Indigenous people’s rights activists and UP Baguio alumni Dexter Capuyan and Gene Roz “Bazoo” De Jesus have yet to be found, remaining missing 30 days since their abduction on April 28 in Taytay, Rizal. The abductors introduced themselves as members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, according to a witness.

After the military and police denied involvement, the families of Capuyan and De Jesus, along with human rights groups, staged a protest action to call for immediate resurfacing of the two activists on May 15 outside the Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City.

“Durog na ang aking puso pero patuloy kaming lalaban, hindi lamang para sa aking anak kundi para sa lahat ng nagiging biktima ng karahasan, [at sa] lahat ng inang tumatangis,” De Jesus’ mother, Mercedita De Jesus, said during the protest.

Capuyan was in Rizal to seek medical attention, according to his family. There, he met De Jesus in a mall and was later forced inside into two separate vehicles just outside the establishment around 9 p.m. The police, however, said that there is no footage to back this up.

Prior to the incident, the 56-year-old Capuyan was accused by state forces of leading the Chadli Molintas Command, the Ilocos region arm of the New People’s Army. The military also provided a bounty of P1.8 million for his arrest.

This led the Cordillera Human Rights Alliance to believe the witness’s testimony that state forces were behind the abduction. The group called on the public to join the search and verification of the victims' situation and location.

Capuyan and De Jesus’s abduction happened only four days after two Mangyan volunteers were also taken in Oriental Mindoro before being transported to Rizal where they were presented by the military as captured rebels.

In a statement, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) said that they are investigating the suspected illegal arrest and abduction.

“This latest case of ‘desaparecidos’ manifests the continuing vulnerability of activists to involuntary disappearance and its other possible implications, such as illegal detention, torture, and other cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment,” the CHR said.

Before working as an information and networking officer for the Philippine Task Force for Indigenous Peoples' Rights, De Jesus graduated as a journalism student at UP Baguio. Capuyan, a Bontoc-Ibaloi-Kankanaey native from Benguet, served as UP Baguio Outcrop’s editor-in-chief under Marcos Sr.’s dictatorship. He has since advocated for IP rights. The Department of Justice included him in the 600 individuals they designated as terrorists via petition, which was junked by the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 19  in September last year. 

The All UP Academic Employees Union (AUPAEU) Baguio Chapter and UPB Council of Leaders urged the UPB administration to take a stand on the issue, as its silence is ‘alarming’ given the multiple incidents of red tagging in the province.

“Constituent members, from students and alumni, are already working hand-in-hand in the search for the two; the administration is more than welcome to add to this as a show of force and support,” the union said.

Five days later, the UPB administration released a statement of concern and urged state forces to “exhaust all means and resources to fully address their disappearance.” They did not, however, confront the allegations of the police’s and military’s involvement.

UPB Outcrop has also joined calls for the immediate release of De Jesus and Capuyan.

“Patuloy na makikibahagi ang publikasyon sa anumang inisyatiba at pagpapatambol ng panawagan upang tuluyan na muli nating makasama sa ating hanay sina Manong Dexter at Bazoo, hanggang sa sila ay makauwi sa piling ng kanilang pamilya, kaibigan, at masang pinaglilingkuran,” the publication wrote.

Only nine days ago, UP Manila alumna Patricia Cierva and fellow youth organizer Cedrick Casaño were also abducted by members of the 501st Infantry Brigade at Cagayan without proper documents. Their locations remain unknown.

UP Manila and AUPAEU Manila joined the calls for the four’s safe return. The union also urged UP President Angelo Jimenez to establish the UP System Committee on the Promotion and Protection of Academic Freedom and Human Rights, amid the “pattern of continued attack” against activists from UP.

“[These] apprehension verifies the furtherance of the attacks on activists, teachers, and unionists from the university perpetuated by the government.” they wrote. ●