The Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR) hails the Court of Appeals (CA) ruling that James Jazmines, an activist who has been missing since August 2024, is a victim of enforced disappearance and that grants his wife the writs of amparo and habeas data. This decision lays the blame for Jazmines’ disappearance on state forces under the Ferdinand Marcos Jr government.

On January 14, the CA ruled in favor of Cora Jazmines, James’ wife, and said that she was able to prove that James is indeed a victim of enforced disappearance. By granting a writ of amparo, the CA is ordering state forces to protect Cora, and by granting a writ of habeas data, it is protecting Cora whose rights are being threatened by illegal collection of information about her.

The CA also said that top military and police officials failed to carry out their duty “to exercise extraordinary diligence in the prevention, investigation, documentation and resolution” of Jazmines’ disappearance. Respondents include Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr.; former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Rommel Marbil, currently retired; and former PNP chief Nicolas Torre III, the current Metropolitan Manila Development Authority general manager.

By placing the responsibility and accountability for Jazmines’ disappearance on state forces, the CA is basically saying that the Marcos Jr government has the responsibility to surface him. We demand that the Marcos Jr government does this immediately, and surface other disappeared activists, including labor organizers Loi Magbanua (abducted May 2022, Metro Manila) and William Lariosa (April 2024, Bukidnon).

Jazmines was information officer of national labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno in 1988-1992, as well as executive director of the Amado V. Hernandez Resource Center, a cultural institution that served workers and other marginalized sectors of society. He is the brother of National Democratic Front of the Philippines consultant Alan Jazmines. He is also a graduate of the Philippine Science High School and a member of activist organization League of Filipino Students.

Jazmines worked as Information Technology officer of a development NGO until the mid-2000s and has worked as a freelancer in the IT sector since. His disappearance was preceded by surveillance, threats and harassments of the Jazmines family, as well as the red-tagging of his wife.

Enforced disappearance is one of the worst violations of human rights, and it is damning for the Marcos Jr government, which likes to project itself as in favor of democracy and human rights, that the CA has recognized what is obvious in Jazmines’ case. No less than Marcos Jr himself should make a clear statement against enforced disappearance and other grave rights violations that his government is accused of committing.