She has no desire for the spotlight or the attention of cameras. Her only wishes are to be the mother who searches for her missing son and the devout Catholic who seeks justice.
For the past 17 years, Edith Burgos has endured the painful retelling of her son’s abduction and the agony of searching for him, often in front of cameras and journalists.
“What keeps me going is not strength or courage, but love for my son, for my children, and for my family,” said Edith, mother of Jonas Burgos, a desaparecido, or a victim of enforced disappearance.
On April 28, 2007, armed assailants believed to be state security agents forcibly abducted Jonas at a shopping mall in Quezon City.
The story of Jonas and his search was intricately portrayed in the documentary ‘Alipato at Muog’ (Flying Embers and a Fortress), an entry in this year’s Cinemalaya, the country’s independent film festival.
JL Burgos, Jonas’ younger brother, directed and wrote the film, with Edith playing a major role. From the first day of the search for Jonas, the film depicts how a mother’s love strives to conquer all obstacles to safeguard what can never be taken away—her love for her son.
The Virgin Mary is revered as “the bridge” between Jesus and the faithful. After nearly two decades since Jonas was abducted, Edith still hopes that Mary will bridge the gap in her quest to find him.
“I pray to her every day,” she said. “I pray that one day we will find Jonas and that enforced disappearances and human rights violations will come to an end.”
Her spiritual journey once led her to aspire to become a Carmelite nun, entering a convent for two months before meeting her future husband, Jose. He would later be celebrated as the ‘Press Freedom Icon of the Philippines.’
Jose proposed to Edith inside a Dominican church during the Feast of Corpus Christi in June 1965. She recalled the day as “solemn yet so romantic.”
Kneeling before the Blessed Sacrament, Jose held young Edith’s hand. She was bursting with excitement yet held on tightly to her boyfriend’s hand.
“He asked me if I would accept his proposal. I didn’t say a word; I just looked at him and let the warmth of my hand reflect my heart,” she recalled.
Shortly after Jose’s proposal, Edith found a bunch of small white flowers on the road and thought of St. Therese of Lisieux—a beloved saint—and decided to marry Jose.
The couple settled in Manila, where Jose started a newspaper business and Edith worked as a high school teacher.
Upon giving birth to her first child, Edith embraced motherhood as her “mission in life,” stepping away from teaching to help run the family business and care for their five children.
However, life took a harsh turn when Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law on September 21, 1972. Jose was arrested for publishing a newspaper critical of the Marcos government, and Edith moved with the children to a farm north of the city. After his release, Jose resumed his journalistic work.
In September 1999, Edith joined the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites, committing to a life of chastity, poverty, and obedience. Her temporary profession was scheduled for June 2003, but on the eve of the ceremony, Jose suffered a heart attack.
Despite being hospitalized, he insisted that Edith proceed with her vows. “I was needed at the hospital,” she said, but “he urged me to take my vow.” Edith attended the church alone while her children cared for Jose.
Upon exiting the church after the ceremony, her youngest son, JL, greeted her with a bouquet of pink roses from Jose, bearing the message: “We love you.”
“It was one of my happiest moments,” Edith reflected.
Her religious profession fortified her for the trials ahead. In November of the same year, Jose passed away.
“Through prayers and silence, I found the strength to accept that it was God’s plan,” she said. “Whenever I feel lonely, I always ask the Virgin Mary to take away all the pain.”
Edith became a full member of the Carmelites’ Third Order in 2006 when she took her “perpetual vows.” She said she has rediscovered her vocation because of her husband’s “unconditional support” and the “never-ending inspiration” of Mary.
However, fate had more trials in store for Edith. A year after taking her final vows, her son Jonas was abducted. She has been tirelessly searching for him.
The documentary film ‘Alipato at Muog’ not only portrays the plight of the families and victims of enforced disappearances and human rights violations but also depicts the life of a lay Carmelite who dedicated her entire vocation to the search for truth and justice.
“My life as a Carmelite is defined by my search for Jonas, and this story will not end until I find my son, in this life or the next,” said the 80-year-old mother.
Edith’s flight for truth and justice continues. Recently, the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) assigned an X rating to Alipato at Muog, effectively banning it from public screening.
The Board said the film “tends to undermine the faith and confidence of the people in their government and/or duly constituted authorities.”
“My family and I have been fighting for truth and justice since the day we decided to publish and amplify the voice of the poor and the silenced. An X rating from the MTRCB won’t hinder our pursuit of truth and justice,” said Edith.
