Real Danger
The room had a window. Outside, the youths saw a person pointing at them. It was only then that Alonzo and his friends realized how much trouble they were in, that something bad was going to happen.
“It was at that point when we started feeling real danger,” Alonzo said. “We thought we were going to be ‘salvaged, he said, referring to the Filipino slang for summary execution, which is a common occurrence nationwide. Everyone was scared. All I could think about was, whatever happens, we wanted our bodies to be taken back home.”
For two days, Alonzo and his friends suffered mental and physical torture. Each of them was beaten black and blue. They were doused with cold water. Alonzo said he was hit with a piece of a wood in his stomach, chest and knees; he rolled in pain, he said.
“Someone would kick and punch me, then another would come and do the same,” Alonzo said. He said he saw one of his friends, a girl, being electrocuted. He heard the girl scream, Alonzo said.
The next day, seven of his friends were sent to the police provincial jail in La Trinidad, Benguet, but the four of them were made to stay and were later brought to the military camp that was earlier raided by NPA guerillas.
