Court grants protection plea for 2 missing activists in Tarlac

The daughter of one of the missing says she’s happy with Amparo but court intervention does not lessen anguish, fear.

By SINAG JOAQUIN
Bulatlat.com

MANILA — In a six-page en banc resolution by the Supreme Court dated November 29, 2022, it granted a Writ of Amparo and Temporary Protection Order in favor of Azase Galang who sought for court intervention after her mother, Ma. Elena Pampoza, and Elgene Mungcal of Gabriela Women’s Partylist went missing July 3 of this year.

The SC resolution ordered respondents, including national and local army officials, to make a verified return of the Writ of Amparo before the SC within 20 days after it was served last Nov. 29.

The return shall contain the army officers’ lawful defense, the steps taken to determine the whereabouts of Pampoza and Mungcal, all relevant information in their possession pertaining to threat, act, or omission against Galang and the Moncada 2, and the action that have been taken or will be taken to do the following:

1) recover and preserve evidences related to the abduction of Pampoza and Mungcal;
2) obtain witnesses and statements from them;
3) determine the cause, manner, location, and time of the disappearance;
4) identify and apprehend suspects; and
5) bring the suspects before a competent court.

The Temporary Protection Order (TPO), on the other hand, prohibits the respondents from going within a one kilometer radius of the petitioners and their immediate families.

Meantime, Azase told Bulatlat that she may be happy that the Amparo and TPO was granted by the SC but this does not ease the anguish and fear that haunts her and their family up to this day.

She said that the continuing disappearance of her mother and Elgene, known collectively as Moncada 2 taking from the town where they were last seen, is a manifestation of the escalation of the political crisis in the country.

“The violation on their human and political rights continues as long as they are not surfaced by their abductors,” she said.

Azase shared that the harassment towards her and her family continues to this day. In fact, she said some members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) frequent their home, asking for her personal details. The last visit was in early November, she said.

The following are the respondents to the case: Lt. Gen. Bartolome Vincent Bacarro, in his capacity as Chief of Staff of the Armned Forces of the Philippines; Maj. Gen. Romulo Manuel, in his capacity as Deputy Chief-of-Staff for Intellgence (J-2) od the AFP; Lt. Col. Jeszer Bautista as commander of the 3rd Mechanized Infantry Batallion; Lt. Col, Joseph C. Revilla, PAF (GSC) as the Commander of the 790th Air Base Group; Lt. gen. Ernesto Torres, Jr.as the Commander of the Northern Luzon Command; Ret.Police Lt. Gen. Ricardo F. De Leon as the Director of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency; Brig. Gen. Andrew D. Castelo, as the Commanding General of the 7th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army with area of responsibility over Central Luzon; Brig. Gen. Krishnamurti S. Mortela as the Commander of the 702nd Infantry Brigade of the PA whose area of responsibility includes the Provinces of Pampanga and Bataan; Gen. Rodolfo Azurin as the Director General/Chief of the Philippine National Police; PBGen. Cesar R. Pasiwen as the Acting regional Director of Police Regional Office 3 with an area of responsibility over Central Luzon; and private respondent Susan Lazaga.

Susan Lazaga, the owner of the tricycle that the Moncada 2 rode before they disappeared, is the only private respondent in the case. (RTS) (https://www.bulatlat.org)

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