Protective writs sought for missing Bicol activists

The families of two missing activists in Bicol on Thursday filed a petition before the Supreme Court (SC) for a writ of amparo and a writ of habeas data.

Lawyer Tony La Vina said activists James Jazmines and Felix Salaveria, Jr. were abducted by what they believe to be state forces in separate days in August.

“Two months ago, more than two months ago, both were abducted within days of each other. Dinukot sila doon sa Tabaco, Albay. May proof tayo na dinukot sila kasi may CCTV naman,” La Vina, the counsel of Salaveria’s family, said in an ambush interview.

(Two months ago, more than two months ago, both were abducted within days of each other. They were abducted in Tabaco, Albay. We have proof because there's CCTV.)

“Kay Felix [may] CCTV na pagdukot mismo, kay James CCTV ng mga kotse, ng mga van, ng parehong van na dumukot kay Felix. Kaya naniniwala kami na security forces ng government ang kumuha sa kanila,” he added.

(For Felix, there’s a CCTV showing the abduction while for James, there’s a CCTV showing a vehicle, a van, the same van that took Felix. So we believe that the government security forces took them.)

In separate petitions, the families Salaveria sought a writ of amparo and a writ of habeas data while the wife of Jazmines sought a writ of amparo, writ of habeas data, and a temporary protection order.

The writ of amparo is available to persons whose rights to life, liberty, and security are being threatened or violated by public officials, employees, or private individuals or entities. It covers extralegal killings and enforced disappearances, or threats.

Meanwhile, the writ of habeas data is a remedy available to a person whose right to privacy, liberty, or security is violated or threatened with violation by a public official or a private individual who gathers, collects, or stores information on the aggrieved party, their family, home, and correspondence.

“AFP, PNP, all the other agencies that have security mandates na i-surface ‘yung dalawa at sabihin sa amin ano ang nangyari at ano ang alam nila sa pandudukot na ito,” La Vina said.

(AFP, PNP, all the other agencies that have security mandates to surface these two activists and tell us what they know about this abduction.)

GMA News Online has sought comment from the AFP and the PNP but has yet to receive a response as of posting time.

–VAL, GMA Integrated News