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“We came here without any expectation of winning, so we hadn’t even prepared a speech.”
The Court found that the Philippine National Police (PNP) failed to properly investigate the case and did not exercise the required extraordinary diligence, making them responsible and accountable for Salaveria's continuing disappearance.
“Magbanua’s continuing disappearance shows that state security agencies can simply ignore writs of amparo and other court decisions that favor labor rights defenders."
Bayan Muna ST has called Banjawan’s disappearance an “attack on progressive organizations and party-lists” and part of a worsening trend of attacks under the Ferdinand Marcos Jr. administration.
For 17 years, Edita Burgos has been searching for her son, who was forcibly disappeared in the Philippines.
“The issuance of Writs of Habeas Data and Amparo from the Supreme Court is important in our ongoing legal battle to know the truth, achieve justice, and to surface Dexter [Capuyan] and Bazoo [De Jesus],” the parents said in Filipino.
Dangla said that while the issuance may be a glimpse of victory, he continues to assert that the fight does not stop by getting the legal remedies. "Although I am pleased with the order I believe that many of those who filed for a writ of amparo have either had their cases dismissed or have even been charged with trumped-up charges like Jhed and Jonila.”
Human rights lawyer Antonio La Viña said that the missing activists were well-known in the neighborhood. “They knew it was him. The identification is positive that it was Felix.”
Apart from the abduction of Salaveria, CCTV footage obtained by Karapatan also showed another Toyota van with plate number NDR5274 on August 23 at 10:00 p.m. entering Brgy. San Lorenzo, Tabaco City where Jazmines was abducted.
On September 10, it will be the fifth month of William’s disappearance. He was last seen in Barangay Butong, Quezon, Bukidnon. Eyewitnesses said that elements of the 48th Infantry Battalion forcibly arrested Lariosa.
Felix Salaveria Jr. is a known cyclist and a dedicated activist. He is the founding member of the Kabataan para sa Tribung Pilipino (Katribu Youth) and Tunay na Alyansa ng Bayan Alay sa mga Katutubo (TABAK), both groups known for advocating the rights of indigenous peoples (IP). He is also a founding and active member of Cycling Advocates (Cycad), a group advocating for low-cost, healthy, and non-polluting alternative mode of transportation.
“We request your good office to take another look at Alipato At Muog with an open mind and an open heart. Our documentary is not fiction. It is a story of a family searching for their missing loved one. It is about human rights and the pursuit for justice,” Burgos said in his three-page letter.
Dasig, who was reportedly freed from the Lucena City District Jail (LCDJ) on August 22, has not been seen or heard from since her supposed release, leaving her family, legal team, and human rights advocates concerned for her safety.
The fact-finding team on the disappearance of a labor organizer said that there are eyewitness reports that the Philippine military is involved.
The victims were reportedly on their way to barangay Gil Montilla when masked and armed men in a white van stopped them and forced the two into the vehicle. The tricycle was also taken and loaded at the back of a pick-up vehicle.
Those who saw the incident said that the Innova vehicle stopped beside the two women who were then walking. Both struggled while they were taken inside the vehicle. “One of them managed to run away but was immediately dragged back to the vehicle. The other young woman tried to pry open or climb over the gate of one of the residents, but was also dragged back into the Innova vehicle,” the report read.
The search for missing activists Dexter Capuyan and Gene Roz "Bazoo" de Jesus continue, as more activists are reported missing.
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