The Implementor
The mystery of the disappearing Filipinos
Most people associate the Philippines with a paradise on earth. But there is more to the Philippines than the white beaches. There are also things that are a lot less nice. Especially for the people living there. Since the 1970's there have been a great amount of people who disappeared in the Philippines and even now, in 2019, that is still happening. Usually people disappear because of political reasons. Since the current president Rodrigo Duterte was elected in 2016 the Philippines is suffering the worst human right crisis since the end of Marco's dictatorship in 1986.
How many people disappeared until now?
The latest data by the organization FIND (Families of Victims of Involuntary Disappearance) documented 1,996 cases of enforced disappeared. But the reported number is even higher – across seven administrations it reaches a total of 2,334.
Out of the official numbers there are still 1,165 people who are missing. 587 of them came back alive but 244 people were found dead.
According to FIND there were 23 victims of enforced disappearances in the last three years of the Duterte presidency.
Is this a lot?
Compared to other countries the Philippines are still one of the lower affected countries by enforced disappearances. However this does not make it less of a problem. Sri Lanka for example has one of the highest numbers of disappearances in the world. Between 60,000 and 100,000 people vanished since the late 1980s. To make this number more realistic – the world's second biggest football stadium in Melbourne has a capacity of approximately 100,000 people.
Why and how do they disappear?
Enforced disappearances are basicly used as a tool of terror. Not only the families of the disappeared people are affected by it, it also spreads fear and insecurity throughout the whole community. People are too afraid and hold back their criticism of the political system. Hence political activists, human right defenders, relatives of those already disappeared, key witnesses, lawyers, farmers, students and members of labor unions are the most common victims. The targeted persons are deprived of liberty via detention, arrest, or kidnapping. Usually they are being taken from the street or they get abducted from home. This crime happens by state agents or by people who are working with the “authorization, support, or acquiescence” of the state
How is this possible?
There happens to be a law against enforced disappearances that was already passed through in 2012. According to Nilda Sevilla, co-chairperson of FIND, involuntary disappearance are seen as “a special or separate offense” from kidnapping, serious illegal detention, and/or murder. But there is a gap in the law that makes enforced disappearances possible. As soon as a person disappears the perpetrators put conscious effort in hiding the location of the abducted person. Restraining the information about the whereabouts of a missing person leads to the fact that this person virtually does not exist. From this moment forth the person is outside the protection of law.
What are the consequences of the disappearances?
When people vanish they leave family and friends behind with a lot of unanswered questions. Being in the dark with the question whether their loved ones are still alive the relatives experience slow mental anguish. They don't know where their mother, daughter, father or son are being held or how they are being treated. Every attempt to discover the truth can put the entire family in great danger. That is why family members or witnesses usually do not speak up and remain silent. They have to deal with a feeling of powerlessness. They never know. For sure if they will be reunited with their loved ones someday or that they have already died a terrible dead.
The families suffer not only from traumatic loss but also have to carry sudden economical problems. Many victims of the enforced disappearances are the sole breadwinners of the concerned families. Meaning they have to to find a new way to manage their lives. As a result there is a great need of effective psychological support and rehabilitation with a livelihood assistance.
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