SC orders deeper probe into abduction of Fil-Am activist

The Supreme Court building in Manila. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–The Supreme Court ordered the Philippine National Police (PNP), Armed Forces of the Philippines, and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to conduct a thorough investigation into the alleged abduction and torture of Filipino-American activist Melissa Roxas.

In a 3-page en banc resolution dated April 16, the high court adopted, with modifications, the findings of the Court of Appeals (CA) that conducted hearings on petitions for writ of amparo and writ of habeas data in connection with Roxas’ case.

“[P]remises considered, this Court Resolves to Adopt with Modification the recommendation of the Court of Appeals in its Evaluation Report as follows… the Philippine National Police, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the National Bureau of Investigation are ordered to continue and undertake a deeper probe and investigation of the incidents with the end in view of identifying the perpetrators of the complained abduction and abuses and of the eventual filing of cases for said resultant crimes,” the resolution stated.

Roxas and two others went missing for 6 days in May 2009. Her camp alleged that the 3 were abducted by military agents in La Paz, Tarlac while preparing for a humanitarian activity. Roxas later claimed she was tortured by her abductors.

The appeals court, in its ruling, said Roxas’ petitions should be dismissed “without prejudice, nonetheless, to any evidence that may surface or be eventually discovered in the future against any of them.”