We are an organization of families and friends of the disappeared. We stand in solidarity with the families of James Jazmines and Felix Salaveria Jr. as we confront the horrifying reality of their enforced disappearances. Recent reports from Karapatan reveal the alarming sequence of events that suggest these abductions are not isolated incidents but are part of a coordinated, state-perpetrated operation.
Jazmines and Salaveria, who were friends and cycling buddies, are now both missing, forcibly taken from their families and their communities. The information gathered by Karapatan indicates that Salaveria, who had been searching for Jazmines, was himself abducted just days later. Witnesses reported seeing Salaveria being forcibly taken into a silver van by men in plain clothes near his home in Barangay Cobo, Tabaco City, Albay. Later, uniformed policemen were seen entering his home, taking his personal belongings, including his cellphone and laptop.
These disturbing developments point to a deliberate and organized operation, one that is reminiscent of the dark days of martial law when enforced disappearances were a common tool of state repression. The fact that Salaveria had reached out to Karapatan to report Jazmines’ disappearance just days before he was abducted only deepens our concern that this is part of a larger, systematic effort to silence those who dare to seek the truth.
We demand that all relevant authorities take immediate action to locate Jazmines and Salaveria and ensure their safe return. The violation of their rights under Republic Act 10353, or the Anti-Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance Act of 2012, must not go unpunished. Those responsible for these heinous acts must be held accountable and brought to justice.
Enforced disappearance is a crime that inflicts unimaginable suffering on the victims and their families. It is a crime that robs individuals of their freedom, and families of their loved ones, and society of justice. We cannot allow this to continue.
We call on all human rights advocates, organizations, and the broader public to join us in demanding that Jazmines and Salaveria be surfaced immediately, alive and unharmed. We will not rest until they are found and those responsible are held accountable. The fight for justice is a fight for all, and together, we will continue to seek the truth and demand justice for the disappeared.