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The
National Police will open its records to the family of
missing activist Joseph Jonas Burgos as ordered by the
Court of Appeals (CA), which dismissed on Monday the
petition for habeas corpus that was filed by his mother,
Edita.
Chief
Supt. Nicanor Bartolome, National Police spokesman, said
the force would also open all its camps to Edita, who
continues to search for her son more than one year after
he was snatched in a restaurant in Quezon City.
“We will
comply with the order of the court as we have nothing to
hide in the first place,” Bartolome said in reaction to
the order of the court, which did not only mandate for
the opening of records pertaining to the case, but the
filing of charges against those responsible for the
abduction.
“We will
allow [the Burgos family’s] access to National Police
camps and records as needed…as necessary,” he added.
As to
the filing of charges, Bartolome said that the force has
taken note of the order and “will consider it.”
On
Monday, the appellate court dismissed the petition for
habeas corpus, noting Edita’s failure to sufficiently
prove that the military was behind the abduction and
disappearance of Jonas.
“We have
meticulously perused the evidence but found it wanting
to establish the claimed direct connection between the
abductors of Jonas and the military,” the court said.
It
however, ordered the National Police chief, Director
General Avelino Razon Jr., and Armed Forces chief of
staff, Gen. Alexander Yano, to continue investigating
the case, including the possible involvement of Army
soldiers.
The
Burgos family claimed that military personnel abducted
Jonas, as the vehicle that was used by the kidnappers
was bearing the license plate of a jeep that Army
soldiers had impounded at their camp in Bulacan.
The
military, however, said the plate was stolen while the
vehicle was parked inside the camp.
The Army
welcomed the decision of the court, believing that it
reaffirmed its innocence on the abduction.
“It’s
not even a vindication for there is nothing to
vindicate, anyway. Suffice to say that there was not
enough evidence to prove the allegations,” the Army
commander, Lt. Gen. Victor Ibrado, told defense
reporters.
Still,
Ibrado said the Army would abide by the decision of the
court, which means it would look further into the case,
including the alleged involvement of its personnel.
The
Burgos family said it would appeal the decision.
“We will
not stop. In fact, we are more determined because nobody
will do it for us. What we expected from the court, we
were not able to get. We will still appeal the
decision,” Edita said.
“I am
very disappointed. I am extremely disappointed. Anong
evidence ba ang hinahanap nila? The license-plate
number was traced to the Army, it is a direct link.
Nalulungkot ako na ganoon. I did not expect that
kind of decision. There’s no option for us but to
respect that. We will continue looking for Jonas, even
if the options open to us are limited. I don’t even have
something that will open their detention camps, but
maybe there are other options,” she added.
She said
they still have little hope that the decision would be
reversed.
Edita
said that if there is something they appreciate out of
the decision, it is its message of life for her son.
“Itong
decision na ito, na-bolster iyong
belief namin na buhay siya. If he were dead or
murdered, sana pinahanap na ang body. Sana
gumawa na ng scenario para makita siya at
tumahimik ako,” she said.
The
human-rights group Karapatan yesterday assailed the CA
for the decision.
Marie
Hilao-Enriquez, Karapatan secretary-general branded the
decision “antivictim.”
“[The]
CA justices are trying to be on the safe side at the
expense of the life of Jonas, their dismissal of the
case won’t help find him,” Hilao-Enriquez said. (With
Jonathan Mayuga) |
