Push Admin

Family of 2 missing activists urge CA to compel AFP, PNP to surface kin

Article (news)

Mike Navallo, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Mike Navallo, ABS-CBN News" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/news/07/06/20230706-missing.jpg"/><figcaption>Mike Navallo, ABS-CBN News</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA — The family of 2 missing activists on Thursday urged the Court of Appeals to compel state forces to surface their relatives who were last seen in Taytay, Rizal on April 28 this year.Idda De Jesus-Tiongco, sister of Gene Roz Jamil “Bazoo” De Jesus (Bazoo), and Cynthia Capuyan and Gabrielle Chuwaley Capuyan, the mother and daughter of Dexter Capuyan (Dexter), filed separate petitions for habeas corpus, seeking to compel the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to produce the bodies of De Jesus and Capuyan.A petition for habeas corpus is a remedy against illegal confinement or detention. A writ of habeas corpus issued by a court directs a person detaining another to produce that person in court and show valid reasons for detention.Bazoo, 27, is an activist who most recently started working with the Philippine Task Force on Indigenous Peoples’ Rights (TFIP) as an information officer. Dexter, 56, on the other hand, is accused of being a leader or a member of the New People’s Army. Both were students of the University of the Philippines Baguio.The De Jesus family last heard from Bazoo on the night of April 28 where he greeted the family group chat “good evening.” He was, at that time, in Taytay, Rizal to meet Dexter. He was not able to report to the TFIP office the next day and also did not show up in a meeting in Malolos, Bulacan on April 30.The Capuyans learned about Dexter’s disappearance from the Cordillera Human Rights Alliance (CHRA) after it learned about how Bazoo went missing.For more than 2 months, both families said in their petitions that they tried searching for the 2 activists, going as far as visiting PNP and AFP offices and detention centers, even provincial jails in the Southern Tagalog, Cordillera and Central Luzon regions — to no avail. They said they were forced to file the habeas corpus petition because most of the government offices have been uncooperative.“Meron kasi kaming pinapapirmahan na disapp (disappearance) form sa mga inikutan na namin, bahagi ng RA 10353 na dapat pipirmahan nila yun, sasabihin kung nasa kustodiya nila o wala yung aming hinahanap. Unfortunately, karamihan nung mga pinuntahan naming kampo ng militar at pulis ay di pumirma. Tumangging pumirma doon sa disapp form. Yung iba, hindi man lang humarap sa amin,” Dexter’s brother, Eli, told the media.Both families believe state forces are behind the disappearance of Bazoo and Dexter.Bazoo’s family said they were able to talk to tricycle drivers who described an alleged abduction or arrest in a subdivision in Taytay, Rizal on April 28 involving 2 people who fit Bazoo’s and Dexter’s descriptions. The tricycle was supposedly blocked by 2 vehicles and the 2 passengers of the tricycle were forced to board separate vehicles.The armed men supposedly introduced themselves as members of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG).There was no video of the incident but the family claimed there was a CCTV footage of the tricycle driver reporting the incident to the subdivision’s guards.The PNP, through its spokesperson Colonel Jean Fajardo, on May 15, said the CIDG “categorically denied any knowledge” on the disappearance of the 2.“In general naman po, ang PNP naman po ay not in the habit of abducting any persons, for that matter,” she said.But Bazoo’s family insisted, there are reasons to believe only the PNP or AFP is behind his disappearance.“Once kasi, nung tinitingnan ko yung accounts ng kapatid ko, merong nag-access ng kanyang Fb (Facebook) at meron pong IP addresses doon na natanong ko, ay mga intelligence agents lang ang capable na gumawa nito. Kaya namin na-establish na there is a possibility na he could be under their custody,” Bazoo’s sister Idda said.She challenged the CIDG to do something to clear its name.“Dahil CIDG was mentioned, why don’t they do anything para malinis yung pangalan nila? Dahil yung pangalan nila ang binanggit ng mga yun. Kung hindi man sila yun, bakit hindi nila ipagtanggol ang pangalan nila. Dahil until now, wala pa kaming updates, wala man lang matinong na imbestigasyon coming from them,” she said.Dexter’s family, meanwhile, cited the military’s and police’s supposed posts on social media describing Dexter as an NPA member with pending arrest warrants to show that “only the said security forces would have reason to abduct or place him in custody.”Dexter was previously included in the DOJ’s proscription case filed in 2018 against more than 600 individuals but his name was later dropped. He was also included in the lists of “wanted” persons of the PNP National Intelligence Group, the Department of the Interior and Local Government and in a poster in Kabugao, Apayao, based on the petition.His brother said Dexter should be given the opportunity to answer whatever allegations thrown at him by authorities, including his alleged membership or leadership in the NPA.“Yung mga ganyang akusasyon, yung mga ganyang tanong, dapat ay yung kapatid ko yung sumagot. Whatever I say, whatever other people will say do not matter. It will only be my brother when he is surfaced, when he is allowed to exercise his right, only then will he be able to clarify all these questions, all the accusations and defend himself against all these cases,” Eli said.“So ang hinihingi lang po namin ay palitawin sila. Karapatan po nila yun na harapin kung ano man po ang mga akusasyon, mga kaso laban sa kanila sa isang patas na korte, hindi sa ganitong paraan na itinatago sila, hindi namin alam kung asan sila, kung ano ang kanilang kalagayan,” he added.Bazoo’s sister appealed to authorities to help them locate her brother, if authorities insist on having no involvement in his disappearance.“On behalf of my family, nanawagan ako, ilitaw na yung kapatid ko, maging si Manong Dexter. Dahil yung mother namin at father namin OFWs. Can you imagine the anguish that they are feeling? And even the people who love my brother, who care for him, people he had helped before, we are all hoping that the court will help us, even the police or the AFP would help us. If they do not hold my brother under their custody, sana tumulong sila,” she said.Bazoo’s parents are working in Italy.In an interview on ANC Rundown in May, his mother Dittz asked for assistance to locate her son.“Kami po ay umaapela sa publiko, kung ano man po ang maitutulong ninyo para makita namin, matagpuan namin ang aming anak dahil alam nyo naman po ang kalagayan namin dito bilang OFW, limitado ang aming magagawa. Kaya umaasa po kami sa tulong ng masa at sabihin na natin gobyerno na sana, mailabas ang aming anak nang buhay at safe,” she said.<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_7qAwXrZfPs?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

The family of 2 missing activists on Thursday urged the Court of Appeals to compel state forces to surface their kins who were last seen in Taytay, Rizal on April 28 this year.

Family of 2 missing activists urge CA to compel AFP, PNP to surface kin

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Sudoku

Word of the Day

Lotto

Horoscope

News

Family of 2 missing activists urge CA to compel AFP, PNP to surface kin

Mike Navallo,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 07, 2023 03:24 AM PHT

Read More:

Court of Appeals

Bazoo De Jesus

Dexter Capuyan

PNP

AFP

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.