The Case of Randy Malayao

I am publishing the email I received this morning from a good friend, Randy Malayao.  I’ve known Randy way back our active student involvement in the College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) and the National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP) in the 90s.  His is just one of the sorry undocumented stories of rampant political repression and harassment of people who have been vocal about their dissent against the prevailing social ills.  His name has been tagged in ten murder and other criminal cases for the killing of former Cagayan Rep. Aguinaldo among others. Three have been dismissed for lack of evidence. Despite the apparent malicious prosecution, Randy continues to suffer in jail for two years now.  I am publishing his email not only to draw support and empathy for his cause but to let the flame of justice keep burning in our midsts especially in behalf of those whose voices have been muted or whose whereabouts have been left into oblivion.

elmo,

Am furnishing you this email para marefresh and maupdate ka re cases ko. Belated Merry Christmas and happy new year! Nakadalawang Christmas na ako dito. I thought of sending you this para maibahagi ang nangyari sa akin.

So here’s my digested story. Share mo na lang sa iba na kakilala natin.

I was abducted on May 15 2008 around 9pm. It was hell. Pababa ako ng bus. Sinalubong ako ng di ko mabilang na black-clad armed men. They were swarming all over. I was hogtied agad upon apprehension sa Cainta, Rizal. Lights were turned off sa supposedly well lit dept store. Then I was tossed in a van. It was suffocating. Everything was so quiet. I tried to ask kung sino sila to no avail. Of course I knew, they were AFP intel operatives. So I just tried to compose and pacify myself, stopped struggling to save whatever energy i had, conditioned my mind that I would be subjected to harsh interrogation and all. Torture ang pinaghandaan ko.

Nakatulong nang malaki ang pagiging fratman ko yata. Because i became inured to pain. Nakayanan ko ang mga pananakit at mga banta.

Indeed. I was subjected to hard and soft torture. Sinuntok sa iba’t ibang bahagi ng aking katawan maliban sa mukha, para walang maiwang marka. Hinubaran. Psychological torture – hindi mo alam kung ano ang susunod na gagawin. Dry asphyxiation, nilagyan ng plastic ang ulo ko. Paulit-ulit yon. Para kang nalulunod na masakit dahil aabutin ang threshold mo. At kung anu-ano pa. ..

I was deprived of sleep for 5 days, physically and mentally assaulted and all. Kapag gustong kong i-stretch ang kamay ko, pipigilan nila. Hihilahin nila ang kamay ko pababa. Napakasakit dahil nangawit na talaga ako na hanggang ngayon hindi ko maitaas ang kaliwang kamay ko. Indeed, terrifically painful. Nakakadena ang mga paa ko habang nakatali naman ang kamay ko sa likod. At nakaupo lang for 5 days. Pinapahiga din sa semento. Nakakalakad lang pag dinadala nila ako sa cr. I was also subjected to extreme room temp. malamig or mainit. 3 layers ang cover ng mukha ko….nagkabronchitis ako.

Akala ko sa pelikula lang nangyayari. It was hell, indeed. Non-stop ang interrogation. Dalawa lang ang focus ng mga tanong nila, sino ang aking mga kasama at nasan na sila. I was prepared to die. Wala akong dapat sagutin… sinabi ko sa kanila, patayin nyo na lang ako. wala kayong makukuha sa akin… I even offered to dig my own grave. It was this acceptance of death that made me strong. Nakaipon ako ng tatag at kapanatagan.

But they surfaced me after five days. Nakatulong nang malaki ang local and intl pressure; ang campaign against extra-judicial killings. nagmenor sila kaya they had to surface me.

Sa ngayon, I have since moved on i think. nakapangibabaw naman. nakakatulala lang minsan pag isipin ko ginawa sa akin for 5 days.

Baka hanggang Mayo pa ako dito kung madismis man. I have more or less ten cases, and counting. All trumped-up charges. Pinakamabigat yung kay Cong. Rodolfo Aguinaldo dahil high profile at very prominent.

Dahil ako daw ay named NDF peace consultant, lahat yata ng kaso sa rehiyon ay ipinataw sa akin kahit wala akong kinalaman. So by association ang nangyari. Ako naman talaga ay human rights and peace activist ever since.

I might as well share my other predicaments now sa aking legal battles.

Initially, nag-hire ako ng isang topnotch lawyer to defend me in the Aguinaldo case (3 cases) kahit napakamahal ng acceptance fee niya (500T per case). Ninegotiate at nareduce to 300T. Mahal pa rin. pero I was assured of easy breeze pero hindi nangyari. Nananaga talaga ang mga private lawyers. Installment ang mode ng pagbabayad ko sa kanya. Tinanggap ko dahil it was recommended by an all na initial na tumulong sa ilang bayarin. Pero I cannot sustain it. I have yet to settle my arrears sa acceptance fee. Ang nababayaran ko lang noon ay initial na 300T at appearance fee every hearing. 10T per appearance ang atty. Aray ko.

