Photo: Cora Jazmines, wife of James Jazmines, distributes flyers in a bus terminal of Bicol-bound buses (Dec 21)
QUEZON CITY — “Sana, makasama na sila ng kanilang pamilya ngayong Pasko. Tulungan n’yo po kaming hanapin sila.”
With just a few days before Christmas day, families and friends of desaparecidos, together with rights advocates, distributed leaflets in bus stations along EDSA to ask passengers bound for Bicol to help search for missing activists James Jazmines and Felix Salaveria, Jr. who were abducted in Tabaco City, Albay.
In the leaflets were photos of Jazmines and Salaveria, as well an appeal to the public to help that they be reunited with their families this Christmas.
“Bawat araw na sila ay wala ay pasakit sa kanilang mga mahal sa buhay. Walang krimen o kasalanan sina James at Felix. Si James ay isang aktibista, at naglingkod sa mga manggagawa. Si Felix ay isang cyclist at environmental defender (Each day that they remain missing is torture for their loved ones. James and Felix did not commit any crime. James is an activist, who served the workers. Felix is a cyclist, and an environmental defender),” the leaflet read.
Jazmines and Salaveria were abducted in two separate incidents in the said town in August, and have been missing since.
“Batay sa mga ebidensya, mga militar ang posibleng dumukot sa kanila. Krimen ang pagdukot. Walang kahit sino ang dapat maging biktima ng sapilitang pagkawala (Based on evidence, it is the military that possibly abducted them. Abduction is a crime.No one should be a victim of enforced disappearance),” the leaflet further said.
Jazmines and Salaveria are among the 14 victims of enforced disappearance under the Marcos Jr. administration.
“As people travel to come home for the holidays, there are people like James and Felix who cannot be there for Christmas against their own will. Not only the desaparecidos become victims of one of the worst human rights violations, but also their families who are in tireless search, agony, and suffering,” said Cristina Palabay, Karapatan secretary general.
Last month, the families of Jazmines and Salaveria, filed separate petitions for writs of amparo and habeas data before the Supreme Court to aid them in their search for the missing activists.
“In the remaining days of the year, we ask the public to help give hope to the families of James and Felix so that they may be finally reunited with their kin,” said Palabay. #