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MANILA, Philippines--The Court of Appeals has concluded that Filipino American activist Melissa Roxas was indeed abducted and tortured and that there is no truth to the claims by the Arroyo government that the incident was ?stage-managed? or ?self-inflicted.?
The court thus ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to stop publicly accusing Roxas of being a member of the New People's Army.
In its decision, the appeals court, through Associate Justice Noel Tijam said such dissemination of unverified information violates Roxas's right to privacy and endangers her life.
The court findings satisfied Roxas's camp. "We believe that this is the most important aspect of the decision. This particular finding is a victory for Melissa because it shows that she was telling the truth about her ordeal. It is clear proof that torture does exist in the Philippines under the watch of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo," Bagong Alyansang Makabayan's Renato Reyes said.
The appeals court also issued a protection order which covers Roxas and her family here in the Philippines.