Nagraise ang CEGP for me last year. Nagpapasalamat nga pala ako sa mga tumulong din sa Chickoy Pura concert. They were able to raise at least 54T last year pa sa benefit-concert na yon nina Chikoy Pura, atbp pero nagastos sa venue ang kalahati at pagkain ng mga pro-bono artists. Naipadala naman ang natira – around 20T na sumagot sa 2 hearing. Malaking bagay na rin yon.

Pamilya, ilang good Samaritans ang nagsusustain ngayon ng iba pang bayarin. Litigation cost is simply staggering.

I have since asked the services of pro bono lawyers sa aking other cases. Hindi ko na rin kaya yung lawyer ko sa Aguinaldo case na humihingi na ng bonus fee gayung hindi pa tapos ang kaso.

Yung ibang lawyers, I have to take care of their board and lodging, transpo. Which costs around 10T per hearing dahil galing sila ng Manila.

Lalo na ang mga HR lawyers na maraming kinakaharap na mga kaso din na gaya ng sa akin.

National DOJ na ang humaharap sa kaso (Raul Gonzales noon, ngayon si Devanadera na) re Aguinaldo case to pin me down.

Kahit pala magaling lawyer mo kung iipitin ka, wala din.

Eto nakaka-FB at email ako dahil tumutulong ako sa opisina ng jail. Kaya nakakasingit. I edit the diaryo here. Pero baka hindi rin magtagal. E-visit program ito ng jail warden na minamaximize ko lang. Contact me sa landline -[withheld for security reasons]

As to my status now, mayor na ako ng selda pero ako ang tumatayong adviser ng mga bilanggo at ng warden, hehe.

SIyempre, high risk pa rin ang turing sa akin. Kaya gwardyado pa rin naman ako dito. But I think I have earned their respect dahil am trying to be productive.

Updates:

Aguinaldo Cases (3 cases – 2 murder at 1 frustrated) – may hearing ako sa Feb 24. Ako na ang magsasalita. I hope i could hurdle this. the prosecution portrayed me as the judge, prosecutor and executioner. ako daw ang isa sa mga nag-initiate ng proceedings, military trainor ng mga operatives at head ng special ops na bumira. I will debunk everything that the prosecution had presented.
· San Mariano Cases (ambush, direct assault with murder) – arraignment ko sa February 4. Na-stall ang arraignment dahil nagmotion ako to quash.
· Cabarroquis, Quirino cases (2 frustrated murder, raid sa intel house AFP) – dismissed
· Olalia Murder, Ilagan – pending pero iniatras na ng pamilya, kinakaibigan ako ng isang kapamilya nila – abogadong Olalia
· Dibuluan, San Mariano murder (ambush) – pending sa Joint Monitoring Committee ng NDF at GRP
· Ilagan ambush – pending sa JMC ng NDF at GRP
· Ilagan murder, Ilagan ambush April 2007 – pending sa JMC ng NDF at GRP

Itong pending, puwedeng pambonus o isampa ng GRP kung madismis ang iba pa. meaning, ifile pa rin nila.

lahat trumped up ang mga charges. Puro paningit ang pangalan ko sa lahat ng kaso. Hardly any material evidence. Gusto nila akong ipin-down. Pero kaya ko ito. I shall overcome.

As to peacetalks, kasama ako sa list ng JASIG (Joint agreement on Security and immunity Guarantees)-protected, mga NDF consultants sa peace talks. Pero hindi naman tumutupad ang gubyerno sa kasunduan. ANyway wala din naman akong tiwala kay GMA. At walang patutunguhan ang peace talks sa rehimen niya/

Hindi lang naman financial support ang puwedeng itulong sa akin.(You may send readings – literature, games, films/dvds, magazines, food stuffs na hindi masisira agad, toiletries and disinfectants (pls) – panglinis ng cr (sa dami namin, laging kailangang mag-scrub).

Kahit pabango, bigyan nyo nga ako, kasi amoy selda ako, amoy pawis ha ha! Anakpawis naman talaga ako pero I ask you to send me some good scent he he. I need a rubber shoes para makapag-jog. Medyo sprained ang paa ko- talampakan. i need to exercise.

i think i demand too much na. sige…..bye muna. sensya na. naglalambing lang.

You may send your support – love, moral and material, whatever… sa address na ito.

RANDY MALAYAO
BJMP City and District Jail
Cataggamman Pardo
Tuguegarao City
Cagayan

For legal fund aid:

Land Bank Savings Account: 0125170633
Landbank Account Name: Perla Malayao-Upano (ito ang ginagamit ng Friends of RM/Free Randy Malayao Movement, the group that is assisting me in my cases). Or through Raymund Villanueva who coordinates Free RM and Friends.. in Manila.

Sa Western Union puwede din yata. Tuguegarao City Branch. Pero ipangalan na lang sa errand boy nephew ko: Jeric Upano, Centro, San Pablo, Isabela. (Tel No. 0927-4343015). I need a court order para makalabas kaya sa pamangkin ko na lang.

CP/Landline
BJMP Tuguegarao Landline: (078)304-7146

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