Family, colleagues of Myrna Cruz-Abraham denounce second arrest

By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL
Bulatlat.com

MANILA – A nurturing mother and grandmother with a commitment to serve the people.

This is how Henry Abraham described her mother, indigenous and women’s advocate Myrna Cruz-Abaham who was arrested on Jan. 27 in San Rafael, Bulacan.

This is the second time that Myrna was arrested for crimes she did not commit, he said.

“The State has failed us. The very institution that promised to serve the people is once again oppressing our family. After 15 years, our mother is once again arrested on charges she never committed. The dismissal of previous trumped up charges against her is proof that the concocted stories and lies against her are baseless and malicious,” he said.

This time, Myrna was with her daughter and grandchildren in a grocery store when she was accosted by personnel of the Directorate for Investigation and Detection Management of the Philippine National Police (PNP). Myrna was accused of murder and frustrated murder.

Read: Activist abducted in Cagayan, later found in jail
Read: Myrna Cruz-Abraham: Gentle mom, activist, political prisoner

“Our family firmly asserts that our mother is innocent of the accusations against her. What they have done is a cowardly act to further oppress those who bravely stand for human rights,” Henry said in a press conference on Jan. 30, Myrna’s 70th birthday.

Fearless, and patriotic

Henry said that they grew up with the reality of injustices in society. “Although we did not fully understand this at first, they patiently explained the causes they championed and why they stood in solidarity with the masses.”

He said that his mother found joy in serving the people. As children, their mother would tag them along in workers’ strikes, rallies, and solidarity camps with the Lumad of Mindanao.

Photo by Myrna Cruz-Abraham (Contributed photo)

“There were times when she brought us along to workshops and training sessions where she was invited as a teacher. We saw how much joy her work brought her,” he said.
“There is nothing like having a forward-thinking, fearless, and patriotic mother.”

But even with Myrna’s steadfastness, Henry said that their mother is always with them.

“As a mother, she did everything she could to nurture us. She was incredibly supportive of our achievements in life. When we felt down, she would comfort us with her thoughtful advice and delicious dishes. Despite her active involvement in fighting alongside the masses, she never neglected to raise us as kind, responsible and rights-respecting individuals,” he said.

50 years

Gabriela chairperson Gert Libang also condemned the arrest of Myrna. For the past 50 years, she said that Myrna has worked with various sectors. “Women and children, workers, and indigenous peoples, among others. She helped them amplify their demands to those in power and to fight for their rights.”

“She spent her life living and working with the people. Everywhere she goes, she is loved by the people. Even her fellow PDLs (Persons Deprived of Liberty) in the Tuguegarao jail. When they found out that she was being released from prison, they said they hoped she wouldn’t leave yet because they still wanted to learn from her experiences,” Libang said in Filipino.

She said that it is ironic that her second arrest happened under the administration of Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the son of the dictator Marcos Sr. “where Myrna’s desire to serve the people was awakened.” Myrna was a member of the Kabataan Makabayan in the 1970s.

“So our question is, what kind of government does the Philippines have? Instead of honoring people like Myrna, her time and days are being stolen. Time that she could still be using to serve the people,” Libang said.

Apart from many involvements, Myrna is also a member of Sandiwa, a national network of advocates for the rights of national minorities founded in September 2017. She helped organize relief services, fundraising bazaars, and educational and cultural events to promote the heritage and struggles of Indigenous Peoples and the Bangsamoro.

She also participated in relief operations for indigenous and Moro communities especially in Rizal, Quezon, and Metro Manila affected by disasters and calamities. Myrna played active roles in the successful Lakbayan ng Pambansang Minorya from 2017 to 2019, and supported the Lumad Bakwit Schools in Manila.

Prior to her work in Sandiwa, Myrna also served as a teacher. She taught at institutions like the Rizal Experimental and Pilot School of Cottage Industries (1975), Jose Rizal College (1977), and Colegio del Buen Consejo (1979).

She also worked as junior trainer for the Management Advancement Systems Association, Inc. (MASAI) from 1991 to 1994, conducting training on basic management courses for non-government organizations. Groups such as St. Joseph’s Social Services and the Crisis Management Committee-National Capital Region sought her knowledge in planning and networking.

Meanwhile, Maningning Vilog, chairperson of Sandiwa, commended Myrna’s dedication in working for the marginalized.

“At her age, she should enjoy her time. But she chose to spend her time working for the welfare of the marginalized,” Vilog said, adding that Myrna would even travel to Mindanao just for humanitarian work.

She said that Myrna, fondly called as Tita Micah, worked hard to establish their organization. Myrna served as their guide to work in the midst of oppression and other challenges they faced as an organization. “She is not selfish and is ready to give herself to this kind of work,” Vilog said in Filipino. “Are we not enraged that this woman, who is already an elderly is being treated this way?”

Baseless charges

Hustisya, an organization of families and friends of victims of human rights violations, also condemned the arbitrary arrest and detention of Myrna.

“Myrna Cruz-Abraham should not be in jail, not just because of her age, but we strongly believe that the charges against her are false and baseless, and filed only with the harshest motives of putting her in jail again,” Hustisya Secretary-General Ofelia Balleta said. “The police and military should be ashamed in taking pride at the arrest of an elderly woman who has never committed a crime.”

“Those who masterminded and carried out Cruz-Abraham’s arrest are like snakes preying on the vulnerable. They must be held accountable and punished,” Balleta said. (RTS, DAA)

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