Melissa Roxas, a Filipina American and an American citizen from Los Angeles, was abducted and tortured by suspected Philippine military agents on May 19 in the city of La Paz in the Tarlac province. Ms. Roxas, an American human rights advocate of Filipino descent, was in the Philippines as a volunteer health worker and to do research for a writing project, but her abductors falsely accused her of being an insurgent against the Philippine government. She was released on May 26.
View a video of a June 27 press conference by Melissa Roxas held at Echo Park United Methodist Church in Los Angeles, California.
Read a reflection by Katrina Abarcar who coordinates the work of Katarungan, a group which seeks to promote peace, justice, and human rights in the Philippines through research, education, and grassroots advocacy.
Presbyterians have been in ministry with the people of the Philippines since 1899.