Palparan et al’s arrest and detention in ordinary jails would give us a little peace of mind as we continue to conduct field work, immerse in communities, and serve the people where we can find them – the same way Karen and Sherlyn did. We have no bounty to offer, but to those who can bring in the men who terrorized the countryside have our deepest gratitude.
As we witness, in practice, the rule of law, we can only but remember the plight of other UP students and alumni. James Balao, missing since 2008, empowered indigenous peoples to defend their homelands from the greedy. Maricon Montajes and Ericson Acosta, detained on trumped up charges, are also two of our own who sought to change our society from the bottom up.
The way now to give dignity to their pain and suffering is to stand behind their mothers, their families, friends, and most poignantly, to declare ourselves one family, from the one University that we all call home.