The National Democratic Front of the Philippines-Cagayan Valley (NDFP-CV) declared one of its staffs missing after more than three weeks of having no contact with their comrade.
NDFP-CV spokesperson Salvador del Pueblo said Scarlet Lyne Gayo, a member of their regional public information team, had gone missing, probably abducted by armed state forces.
“According to relevant information, Gayo was cornered by elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and is being pressured to turn against her revolutionary comrades in exchange for the dismissal of several trumped-up charges against her,” del Pueblo said in an alert.
Gayo was on a health break and was due to return to her unit but has been without contact since last month, the spokesperson said.
Upon further queries, Kodao learned that the victim was last seen in Cavite province last December 9.
Part of Gayo’s recent activities was the conduct of field researches on the impacts of droughts, typhoons and disasters on poor farmers in Region 2, NDFP-CV said.
The group said it fears for Gayo’s safety, citing instances of captured comrades eventually turning up killed in “fake encounters” with the AFP.
“The AFP and NTF-ELCAC (National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict) of the US-Marcos regime must be made to answer if Gayo and her family are harmed in anyway, in violation of international humanitarian law and protocols of war,” del Pueblo said.
He added that the Government of the Republic of the Philippines must accord Gayo her basic rights as a prisoner of war. # (Raymund B.Villanueva)
