Bulatlat News
By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL
Bulatlat.com
MANILA – The highly sophisticated and professional operation in the abduction of James Jazmines and Felix Salaveria Jr. would show that these are perpetrated by state forces, human rights lawyer Tony La Viña said in a press conference on Monday, Sept. 22.
La Viña with members of different human rights groups conducted a second search mission last Sept. 11-13 in Tabaco, Albay where the two were reported missing. In their three-day search, the mission team obtained a copy of a CCTV footage from the local government that captured how Salaveria was abducted by men in plainclothes in broad daylight on Aug. 28.
The mission team were also able to obtain screenshots of vehicles-of-interest in the abduction of Jazmines on the night of Aug. 23 which was also provided by the local government.
“To those who abducted them, we demand that you surface them now. We don’t see any reason why they abducted them. If there are any, then bring these to the court. Abduction does not have a place in a civilized society,” said Cora Jazmines, wife of James.
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Human rights group Karapatan meanwhile assail Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s silence in the involvement of state forces in many cases of enforced disappearances under his administration. Jazmines and Salaveria were the 14th and 15th missing activists under the present administration.
“Is this not a cause of great concern? That members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police are involved in these cases?” Palabay said.
In the case of Salaveria, CCTV footage reveals how two men in plain clothes forcibly took him inside a silver van with plate number VAA 5504 with an “ATECH”sticker on the driver’s side. At least two men in motorcycle were also seen in the video who seemed to act as look-outs, La Viña said.
La Viña added that the plate number was checked by the local government but they found out that the plate number was registered to a different vehicle. “The plate number was legitimate but it was stolen from another vehicle to use in this operation,” said La Viña.
Meanwhile, screenshots of vehicles the families and groups suspect were used in Jazmines’ abduction could be seen in the barangay’s CCTV footage. The van is also silver with plate number NPR 5274 with also a sticker on the driver’s side. There were also other vehicles that the groups noted in Jazmines’ abduction.
Both are Toyota vehicles.
State involvement
Palabay noted the abduction of Jazmines and the similarities in the case of Jazmines and Salaveria with other cases of abduction under Marcos Jr.
Number one commonality according to Palabay is that everything is highly organized. There are lookouts, surveillance prior to the abduction, and a number of vehicles used in the abduction.
“Those who can do this highly organized abduction only means they have all the resources to pay for these vehicles and lookouts,” Palabay said in Filipino.
She also said that they also noted the same modus of switching plate numbers in the vehicles used like in the case of Jhed Manalo and Jonila Castro.
Palabay also said that victims of enforced disappearance are not found in military camps because in many cases, they are brought into a safe house. This was the case of Dyan Gumanao and Armand Dayoha who were abducted in Cebu, and Castro and Tamano, as well as environmentalists Francisco “Eco” Dangla and Axielle “Jak” Tiong, who were abducted in Pangasinan.
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“The tell-tale signs of state involvement in the abductions of Jazmines and Salaveria are there,” Palabay asserted.
“An operation like this is highly organized and it was done in broad daylight, indicating the brazen character of the crime. The abduction of Jazmines and Salaveria bears these indicators which are similar to previous cases of such abductions committed by State forces. Several questions remain as the two remain missing, and this includes questions on State actors’ duty to investigate such incidents. So far, no government official has publicly spoken on their abduction,” Palabay said.
Krissy Conti of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) concurred with these statements. This is why, she said, in many cases of enforced disappearances as well as extrajudicial killings, perpetrators are not held accountable because of the involvement of the state.
“The reason why they can get away with it is because they are supported by the entire state machinery. Their ability to escape and the lack of investigation—or the inadequacy of the investigation—are hallmarks of an enforced disappearance, as it often involves police or military personnel in the abduction or the protection of those who carried it out,” Conti said in Filipino.
Police, no sense of urgency
Gab Ferrer, daughter of Salaveria laments how the police have not acted on the disappearance of their father.
“The Tabaco police have no sense of urgency on the case of my father,” said Gab.
Her sister, Felicia also said that his father does not deserve to be maltreated. “My father is not a violent person,” she said, referring to the manner how her father was forcibly taken.
Cora also said that their loved ones are known good people in their community in Tabaco when they were abducted. “The landlady of James said that he was just working in his rented apartment; this is why they can also not fathom why this would happen (to them),” Cora said.
She also said that it is the duty bearer’s responsibility to protect the people, this is why they are demanding that the government act on the disappearance of Jazmines and Salaveria.
Meanwhile, Edit Burgos, mother of missing activist Jonas, challenged Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. to find Jazmines and Salaveria.
“If Benhur Abalos had the time to find Alice Guo in another country, he should also have the time to find the missing persons in our country,” Burgos said.
She said the police should do their job. “The evidence is here. It was provided by the family. All you have to do is do your job and find them,” Burgos said.
The families will now be assisted by the lawyers from NUPL to file a writ of amparo. They also have an online petition calling for the immediate surfacing of Jazmines and Salaveria. (RTS, RVO)
