3 MIN READ

By KIMBERLIE QUITASOL
www.nordis.net

BAGUIO CITY— The families of the two missing indigenous peoples’ rights defenders and progressive groups expressed disappointment over what they called ‘delaying tactics’ of the police and military, leading to the rescheduling of the Writ of Habeas Corpus hearing for Gene Roz Jamil “Bazoo” De Jesus and Dexter Capuyan on July 14.

Lawyer Marben Panlasiqui, counsel for the families of the missing indigenous rights defenders, said the Court of Appeals (CA) reset the hearing after the Philippine National Police claimed they did not receive any summons from the courts. The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) were absent in the summary hearing.

But Panlasiqui said they sent copies of the petition of the families of De Jesus and Capuyan to the PNP and AFP, as early as last week. He added that the CA also sent summons for the hearing.

“We really hoped that we would have an idea of their (Bazoo and Dexter) whereabouts and how they are today,” he said.

In a July 10 resolution, the CA ordered the national chiefs of the PNP, AFP, and CIDG to present De Jesus and Capuyan and justify why the two should remain in their custody. The resolution stemmed from a petition for Habeas Corpus the families of the abducted individuals filed on July 5.

A Writ of Habeas Corpus is a legal remedy that orders anyone, including government officials and agencies, who has custody of a person to present him or her in court and explain the basis for depriving the person of liberty.

“Delaying tactics”

In a statement, Tyrone Beyer, the campaign and advocacy officer of the Philippine Task Force for Indigenous Peoples’ Rights (TFIP), raised an alarm over the PNP’s denial of receiving summons and the AFP’s absence in the hearing.

“We are deeply alarmed by these delaying tactics of the police and military obstructing the immediate and safe surfacing of Bazoo and Dexter 77 days after their abduction,” he stated.

TFIP, along with the families of the missing and other organizations, went to police and military camps in their search for Bazoo and Dexter.

Beyer said that only three out of 14 police and military facilities signed the inquiry form.

Bazoo is the information officer of the TFIP.

Section 9 of the implementing rules and regulations of the Anti-Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance Act mandates any police and military detention center or any similar facilities, including hospitals and morgues, both public and private, to certify in writing whether the missing person is in their custody or not.

Prolonging the agony

In a separate press statement, Beverly Longid, national convener of Katribu Kalupunan ng Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas, also expressed disappointment over the absence of the AFP and CIDG in the said hearing.

“This delaying tactic from the military is an added burden and worry for the family of Dexter and Bazoo. It has been 76 days since the two indigenous peoples’ rights defenders were abducted. It is of extreme urgency that the police and military surface them,” Longid said.

The Cordillera Human Rights Alliance (CHRA) earlier reported that the men who took De Jesus and Capuyan introduced themselves as members of the CIDG.

Longid pointed out that military officers have been found guilty of lying about the whereabouts of missing activists, citing the case of Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan, Lt. Col. Felipe Anotado, and S/Sgt. Edgardo Osorio, who were found guilty of kidnapping and serious illegal detention of activists Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeno, who remain missing to date.

According to Longid, the continuing culture of impunity emboldens the police and military to “feign ignorance.” She stressed that erring police and military officials not only get away with glaring violations but are even get promoted and given incentives.

She cited the Bloody Sunday killings in 2021, Tumandok massacre in 2022, and former PNP Chief Debold Sinas’ pandemic restriction violations as among the glaring violations where erring officials were not held accountable.

In an online interview, Mercedita De Jesus, mother of Bazoo, expressed dismay over the rescheduling of the hearing.

“This only adds up to the agony we are having for more than two months now since Bazoo and Dexter were abducted and disappeared,” she said.

“Still, we are hoping that justice will prevail,” she added.Dexter figured in the PNP’s list of alleged New People’s Army high-ranking officers operating in the Ilocos and Cordillera regions. # nordis.net