes would have been trained in these islands and we will be accused as savages the world over. It’s the norm.
If USA or UK were to interfere in Pinas local politics Ampatuan versus Mangudadatu, then Gabriela and the many Iskolar ng Bayan will mount protests in front of their embassies. “Mga Puti, Talsik Diyan!” with the implied message that Pinoys-in-Pinas, nasa edad na and can take of themselves, already a few Pinoys-in-Pinas don’t want US technical support, helicopters, even their school-building and road-building programs and definitely not US soldiers to be hunting the Abu Sayyaf.
Ito, isa lang ang anak. Marami ang ayaw ng magka-anak kasi baka daw maging masama.
Responsible Parenthood: ang notion ng marami tungkol dito, konti lang ang anak para maibigay sa kanila yung mga kailangan nila. Ano kaya ang pagkukulang ng ina ni Ivler? O may sobra sa lugar na pinuntahan niya? O naghalo ang dalawang nabanggit at di na nagbalanse ang utak niya?
Normal nga naman para sa isang ina na bigyan ng proteksyon ang kanyang anak. Pero sa isang ina na alam ang tama at mali, ano ang dapat niyang gawin sa anak na nagkasala?
Sa kwentong ito ng mag-ina naaalala ko yung pinagdaanan ni St. Rita of Cascia. Nung mapatay yung asawa niya, halos mabuo yung galit nung 2 niyang anak. Ipaghihiganti daw nila ang pagkamatay ng kanilang ama.
Sa pagmamahal ni Sta. Rita sa kanyang mga anak, minarapat niyang hilingin sa Diyos na kunin na lang ang mga anak niya habang bata pa bago mabahiran ng dugo ang mga kamay at magkasala sa batas ng Diyos at estado. Sa lakas ng panalangin dininig sa taas ang hiling niya. Magkasunod na taon, binawian ng buhay ang mga anak niya.
Kay Mrs. Burgos at kay Jonas, darating din ang paghuhukom. Kung hindi man maibigay ng estado ang katarungan para sa inyo at sa iba na naperwisyo ng pekeng gobyernong ito,sa araw na iyon, makikita ninyo kung sino ang mga dumukot at sino ang nag-utos ng pagdukot at ibibigay din sa inyo ang katarungan. Sa ngayon pagsikapan pa rin ang paghahanap habang nananalangin.
Isang ahensya ng gobyerno ang nagdukot at nagpapatay kay Jonas Burgos – ang military.
Huwag nating iboto sa darating na eleksyon ang kandidatora ni GEN. PALPARAN. Siya ang utak sa pagkawala ni Burgos.
What’s wrong with Gloria’s govt? – AdeBrux
There’s nothing wrong with ngoyang’s government because crooks know nothing but crooked deeds.
Magiging isang malaking isyu kung huhulihin nila’t ikukulong ang kanilang mga sarili sa hindi na mabilang na kasalanan sa bayan.
Ano sila, bale?
I’d like to watch Mrs. B on stage, sayang. Wala bang tape/cd/dvd?
Hindi nila mahuli ang pumatay kay Jonas Burgos. Ano, hulihin nila sarili nila?
Ang husay mo sa aritmitik Igan Gabriela…mahirap atang mangyari yaong sarili nila ang huhuli sa kanilang kagaguhan?
Pero di pa sila libre coz’ ang KARMA ang siyang uusig sa kanilang kasamaan…ang temporal body lamang ang kanilang tinodas pero ang kaluluwa ng pobre ang uusig sa kanila.
Ewan ko ba kung bakit hot na hot ang mga militar sa mga nasa kaliwa o mga pinaniniwalaan nila na maka kaliwa. Bawal pa ba ang maging maka kaliwa sa Pinas? Bakit nga ba masyadong maka kanan naman ang atin militar?
Ito naman kay si Ivler, baka ipa deport lang at hindi mag silbi ng sentencia nya sa munti.
From Teddy:
Ang nangyari po kay jason ivler ay dapat din po nating kapulutan ng aral. Kung ating papansinin, ang mga naging biktima nya ay hindi mga ordinaryong mga mamamayan lamang.
Sa biglang tingin masasabi natin na napakaangas naman yata talaga nitong jason na ito dahil, agad ay ginamitan nya daw ng dahas ang kanyang mga nakakabanggga sa lansangan.
Hindi rin po natin alam kung bago niya ginawa ang mga bagay na iyon ay kung may mga pangyayari ba na nag udyok sa kanya upang gawin ang pagbaril sa mga biktima. Siya at ang mga biktima lamang ang nakakaalam non.
Batid naman natin na hindi lamang si Ivler ang siga ng lansangan. Ang iba nga, kamag anak lamang ng kapitan sa barangay ay akala mo hari na rin kung umasta. Ano kaya kung anak ka pa ng nanunungkulan sa mataas na posisyon ng gobyerno.
Dapat nating malaman na si Jason ay laking Amerika na kung saan ay disiplinado ang halos lahat ng mga nagmamaneho dahil na rin sa mahigpit na pagpapatupad ng batas trapiko.
Sa ating bansa lalo na sa Maynila ay sadyang laganap ang kawalang disiplina ng mga nagmamaneho lalo na ang mga jeepny at bus drivers. Ilang buhay ba ang nakasalalay sa kanilang mga kamay?
Marahil nagkaroon ng karanasan itong si ivler sa ganitong mga abusadong drivers na natanim sa kanyang isipan na nag udyok sa kanya upang mapoot sa mga abusadong nagmamaneho.
Sana ang mga abusadong driver na ito ay hindi na makatagpo ng isa pang Ivler.
Tungkol naman sa inang si Marlene, ang labis na pagmamahal sa anak ay lalong nakasasama. Kung agad sana niyang isinuplong ang anak disin sanay di humantong sa lalong komplikadong sitwasyon ang kanilang kalagayan. salamat po.