Last Seen:

October 13, 2005

Bataan
Tomas Paras, a former NPA combatant who surrendered to the authorities in 1997, was reportedly snatched in their house at Barrio Site, Brgy. Palili, Samal, Bataan by members of the 24th IB of the Philippine Army.   In April 2005, the couples were told by the 24th IB of the Philippine Army in the Palili detachment, Samal, Bataan, that they were still in the army's Order of Battle (OB) list. Dorina Paras suspected that it was a pressure tactic to force her husband to accept the army's offer to be part of the landmines team, as he is skilled in this type of work.  On October 13, 2005, at around 8:30pm, a group of soldiers in full battle gear belonging to the 24th IB PA approached their upland hut and asked Dorina to wake her sleeping husband. 

Upon seeing Tomas, one of them shouted, "Kumander, heto na sya" (Commander, here he is.) Some of the soldiers were wearing bonnets that hid their faces from view, but the "commander" whom the soldiers addressed was the one who passed by their hut a few days before and whom Dorina offered a cup of coffee as a courtesy.

The soldiers forcefully pulled Tomas out from the hut. Dorina Paras intervened at the rough treatment, but the soldiers declared they were just going to "talk" to Tomas.  Tomas was dragged into the nearby woods, which were only a few meters away from the hut. It was very dark outside at that time.

She attempted to follow, but one of the soldiers poked a gun at her. These soldiers eventually left her, but in her fear she did not dare to follow.  Ten minutes after Tomas had been dragged into the woods, Dorina heard faint moans coming from her husband, whom she assumed was being beaten by the soldiers. 

She attempted to reach the area where she heard the moans by circling behind their hut and passing through her brother-in-law's nearby pineapple field. When she reached the spot where she heard the moans, she realized the soldiers and her husband had already left.

Tomas remains disappeared.

details about their circumstances.