𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐬: 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞’𝐬 𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐚𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐨𝐬’ 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬

”Nay, ano ang percentage ng nakakaligtas sa ganito?”

When Cora Jazmines’ daughter asked this question, she did not know how to unriddle her response. It was as if the concrete answer was also taken away from her, and to this day has not yet been found.

This year should have been the 35th wedding anniversary of Cora and James Jazmines together. For Cora, their shared desire for social change serves as their wedding rings and vows, as they both advocate for sustainable consumption and empowerment of basic sectors.

But instead of looking forward to remembering the day of their union, the longing wife found herself in front of the calendar, counting the days since her 63-year-old husband was reportedly missing on August 23, 2024, in Tabaco City, Albay.

Five days later, August 28, James’ cycling companion and friend, Felix Salaveria Jr., was forcibly abducted in the same town in what was called a highly organized operation. James and Felix became the 14th and 15th desaparecidos under the administration of Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Felix’s daughters, Gab and Felicia Ferrer, have always been worried about their 67-year-old father’s situation, noting that he is still recovering from a stroke that paralyzed his left side in 2023.

As of writing, it has already been 85 days since James was reportedly missing and 80 days since Felix’s enforced disappearance. Each passing day has been very heavy for the loved ones of Felix and James, especially after realizing that some cases of disappearances might last more than a decade.

“Sobrang bigat kasi iisipin mo na yung mga kasama mo, more than 20 years, 17 years, tas kami ito parang sobrang bago lang. Iniisip ko pano nila hinaharap yung bawat araw na alam mong may sapilitang kinuha o iwinala, hindi mo man lang alam kung nasaan,” Felicia said in an interview with Unibe.

But what makes their suffering more infuriating is that despite the existence of witnesses and obvious evidence such as closed circuit television (CCTV) footage, there is still no progress in the investigation.

“Ito yung pinakamahirap sa lahat na nakita niyo naman siguro yung CCTV, kita kung sino yung involved na tao or suspected na tao, tapos meron din sigurong way para itahi-tahi yung mga CCTV, pero hanggang ngayon, wala pa rin kaming clue kung sino yung dumukot sa tatay namin,” Felicia expressed.

𝐒𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

Bicol Police Regional Director Andre Dizon said that the case is currently under investigation. He added that the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and the families of the victims are coordinating already.

“Kaya yung police po ay nakikiusap or nakikipagtulungan sa sino mang may nalalaman. Pero tumayo po yung kaso para mai-file po natin yung kaso,” Dizon explained in an interview with Unibe.

When asked why it takes so long for the investigation to progress, the Bicol Police Chief emphasized the lack of witnesses, saying that it is usually the reason for the delay of cases.

However, Atty. Dean Tony La Viña, the human rights lawyer handling the case of Felix, emphasized in an interview that there are witnesses and they themselves were able to talk to them.

“Ang sa [pulis] kasi ang witnesses ibig sabihin nila yung magsu-swear statements. Hindi naman yan ang ibig sabihin ng witnesses. Saka na lang nila isipin yon. Isipin nila muna anong sinasabi ng witnesses,” La Viña explained.

The legal counsel understands that some witnesses might be afraid to speak out and be involved in this case. But he still called on anyone that can help them to come out because they are protected by the witness protection program of CHR.

La Viña also urged the police to investigate the evidences thoroughly and look for any possible trace of state forces.

“May mga pictures, sa CCTV. Ba’t yon ang hindi i-check kung mga pulis ba yan? Yung military ba yan, diba? So it’s not true that ‘there is no evidence, there are no witnesses,’ there’s lots of witnesses,” the lawyer added.

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞-𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

In screenshots of CCTV footage publicized by human rights group Karapatan on September 23, a Toyota van with a NDR5274 plate number was seen entering Brgy. San Lorenzo, Tabaco City Albay on August 23, 2024 at 10 p.m. and leaving at 10:16 p.m. A black Hhilux pick-up, grey Avanza vehicle, and grey Innova vehicle were seen following the van.

According to Karapatan, the convoy was believed to be responsible for the abduction of James who went missing around the said time period.

Another CCTV surveillance also shows a Toyota van with VAA5504 plate number abducting Felix in broad daylight at 11:03 a.m. on August 28, 2024 in Brgy. Cobo, Tabaco City, Albay. Karapatan said that the motorcycles following the van are also considered as persons of interest.

