Angie’s Story: Letters from Prison

The following are letters Angie Ipong, a lay worker and former teacher, sent to friends from prison. Ipong, now 63, was nabbed by government agents on March 8, 2005, and was later charged with rebellion and murder — trumped-up charges, she says. In prison, she claims to have been tortured, sexually molested and humiliated by her captors, who publicly accused her of being a communist guerrilla in Western Mindanao.

These letters, as well as a fact sheet of Ipong’s case, were provided to PinoyPress by Gabriela, the women’s group.

LETTER FROM PRISON
April 2005

Dear Friends,

Thank you for this opportunity to scribble a few lines to let you know my present state and what I have experienced in the past months.

On March 8, 2005, International Women’s Day at about 2:00 p.m., I was abducted by 9-12 armed military men in plain clothes, some wearing bonnets who introduced themselves as members of the CIDG.

They barged at the room, handcuffed me and took me to a white silver, closed panel. They blindfolded and brought me to an unknown place which later I found out was Pulacan and Tabak Division. For four days I was in solitary confinement, incommunicado, interrogated. After four days, I was blindfolded again and was brought by a helicopter to another unknown place which I later found out was the Southern Command. There I was placed in a “torture chamber” - a closed aircon room without exhaust.

Inside this chamber I experienced the most inhumane treatment by the military- punches at my hipbone, hitting my head with a thickly rolled paper, grabbing my shoulders. The worst part of it was when they slowly undressed me and touched my private parts while I was blindfolded with my hands tied at the back- all these I went through just to force me to answer their questions.

I was so humiliated and harassed. I could not take such. At some point, I became unconscious. I was so weak and the last thing I heard was their laughter and mockery. I asked for mercy, respect and told them that what they are doing to me is like what they are doing to their mothers and sisters. But these pleadings fell on deaf ears.

When I regained consciousness, I found myself shivering in the cold since they turned the airconditioner to the coldest temperature. I had no sleep the whole night anticipating worst things that could happen.

For 14 days I was declared missing, barred from seeing my relatives and friends, denied of my legal counsel. Transferred from prison to prison until they finally committed me here in Pagadian City Jail. I am charged with rebellion which was only filed on March 17, 2005.

I cannot believe the military could do such inhuman acts to a 60-year old woman like me, they who claim to be the protectors of the law.

I refused to eat for 11 days. I did this to show them how strongly I protest the illegal arrest, illegal detention, torture, sexual molestation that they have inflicted on me. What they have done was an outright violation of my civil and democratic rights endowed to us by the constitution.

These must be strongly condemned!

I do not know how long I will be incarcerated. It seems the military is determined to detain me without bases.

Your support will give me the strength to overcome whatever sacrifices and difficulties I will undergo.

In the Struggle,
ANGIE