Surrendered or abducted? Activist says Tamano, Castro should be believed

A fellow activist believes the account of Jhed Tamano and Jonila Castro during Tuesday's press conference should be what the public should accept as the truth.

Jon Bonifacio, the national coordinator of Kalikasan People's Network for the Environment, said it is not surprising that Tamano and Castro's account during the press conference is different from what the government earlier claimed.

"'Yung mga situations na ganoon, hindi mo alam kung ano 'yung mapapasabi o mapapapirma natin doon sa mga dinakip. So I wouldn't be surprised na ginamit na opportunity ni Jhed at Jonila itong public na press conference, 'yung unang beses na makakapagsalita sila sa public, ever since na dinakip sila, ginamit nila na opportunity to set the record straight, na ito na talaga 'yung nangyari," he said.

Tamano, a coordinator of the Ecumenical Bishops Forum, and Castro, a member of AKAP Ka Manila Bay, went missing early September. They were later reported to be in police custody.

On Tuesday, National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict organized a press conference and presented the two activists, who said their had been abducted and coerced into signing affidavits.

• 'Surrendered' activists say they were abducted, reject coerced affidavits

Tamano and Castro are expected to be transfererd to the custody of the Commission on Human Rights before Tuesday ends, Bonifacio added.