Supreme Court grants protection writ, order to missing activists

The Supreme Court of the Philippines | PHOTO: National Privacy Commission website / privacy.gov.ph

MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court (SC) has issued writs of Amparo and habeas data in favor of missing activists Gene Roz Jamil “Bazoo” de Jesus and Dexter Capuyan, who were reportedly abducted by men who identified themselves as police on April 28 last year.

The resolution dated September 9 also granted the Temporary Protection Order (TPO) to the families of De Jesus and Capuyan.

The SC defines the writ of Amparo as “a remedy available to any person whose right to life, liberty and security is violated or threatened with violation by an unlawful act or omission of a public official or employee, or of a private individual or entity.”

On the other hand, the writ of habeas data provides citizens the right to access personal information collected by the government or a private entity, and to challenge or correct the data.

“The issuance of these Writs by the Supreme Court marks a crucial step in the legal battle to uncover the truth, secure justice, and ultimately surface Capuyan and De Jesus,” the camp of both activists said in a statement.

They explained that a writ of Amparo would “compel the respondents—including high-ranking officials from the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, and individuals Lorraine Badoy and Jeffrey Celiz, who have been linked to the case—to provide detailed information under oath about their actions, the data they have collected on Capuyan and De Jesus, and any relevant information concerning their disappearances.”

The TPO, on the other hand, will prohibit the respondents “from coming within one kilometer of the families Capuyan and De Jesus. This protection is a critical measure to prevent further harm or intimidation,” they added.

They also said that the case would be raffled at the Court of Appeals.

“The families eagerly await their chance to testify in court at the coming hearings,” Capuyan and De Jesus’ camp said.

In July last year, the PNP and AFP vehemently rejected the allegations that it arrested or is keeping custody of the activists who were last seen in Taytay, Rizal.