Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) and the Families of Victims of Involuntary Disappearance (FIND) On the Supreme Court's Issuance of Writs of Amparo and Habeas Data in Favor of James Jazmines and the Directive to the Marcos Jr. Administration
The Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) and the Families of Victims of Involuntary Disappearance (FIND) in the Philippines welcome the recent decision of the Supreme Court of the Philippines in G.R. No. 276816, dated May 6, 2025, granting the Writs of Amparo and Habeas Data in favor of James Valera Jazmines, a disappeared activist from Albay. This rare and crucial development is a reaffirmation of the judiciary's constitutional role in safeguarding human rights and upholding the right to truth, justice, and protection against enforced disappearances.
The Court not only issued the protective writs but also granted a Temporary Protection Order (TPO) prohibiting public officials, including President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., top military and police officials, and their agents or any persons acting with their acquiescence or under their authority, from approaching the petitioner and her family within a one-kilometer radius. This marks an important step in countering impunity and providing a measure of safety to families of the disappeared, who often face threats and intimidation.
We call on the Marcos Jr. Administration and all named respondents to immediately and fully comply with the orders of the Supreme Court and to genuinely cooperate with the family of James Jazmines and their lawyers in the investigation of his disappearance and their pursuit of justice.
This case underscores the urgent need for the Philippine government to ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (ICPPED), pass the Commission on Human Rights Charter Bill to strengthen the government's human rights watchdog, and strictly implement the Anti-Enforced Disappearance Act that criminalizes this heinous practice in accordance with international standards.
AFAD and FIND stand in solidarity with the Jazmines family, with all desaparecidos and their loved ones, and with all victims of state repression in the Philippines and Asia. We urge the public to remain vigilant and to support efforts toward truth, accountability, and justice.
Surface James Jazmines.
Stop Enforced Disappearances.
Pass the CHR Charter Bill.
Sign and Ratify the ICPPED Now.