Supreme Court orders military to keep hands off 2 escaped farmers

MANILA (AP) - The Supreme Court ordered the military chief and defense secretary on Friday not to harm two farmers, who allegedly escaped from troops accused of abducting them 18 months ago.

The court's action was in response to a petition for a restraining order, filed this week on behalf of Raymond Manalo, 26, and his brother Raynaldo, 38, by the Free Legal Assistance Group or FLAG, a human rights lawyers' organization.

FLAG Secretary-General Maria Socorro Diokno said members of the military and government militiamen abducted the two brothers, both farmers, on Feb. 14, 2006, in Bulacan province near Manila.

They were taken to several military camps and safe houses until they escaped last week in northern Pangasinan province, Diokno said.

The military denied it had custody of the two men during a habeas corpus hearing in May 2006, Diokno said.

The court ordered military chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro or their representatives to refrain "from causing the arrest of the petitioners, or otherwise depriving, restricting, curtailing or abridging them of their right to life, liberty and other basic rights."

There was no immediate comment from Esperon and Teodoro.