SC issues temporary protection order to family of missing activist
The Supreme Court has issued a temporary protection order in favor of missing activist James Jazmines and his relatives, barring President Marcos as well as several officials of the military and police from approaching them within a 1-kilometer radius.
In a resolution dated May 6 and made public only recently, the high tribunal also ordered Mr. Marcos, AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., former Philippine National Police chief Police General Rommel Marbil, PNP chief Police General Nicolas Torre III, and other officials to comment on the petition for a writ of “amparo” and a writ of habeas data filed by Elna Corazon Jazmines, the activist’s wife, in 2024.
A writ of amparo is a remedy available to any person whose right to life, liberty or security is violated or threatened by an unlawful act or omission of a public official or employee, or of a private individual or entity. It is intended to address cases of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances.
On the other hand, a writ of habeas data is a legal remedy for anyone whose right to privacy, life, liberty or security is violated or threatened by unlawful actions of a public official, employee, or private entity involved in collecting or storing personal data about the person, their family, home or communications.
Forwarded to CA
The Supreme Court en banc issued both requested writs to the petitioner and forwarded the case to the presiding justice of the Court of Appeals (CA) who will raffle it among the incumbent associate justices.
In the same resolution, the high court also required the assigned CA justice to conduct a summary hearing on the petition and prayer for interim relief on July 7 and to decide the same on the merits within 10 days from the submission of the case.
The 63-year-old Jazmines, younger brother of former National Democratic Front of the Philippines consultant Alan Jazmines, went missing on Aug. 23, 2024 after attending the 66th birthday of Felix Salaveria, another activist who is also missing, at a restaurant in Tabaco City, Albay province.
Connected cases
Human rights group Karapatan previously said that a team it had deployed to assist Elna Corazon Jazmines in searching for her husband found out that the abductions of both Jazmines and Salaveria were “connected.” This was based on their talks with witnesses who saw Salaveria, a cycling buddy of Jazmines, being “seized” near his house on Aug. 28, 2024.
The rights group also said that six months before both men were taken, there were signs that they were under surveillance.
Based on information provided by Karapatan, Jazmines is a psychology graduate of the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City. He was an information officer of the League of Filipino Students from 1977 until the early 1980s, before becoming the executive director of the Amado V. Hernandez Resource Center from 1984 to 1988. He also served as an information officer of the labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno from 1988 to 1992.
As for Salaveria, he graduated with a sociology degree from the University of the East in Manila. He helped found Cycling Advocates, a group that promotes biking. He is also a founding member of indigenous rights groups Tunay na Alyansa ng Bayan Alay sa mga Katutubo and Kabataan para sa Tribung Pilipino.
