Statement of Tomas Legislador Dominado, Jr on the abduction and disappearance of his wife

Statement of Tomas Legislador Dominado, Jr. on the abduction and disappearance of his wife, Maria Luisa Posa and Nilo Arado


April 23, 2007

The FQSN reprinted the statement of Tomas Dominado that was published in the internet in reaction to the abuction and disappearance of his wife, Maria Luisa Posa together with another militant activist leader Nilo Arado and the attempted killing of Leeboy Garachico.

Tomas and his wife, Luisa are both political activists and former political detainees in the Philippines. On April 12, agents of the state under the Arroyo regime forcibly abducted Luisa Posa-Dominado and Nilo Arado of BAYAN. They shot Leeboy Garachico of KARAPATAN in the neck and left him for dead. Until now for the last three weeks, Luisa and Nilo are still missing.

The statement directly indicts the ruling Arroyo regime and its military minions and collaborators for the fascist crimes they have committed against the author's wife and her companions as well as the murder and enforced disappearances of some 900 victims in the seven years so far of the regime.

The statement denounces the current rabid fascist campaign of repression and psywar against the progressive forces in the legal and parliamentary arena in an effort to eliminate them and set them up for slaughter by covert agents of the fascist state.

The statement eloquently voices the revolutionary commitment and dedication of the author, the victims and the entire lot of other activists and leaders like them who are ever determined to give all their life's efforts to the people's struggle to achieve justice, liberation and democracy and make all the necessary sacrifices for the revolutionary cause.

Following is the full text of the statement:


Just recently, on March 28, I gave 30 stems of red roses to my wife symbolizing our 30 years of marriage amidst arduous struggle for democracy. Through thick and thin, for 37 years we marched together with our people in their fight for liberation.


Is this about to come to an end? Last night (April 12), agents of the state under the Arroyo
regime forcibly abducted my wife and Nilo Arado of BAYAN. They shot Leeboy Garachico of KARAPATAN in the neck and left him for dead.

For all the sacrifices and dangers that my wife and I had gone through in our 15 years of struggle against the Marcos dictatorship, we came out much alive and active to fight again, this time against the thinly-veiled dictatorship of the Arroyo regime. While the Marcos martial law regime was outrightly repressive, the Arroyo regime does not even have the guts to own up to its crime and goes all out in denying all responsibility-denying even its responsibility as a recognized state to deliver justice to its citizens, even as it sets up its victims for abduction and passes the blame to its enemies for its dastardly act.

I am outrightly accusing the Arroyo regime and its hatchetmen of the crime of abduction of Maria Luisa Posa and Nilo Arado and the frustrated murder of Leeboy Garachico. Furthermore, from the very pronouncements of Capt. Lowen Gil Marquez, I accuse the 301st Brigade of justifying armed state terrorist attacks against the various progressive organizations and their leaders, as exemplified by Marquez's constant public vilification of these.

The regime has both motive and even unwittingly provided evidence for its crime. We need not look further than the statements of the 32nd CRU chief, Captain Marquez, accusing at every turn of his harangue the progressive organizations led by the victims, such as BAYAN and BAYAN MUNA, Gabriela, Anak Pawis, and Kabataan in Panay as illegal adjuncts of the revolutionary Left. While this and every repressive act may even better the progressive party-lists' chance at cornering a big chunk of the people's votes, it also serves to set up progressive mass leaders for slaughter in the hands of covert agents of the state. The United Nation's human Rights Council rapporteur has even documented the Armed Forces of the Philippines' order of battle against legal personalities and organizations of the Left under the aegis of the regime's Oplan Bantay Laya II, making them targets for elimination by the fascist state.

At the very least, this regime is culpable of dereliction of duty and coverup, allowing these criminal acts to run rampant with impunity. Already, some 900 instances of disappearances, assassinations and massacres have occurred in the seven years so far of the Arroyo regime and not one of the perpetrators has been convicted. What has taken place has only been the convening of neverending investigations that aim to falsely accuse the victims' own groups and whitewash the role of state agents, and this is what I expect to happen, too, in the case of my wife and her companions.

Typical of such is Captain Marquez' total denial of culpability, his ridiculous claims of "self-ambush" by the victim's own group and his branding of the victims themselves as terrorists. All these redound to justifying the attack on the victims while whitewashing the state agents' crimes even before the authorities have started their own official investigations. Not only does he protest too much in such a suspicious manner but he also mouths off the standard alibi of those with blood-stained hands.

I am very sorry that I cannot personally attend to my wife and her companions' cases. As much as this grieves me, I cannot allow the regime the satisfaction of doing to me what they have done to Luisa, especially after having branded me in its previous statements of being a leader of the armed Left. But even from a distance, drawing renewed strength from Luisa's example, I will quietly, painstakingly, arduously and relentlessly follow her path, much reddened by the blood of our martyrs.

I am very satisfied with the relentless and massive efforts of Luisa's organizations, family, and friends in the furtherance of her return and for the attainment of justice, even under threat of fascist attacks and wherever events may lead to. I am sure that sooner or later, we will succeed in seeing to it that justice will prevail. For, after all, this is what all our life's efforts (mine, Luisa's and a lot of other activists and leaders) are aimed at-to have a people conscious, organized, and powerful enough to exact justice and build peace.

Allow me to cry out my pain, and that of my family, Luisa's family, friends, and co-workers. Yet what strange solace we do get from realizing that such pain is but a drop in the ocean of oppression, exploitation, hunger, and hopelessness that has befallen the people. What great inspiration we do derive in the thought that justice and peace can definitely be achieved if only we redouble our collective efforts in realizing democracy. That only in the protracted struggle for liberation can we achieve our goals, which are far more worthy than anything we have achieved and may lose - even our most loved ones, even ourselves. That justice for Luisa and Nilo can only be fully realized if justice for all state repression is achieved.

I shall still be preparing 31 stems of very red roses next year, whatever the outcome of this case will be - that much is certain. A flood of red roses shall also be offered next year and in the years to come for all victims of repression and for our people. For an unending stretch of flower gardens has already been planted, in full bloom and dedicated to their cause.


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