CA orders PNP, AFP: Present missing activists

MANILA, Philippines — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP) should present missing indigenous peoples’ rights advocates Gene Roz Jamil de Jesus and Dexter Capuyan, according to the Court of Appeals (CA).

In a resolution dated July 8, the 13th division of the CA said the petition for writ of habeas corpus filed by the families of De Jesus and Capuyan on Wednesday last week were ”sufficient in form and substance.”

The families of the activists asserted that the two are likely in government custody, citing information that they received.

The CA ordered AFP chief Lt. Gen. Andres Centino, PNP chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr., Rizal police director Col. Dominic Baccay and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) chief Brig. Gen. Romeo Caramat to appear before the court today and ”bring the bodies and persons” of Capuyan and De Jesus ”if found in their custody.”

The two were reportedly taken by men who introduced themselves as CIDG agents in Taytay, Rizal on April 28.

Capuyan, a member of the Bontoc-Ibaloi-Kankanaey indigenous group, was tagged by security forces as a ranking member of the New People’s Army in Ilocos and the Cordilleras. A bounty of P2.85 million has been offered for his arrest.

De Jesus is the information and networking officer of the Philippine Task Force on Indigenous Peoples Rights.

Cordillera police director Brig. Gen. David Peredo maintained that neither Capuyan nor De Jesus is in their custody. — Artemio Dumlao