Statement: Official statement of the Zamboanguita Three

CEBU, Philippines - The rebellion complaint filed against us, Maria Carla Alvarico, Karlo Maliel Cabahug and Glenn Filamir Absin was dismissed by prosecutor Honorable Elizabeth Bayhon for being baseless and untruthful. The release order was then made with the resolution and we were released from detention last November 3, 2009 from the Zamboanguita Police Station, Negros Oriental.

With the dismissal, it vindicated us three from the false and unsubstantiated claims of the Armed Forces of the Philippines of rebellion and subversion. The court of law cleared us of such false claims but speculations and unsupported facts are still released in the media. We would have chosen to rest and be silent about it because of the trauma the incident gave us, but we feel the need to correct some false statements.

We were arrested by a seven-man team under commanding officer 1st Lt. Ramon Salvador of the 79th Infantry Batallion during a checkpoint in the hinterlands of Pulang yuta, Brgy. Mayabon, Zamboanguita, Negros Oriental around 8pm last October 18, 2009. Upon custody, the military brought us to Zamboanguita Police Station. The PNP then brought us to the municipal health center for a medico-legal physical examination and underwent paraffin test the next day.

We disclaim the allegations of the Armed Forces of the Philippines that we have any involvement with the underground movement or with any armed group. We are not members nor are we new recruits of the CPP-NPA. In the above incident, we did not carry arms and did not fire one, as shown by the negative result of the paraffin tests.

In contrary to the allegations of the AFP, we are members of legal youth organizations; Alvarico, Cebu Chapter Chairperson of the College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP), Cabahug, Student Alliance for Nationalism and Democracy (STAND) and Absin, member of the League of Filipino Students (LFS). All our activities with these organizations are legal and for the interest of the students and the youth. Our involvement in social endeavors is for the service of the community and the needy. Labeling these organizations as front of the underground movement diverts and trivializes the issues of what CEGP and LFS stands for.

Lamentably, some officers and members within the AFP continuously fail to uphold basic constitutional rights, all to the detriment of legitimate organizations and well-meaning activists. In derogation of the lofty guarantees of the constitution, such officers and members have stuck to the archaic idea that where there is radical dissent, all is red.

The military’s claim that Maria Carla Alvarico took over the role of Rachelle Mae Palang in the armed movement is totally false and Alvarico vehemently denies it. Alvarico respects and salutes Rachelle’s choice, commitment and sacrifice, but Alvarico and Palang are two separate individuals and live different lives. Alvarico’s association with the late Rachelle Mae Palang remains personal, being Palang’s classmate in Velez College and her close friend.

We also deny that the corpse found two days after the incident some 200 meters away from where we were arrested and who was later identified as Reden Carpentero, as our companion.

Despite the traumatic incident, we are still thankful that we have been brought in the hands of good police officers. We would like to extend our gratitude to the Philippine National Police of Zamboanguita under Police Senior Inspector Teodorico Picardal and all the police officers of the station for the well treatment and for the tight security they have shown and given us while we were in their custody.

For now, we would like to put everything behind us and continue our lives with our families. We were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. To those who had supported us, we express our deepest gratitude..

Maria Carla Alvarico

Karlo Maliel Cabahug

Glenn Filamir Absin