Reporter's Notebook investigates child abandonment, military 'abuses'

IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, a security camera captures a disheartening scene:  a young woman leaves her child by the doorstep of someone else's home.  After some inquiry, authorities tracked down her whereabouts.  When asked why she abandoned her child, she said that she did not have the means to raise the child properly adding that if she only had a choice, she would have done otherwise.

This Tuesday, GMA's award-winning documentary program Reporter's Notebook will discuss the problem of child abandonment and what really drives many "unprepared" moms to desert their children.  Are poverty and emotional inadequacy the culprits, or are all these just an excuse to evade the responsibility of being a mom?

The episode will also investigate cases of abuse against women and civilians involving members of the military.  One case involves a 17-year old girl who is now being treated for trauma after being raped apparently by a soldier who had been wooing her.  The suspect is now being held in custody together with two suspected accomplices -- all uniformed personnel.  Another case involves a man in Albay who alleges that he was tortured by military men who had mistaken him for a member of the New People's Army (NPA).  Until now, no one from among the military has been considered a suspect and the victim has not been given justice.

Last January, an international group released a report stating that the Philippine government has done very little in getting into the bottom of these so-called "military abuses."  The report also revealed that most of the suspects in these cases have not been tried yet.  What does the government -- or the military -- have to say about these allegations?

Find out the answers on Reporter's Notebook hosted by broadcast journalists Jiggy Manicad and Maki Pulido, airing this Tuesday, March 27, 11:30pm on GMA-7.