Kin of missing activists to SC: Marcos Jr. should surface James Jazmines and Felix Salaveria Jr.

Cora Jazmines, wife of James Jazmines, represented by the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL); and Gabreyel and Felicia Ferrer, daughters of Felix Salaveria Jr., represented by La Viña, Zarate and Associates, impleaded Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin in separate petitions for writs of amparo and habeas data, to demand that authorities surface the two abducted activists.

Common respondents in both petitions include Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Francisco D. Marbil, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Romeo S. Brawner, CIDG Director PBGen. Nicolas D. Torre III, Regional Director of Police Regional Office V PBGen. Andre Perez Dizon, Albay Police Provincial Director PCol. Julius C. Añonuevo, Chief of the CIDG Regional Field Unit 5 PCol. Ivy Castillo and Chief of Tabaco City Police Station PLt. Col. Edmundo A. Cerillo (OIC).

The petitioners said they had exhausted all avenues to locate James and Felix, including searching in camps and police stations, to no avail. The abduction which was caught on CCTV seemed to be a well-organized operation.

A few days after their abduction, a quick response team was organized and traveled to Bicol to investigate the incident. The team’s findings only led to stronger suspicion that it was state agents who abducted James and Felix who were being surveilled for quite some time, according to witnesses.

“Marcos Jr. cannot just keep quiet and wash his hands clean in all of these abductions, said Karapatan deputy secretary general Maria Sol Taule. “These were obviously done by authorities acting based on the policies of the President,” she added. “Marcos Jr. should order all his uniformed men to surface James and Felix now.”

The petitions for writs of amparo and habeas data are the first to implead Marcos Jr. in the fourteen cases of abduction that have occurred under his administration.

“We will keep track of this case as we know that there is already a long list of amparo cases that have been denied by the Court of Appeals, including that of abduction survivors Jonila Castro and Jhed Tamano,” said Taule. “We urge the Supreme Court to stand with the victims and their families and immediately grant the petition,” concluded Taule.