Daughter seeks CA help over father's detention

The daughter of detained Patricio Abalos has asked the Court of Appeals to order Major Gen. Emmanuel Teodisio, Brigadier Gen. Jovito Palparan and Lt. Wilbert Basquiñas "to produce the body" of her father.

In her petition dated June 15, 2005, Cristina Abalos asked the CA that a "writ of habeas corpus be issued directing the respondents to appear and produce the body of Patricio Abalos" and to "summon the respondents to show the cause of the holding of Abalos."

Cristina said that at around 8:30 p.m. last May 28, they saw a vehicle parked outside their house in Quindaponan, Catbalogan, Samar. When her father went outside to check the car, four armed men alighted from the vehicle and "forcibly took him."

For several times, members of the Abalos family went to Camp Lucban, Maulong, Catbalogan, where the 8th Infantry Division is based, to see their father but were denied entry.

In the afternoon of May 31, six soldiers led by Basquiñas allegedly arrived at the Abalos' residence and immediately searched the house for a gun without search warrant. But no gun has been found.

Cristina alleged that Basquiñas told them the elder Abalos was in the military's custody and that they were looking for the gun.

Cristina alleged that Basquiñas even threatened her mother that if they would not surrender the gun, she would be the next to be abducted. She said that the soldiers even left his contact numbers to them.

Abalos' wife, Rosa, said that they asked for Palaparan's help but he allegedly told her that if they would not admit that her husband is an NPA member, he would not help them.

Cristina filed the petition in view of the "considerable risk to the lives of the petitioner and her family should the same be filed in Samar."

The petition also named Teodisio, the commanding general of the military's Central Command, which the 8th Infantry Division is under.