During the filing of petitions for writs of amparo and habeas data before the Supreme Court on November 14, La Viña emphasized that these abductions are highly organized by state forces.

“We believe that they are in the hands of security forces as the CCTV footage clearly shows that what happened was a police or military operation,” La Viña said.

Dizon said that they have already double-checked other police stations if the victims are detained there, but they still have not seen where James and Felix could be.

The families of Felix and James messaged both the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) hoping that the victims might have been in their headquarters.

It took weeks for the PNP to send a certification that Felix and James are not in their custody, while they have not received any message yet from the AFP as of the interview.

𝐋𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲

The daughters of Felix expressed their dismay over the slow progress of the investigation despite the emergence of various pieces of evidence. They said that the PNP indeed became cooperative, but they observed that they were just doing it because that is what was expected from them.

“Hindi nila sineseryoso. Actually meron pa silang, ayaw nilang sabihin na in-abduct siya eh, may alleged pa silang nilalagay,” Felicia said.

In an interview of Teleradyo on September 25, Albay Provincial Police Coronel Julius Anonuevo said that the person who was “allegedly” abducted was Jaime Solis Villavicencio and not Felix Salaveria Jr. based on the identification recovered by the barangay and police officials in Felix’s residence.

This was later debunked by the family of Felix and their legal counsel in an interview with Teleradyo, “Sinettle na namin yan. Pumunta kami sa Tabaco Police, dala namin ang mga dokumento, passport, birth certificate, identification ng daughters para settled na na ito ay hindi si Jaime Villavicencio kundi si Felix Salaveria.”

The daughters of Felix also slammed the police for describing the abduction as a National People’s Army (NPA) operation.

“May point pa na naglabas sila ng statement sa mga interview na tinitingnan nila ito as an NPA operation, which is, oh sige, ibato niyo yan, but also magbigay kayo ng concrete evidence din na kung pano kayo naka-arrive sa ganyan,” Gab said in an interview.

The NPA accusation was eventually counterclaimed by their legal counsel saying that the abduction, as shown in the CCTV footage, is less likely to be done by NPA.

La Viña also shared that it took them almost a month before the police admitted that there was indeed an abduction and that it was Felix who was nabbed.

Both families of James and Felix also wrote to the President urging him to take action in these enforced disappearances especially that the case was already noticed by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Parliamentarians for Human Rights.

The international association urged Marcos Jr. to “take all necessary actions to stop the disappearance cases and find them alive.”

“Ilitaw niya si Itay kasi siya yung Chief of Command so parang siya talaga yung isang pitik niya lang, pwede niya namang sabihin eh. Surface niyo si Itay. Isurface niyo yung lahat ng desaparecidos,” Gab urged the president.

Despite these calls, Marcos Jr. seems to have no intention of addressing the increasing cases of enforced disappearances under his administration, even with the presence of his much-vaunted “super human rights group.”

𝐌𝐢𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐋𝐚𝐰

The patterns of abduction under Marcos Jr. resemble the Martial Law years of his father. Bantayog ng mga Desaparecido documented around 1,300 people who forcibly disappeared under the said regime.

Under the current government, Felix and James add up to the long list of desaparecidos. Karapatan denounced Marcos Jr.’s silence over the increasing cases of abductions under his term that is not only silencing adult activists but also the youth.

Last year, two young activists, Jhed Tamano, 22, and Jonila Castro, 21, were reportedly missing. After 13 days, the National Security Council announced that the two activists were in their safe house after surrendering to the authorities.

However, Tamano and Castro exposed during the state-sponsored press conference that they did not surrender, for they were abducted by the state forces.

Felix’s daughter, Gab, urged the youth to continue to stand against the prevalence of abductions. Without resistance, she said, the oppressors will persist to violate basic human rights and they would not be held accountable for their acts.

“They get away with it kasi feeling nila walang tututol,” she said. “Patuloy lang lalo na sa mga kabataan na tutulan niyo to.”

As the campaign to surface the desaparecidos continues, Cora hopes to see her spouse sooner, so that she can finally answer to her daughter, if there is really a guarantee of surviving this kind of situation.

“Abduction is a continuing crime. [...] Yung suffering both nung kinuha na di mo alam yung ginagawa sa kaniya at yung naghihintay na walang katiyakan kung nasaan yung mahal niya sa buhay,” Cora said.