Linda's Odyssey
By Kenneth Guda
It has been a year and a half since her daughter’s disappearance. Still, Linda Cadapan had not lost hope. All this time, she had been through hell and back, looking for her Sherlyn in army and police camps, joining mass rallies and prayer vigils, speaking at forums, talking to reporters, politicians and anybody who cared to listen.
“I never imagined that my life will turn out this way, but I am here. I will continue my search for Sherlyn,” she said.
When Sherlyn, fellow UP student Karen Empeno and farmer Manuel Merino disappeared on June 26, 2006, Linda, together with Karen’s mother Connie Empeño, sought Karapatan’s help. Both mothers knew of their daughters’ activism – as volunteers for Alyansa ng Magbubukid sa Bulacan (AMB) – but had little knowledge of their politics.
Immediately, Erlinda had to learn to speak publicly about her daughter. She also had to learn about the human rights situation in the country. Overnight, from being a small entrepreneur in Los Baños, Erlinda became a speaker for the cause of desaparecidos.
And though she initially did it to look for her daughter, now she has come embrace human rights advocacy.
“While we were looking (for Sherlyn), I came to understand what the activists are fighting for. They are not bad people. What they say are true and they do work that the government fails to do in the countryside,” she explained.