Police will be conducting an independent investigation on the alleged abduction and torture of Filipino-American activist Melissa Roxas who arrived in Manila on Monday night to testify against the perpetrators.

In fact, Senior Supt. Leonardo Espina, spokesman of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said they have already assigned the case to Task Force Usig, which in turn, has already began initial stages of the probe based on the information that it has so far obtained.

“The investigation of the alleged abduction and torture of Melissa Roxas is being handled by Task Force Usig for a more coordinated action by the different investigative units of the PNP including the CIDG (Criminal Investigation and Detection Group), Crime Laboratory, local police units and other national support units,” said Espina.

While some police units will be tapped to assist in the probe, Espina said Task Force Usig will be the lead agency to handle the investigation. Task Force Usig is a high-level PNP probe unit which usually investigates cases of media killings.

One of the evidences gathered by the PNP is the sworn statement executed by Roxas on May 29, 2009.

Roxas, a member of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan-United States chapter, alleged that she was abducted by a group of armed men in La Paz, Tarlac. Militant groups earlier tagged the military as the one responsible for the incident although the latter vehemently denied it. The controversial Filipino-American activist arrived in Manila primarily to appear before the Commission on Human Rights and Court of Appeals in connection with her alleged abduction and torture.

Roxas held a press conference at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) shortly after she planed-in from the US.

“I came back to stick to my testimony for the writ of amparo about my abduction and my torture,” said Roxas, 31, an American human rights advocate of Filipino descent who is the first known American citizen to have become a victim of abduction and torture in the Philippines.