Jonas Joseph “Jay Jay” Burgos son of late Freedom Fighter Jose Burgos, Jr. Missing

UPDATE 5/1 4:06 pm on Burgos disappearance

According to ABS-CBN News a witness went to the station to report on what he saw regarding the abduction of Jonas Joseph “Jay Jay”

Burgos.

The witness identifying himself only as “Randy” for his own safety and security that he saw what happened and requested further that his face not be shown on TV.

According to reports he immediately recognizes Burgos from the picture shown by Dr. Edith Burgos in her appeal to locate her missing son.

The witness narrated seeing Burgos eating alone at “Hapag-Kainan” restaurant at Ever Gotesco Mall at Commonwealth Avenue last Saturday around 1:00 p.m.

Burgos was abruptly approached by 4 “bodyguard” (burly) looking men stroking the shoulder of the victim to put him at ease. At this instance he was dragged out despite the victims shouting for help saying: “Tulungan ninyo ako, dinudukot ako, Aktibista ako” (Help me, I am being abducted, I am an activist).

It was learned that out of fear and intimidation no one dared to help the victim and things just got back to normal as if no disturbing incident just happened.

A visit at Ellen Tordesillas blog showed more disturbing development asking to pray for Burgos, which I quote:

A former colleague in Malaya last night texted me they have information that it was elements of ISAFP (Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines) that abducted Jayjay. “Please pray,” she said.

Let’s hope and pray that this is not the case. How sad that even Recto recognizes the contribution of the elder Burgos and truly this is a reflection of an ingrate instead of honoring our debt of gratitude has his son abducted under her watch is truly disturbing.

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I have to break the One Day Blog Silence, to not bring this out to public attention will be a dishonor to one of our unsung heroes of the dark days of Marcos Dictatorship. Joe Burgos is the Publisher of the We Forum and Malaya during the height of Marcos repressive dictatorial regime courageously publishing independent unbiased news at a time when most of the big publications were cowering in fear or virtually shut down.

Jonas Joseph “Jay Jay” Burgos, 36, married with one child of San Miguel, Bulacan went missing since the evening of April 28. According to distraught relatives who feared he was abducted by military agents when he did not show up to attend their family reunion in Quezon City.

Jay Jay, an agriculture graduate of the Benguet State University (BSU), is a trainor of the Alyansa ng Magbubukid sa Bulacan (AMB), an affiliate of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP).

A good natured man who is so giving who will give what he has if he felt others need it most even down to his shirt and slippers, according to mother of Jonas Dr. Edith Burgos. The relatives feared his disappearance may have been tied to his membership to an organization tagged by the military as an “enemy of the state”. Dr. Edith Burgos is appealing to the military and police for help in finding her son, to quote:

“I am appealing to anyone who knows where my son is to please, help us find my son. I am also appealing to those who took him, please, don’t hurt him. If he has done something wrong, please, give us the chance to do something about it,” she said.

Burgos said her son has no known enemies and said he was an active member of AMB since 1988.

The young

Burgos was reportedly with a certain Melissa Reyes, a mother of four, and a still unidentified male companion when they disappeared. Reyes’ relatives, according to Burgos, said Melissa failed to go home on Saturday night.

The chilling events prior to his disappearance came more than a week after masked men on board a van barged into the house of Joseph Canlas, chairman of the Alyansa ng Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luson (AMGL), and tried to abduct him.

Fortunately, Canlas was not home when the attackers came and manhandled his relatives and stole their cellular phones.

Meanwhile, the Families of Desaparacedos for Justice (Desaparacidos) condemned the disappearance of Burgos and Reyes.

“This is a brazen act which only state security forces will have the motive and gall to carry out. It’s ironic that it happened to a member of the Burgos family that had opposed and survived Martial Law and sill continues to defend civil rights and press freedom,” spokesperson Ghay Portajada said.

Portajada noted that the disappearance happened not in a remote village in the countryside, but in

Quezon City.

The group claimed that a total of 198 people have become victims of enforced disappearances since President Arroyo took power in January 2001.

Dr. Editha Chavez Tronqued Burgos describing the younger

Burgos as:

“Kamukha ng asawa ko, parang mapayat at batang Joe Burgos ‘yon, na walang salamin, Editha Chavez Tronqued Burgos told radio dzBB on Monday when she appealed for help on the whereabouts of his son.

While no one has determined what he may be wearing Dr. Burgos told DZBB that her son usually wears denim pants and T-shirt. It was reported that it was very unusual for the younger Burgos not to inform people if he is not able to come on scheduled appointments or family meetings or gatherings. His disappearance is very uncharacteristic of his diligence in informing people if he can make it or not in his appointments especially family gatherings.

This is very sad indeed, if this is how we repay our debt of gratitude to a man who risked life and limbs inspiring and enlightening people of the evils of the dictatorship by abducting his son instead of honoring him is the lowest of the low. It does not come as a surprise though because this Lady was nowhere or heard of during the dark days of martial rule. If she can create a wedge and make enemies of those who propped her up to power it really does not come as a surprise that she is bound to follow the footstep of the Marcosian dictatorship.

Bring this case to the attention of the US Congress and other influential people in the west and show the world what has become of this once proud bastion of democracy in the Far East as nothing more but a nation on the verge of another Marcosian rule.

One of Edith’s sons has already reported the incident to the police, anyone who could help her find Jay Jay can contact her through her cellular phone no. 0928-7551449.