February 24, 2018 marks the seventh anniversary of the disappearance of National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) consultant Lora Manipis and her husband Jeruel Domingo. They were last seen in Kidapawan City on this date and have not been heard of since then. They comprise two of the 21 victims of enforced disappearance under the Rodrigo Duterte regime.
At the time of their disappearance, Region 12, where Domingo and Manipis worked, was one of the hardest hit under Duterte in terms of human rights violations. From July 2016 to December 2017, Karapatan documented 6,227 victims of human rights violations comprising 20 victims of extrajudicial killings; 22 illegal arrests and detention; and 6,185 victims of displacement and evacuation.
Prior to their disappearance, Domingo and Manipis’ family had reportedly been under intense surveillance for two years, with their daughter even interrogated in school.
“Their family and colleagues fear that Manipis and Domingo may have already been summarily executed — the cruel fate suffered by many other NDFP consultants like Agaton Topacio and Eugenia Magpantay, Antonio Cabanatan, Julius Giron, Randy Malayao, Randall Echanis, Menandro Villanueva and Pedro Codaste after Rodrigo Duterte scuttled the peace talks,” said Desaparecidos spokesperson Edith Burgos.
“Manipis and Domingo’s family, however, have had no bodies to bury and no graves to grieve over,” she said. “Like many other families of the forcibly disappeared, they are in a state of perpetual anguish and uncertainty.”
“Unfortunately, enforced disappearances did not stop with Duterte. As of now, there are 15 victims forcibly disappeared under the Ferdinand Marcos Jr. regime,” Burgos added. “Same with Duterte, Marcos Jr. has been wielding this repressive weapon as a means of silencing dissent and spreading terror.”
“Desaparecidos vows to continue raising public awareness about this horrible State-sponsored crime,” stressed Burgos, “and tirelessly supports the families of the forcibly disappeared to find closure by demanding truth, justice and accountability from State authorities.”
For reference: Edith Burgos, Desaparecidos spokesperson