Surface peasant and Indigenous peoples’ organizer Steve Abua!Stop the attacks on human rights defenders!

English

The Malaya Movement USA, demands the immediate surfacing and safe return of recently abducted Steve Abua. He was last seen in Barangay Sta. Cruz, Lubao, Pampanga on November 6.

We strongly condemn this recent attack on human rights defenders. We know that the abduction follows a similar pattern of state terror and state sanctioned violence against activists under the Duterte Regime.

Steve Abua, 34, is a long-time peasant and Indigenous peoples’ organizer in Central Luzon. Abua was a student leader at the University of the Philippines-Diliman who graduated with an honors in a BS Statistics degree. Being a student leader, Abua was also councilor of the UP School of Statistics Student Council and member of the League of Filipino Students-UP DIliman. After graduating, Abua decided to dedicate his life as a full-time community organizer of peasant and Indigenous peoples in Pampanga and Bataan provinces.

Following his enforced disappearance, Abua’s family was informed of his abduction via photo messages of and video call from his abductors through his mobile phone, where Abua’s wife saw him visibly in distress— with blindfolds and mouth covers to prevent him from speaking. Furthermore, Abua’s family believes the unidentified perpetrators are state forces, as they kept repeating the government just wanted to give Abua a chance to turn a new leaf in life or “magbagong buhay”.

The perpetrators have also threatened to kill Steve if Mrs. Abua does not follow their conditions. The Abua family, through KARAPATAN-Central Luzon, is being assisted by the Commission on Human Rights to locate Steve.

We hold the Duterte government and its fascist security forces accountable for his disappearance. We stand in solidarity with the Abua family for the immediate call to surface Steve Abua and to fight all forms of tyranny and hostility against human rights defenders!

Filipino

Ang Malaya Movement USA ay ipinapanawagan na agarang ilitaw at ligtas na ibalik si Steve Abua. Huli siyang nakita sa Barangay Sta. Cruz, Lubao, Pampanga noong November 6.

Mariin naming Kinokondena ang pag-atake na ito sa mga human rights defenders. Alam natin na ang pagdukot ay katulad ng disenyo ng terorismo ng estado at mga state sanctioned violence laban sa mga aktibista sa ilalim ng rehimeng Duterte.

Si Steve Abua, 34, ay isang matagal na isang organizer kasama ang mga magsasaka at mga katutubo sa Central Luzon. Si Abua ay isang lider-estudyante sa University of the Philippines-Diliman na nagtapos na may honors sa BS Statistics. Bilang isang student leader, si Abua ay naging Councilor ng UP School of Statistics Student Council at miyembro ng League of Filipino Students-UP Diliman. Pagkatapos niyang maka-graduate, nagpasya si Abua na ilaan ang kanyang buhay bilang isang buong panahon na organisador sa komunidad ng mga magsasaka at ng mga katutubo sa Pampanga at Bataan.

Kasunod ng kanyang sapilitang pagkawala, nalaman ng pamilya ni Abua na siya ay dinukot mula sa mga photo messages at video calls galing sa mga dumukot sa kanya mula sa kanyang cellphone. Nakita ng kanyang asawa na malinaw na nasa panganib - may blindfold at takip sa kanyang bibig para hindi siya makapagsalita. Higit pa rito, naniniwala ang pamilya ni Abua na ang mga hindi pa nakikilalang salarin ay pwersa ng estado, dahil paulit-ulit nilang sinasabi na ninanais lang ng gobyerno na bigyan ng pagkakataon si Abua na “magbagong buhay”.

Nagbanta rin ang mga salarin na papatayin si Steve kung hindi susundin ni Mrs. Abua ang kanilang mga kondisyon. Ang pamilya Abua, sa pamamagitan ng KARAPATAN-Central Luzon, ay tinutulungan ng Commission on Human Rights upang mahanap si Steve.

Kailangan managot ng rehimeng Duterte at ang mga pasistang mga alagad sa pagkawala ni Steve Abua. Nakikiisa kami sa pamilya Abua para sa agarang panawagan na ilitaw si Steve Abua at labanan ang lahat ng uri ng tiraniya at pagatake sa mga human rights defenders!