Southern Tagalog 10

{{Short description|Group of abducted Filipino activists}}

{{Use Philippine English|date=April 2023}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2023}}

The Southern Tagalog 10 was a group of activists abducted and "disappeared" in 1977 during martial law in the Philippines under Proclamation No. 1081 issued by President Ferdinand E. Marcos. Of the 10 university students and professors who were abducted, only three, Virgilio Silva, Salvador Panganiban, and Modesto Sison, "surfaced" later after being killed by suspected agents of the state.{{Cite web|url=https://seldapilipinas.wordpress.com/tag/southern-tagalog-10/|title=Southern Tagalog 10 {{!}}|website=Samahan ng mga Ex-detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto|language=en|access-date=March 31, 2018}}{{Cite news|url=http://bulatlat.com/main/2008/09/20/the-cruelty-of-enforced-disappearances-an-abhorrent-crime-against-humanity/|title=The Cruelty of Enforced Disappearances: An Abhorrent Crime Against Humanity|last=Olea|first=Ronalyn|date=September 20, 2008|work=Bulatlat|access-date=April 2, 2018|language=en-US}} Two of those who surfaced were apparently summarily executed.{{Cite web|url=http://www.afad-online.org/voice/april_03/nf_no_closure.htm|title=No Closure 'til Justice is Achieved|last=Faustino|first=Joey|date=April 2003|website=AFAD - Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances|access-date=March 31, 2018}} The rest were never found.{{Cite web|url=https://seldapilipinas.wordpress.com/tag/southern-tagalog-10/|title=Southern Tagalog 10 {{!}}|date=October 22, 2012|website=SELDA|language=en|access-date=April 2, 2018}}

Background

The victims, most of them in their early twenties, all belonged to a network of community organizations in the Southern Tagalog region.{{Cite news|url=http://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2002/12/10/the-presidents-day-december-10-2002/|title=The President’s Day: December 10, 2002 {{!}} GOVPH|work=Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines|access-date=March 31, 2018|language=en-US}} They were abducted in late July 1977 at the Makati Medical Center in Metro Manila.{{Cite news|url=http://bulatlat.com/main/2008/09/20/the-cruelty-of-enforced-disappearances-an-abhorrent-crime-against-humanity/|title=The Cruelty of Enforced Disappearances: An Abhorrent Crime Against Humanity - Bulatlat|date=September 20, 2008|work=Bulatlat|access-date=April 2, 2018|language=en-US}}

The incident is believed to be the single biggest case of involuntary disappearance during martial law.{{Cite news|url=http://www.manilatoday.net/resonance-the-southern-tagalog-10/|title=Resonance: The Southern Tagalog 10|last=Ilagan|first=Bonifacio|date=December 6, 2016|work=Manila Today|access-date=March 31, 2018|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|url=http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/931895/martial-law-victims-find-no-justice-in-moving-on|title=Martial law victims find no justice in ‘moving on’|last=Enano|first=Jhesset O.|date=September 20, 2017|work=Inquirer|access-date=March 31, 2018|language=en}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.tinigngplaridel.net/features/2016/ground-zero-remembering-truths-of-a-past-forgone/|title=Ground zero: Remembering truths of a past forgone|last=Boado|first=Krysten Mariann|date=November 11, 2016|website=Tinig ng Plaridel|language=en-US|access-date=March 31, 2018}} Bonifacio Ilagan, brother of one of the victims and vice chair of Samahan ng Ex-Detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto (an organization that works for the welfare of political detainees),{{Cite news|url=https://seldapilipinas.wordpress.com/about/|title=About SELDA|date=July 11, 2010|work=Samahan ng mga Ex-Detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto|access-date=March 31, 2018|language=en-US}} described the abduction as "the single biggest case of involuntary disappearance and summary execution perpetrated by the Armed Forces of the Philippines in the entire history of the Marcos martial law in the Philippines."

Members

The ten individuals known as the Southern Tagalog 10 are:

The names of Catalla, Faustino, Rizalina Ilagan, Jasul, Sales, and Sison are included on the Bantayog ng mga Bayani's Wall of Remembrance for martyrs and heroes of martial law.{{Cite book|title=Ang Mamatay nang Dahil sa 'Yo: Heroes and Martys of the Filipino People in the Struggle Against Dictatorship 1972-1986 (Volume 1)|last=Malay and Rodriguez|publisher=National Historical Commission of the Philippines|year=2015|isbn=9789715382700|location=Manila, Philippines}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.bantayog.org/martyrs-heroes/|title=Martyrs and Heroes|website=Bantayog ng mga Bayani|access-date=March 31, 2018}}

See also

References