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By Jomar Canlas Reporter
THE Supreme Court (SC) on
Wednesday issued its third writ of amparo to protect a 63-year-old
urban poor leader allegedly abducted, illegally detained, and
subsequently released by military agents in April.
In a three-page resolution, the
SC en banc issued its writ and ordered President Arroyo, as lead
respondent, to make a return of the writ before the Court of Appeals
by November 9.
It also directed the CA to hear
the petition of Ugnayan ng Maralita Para sa Gawa at Adhikain
Federation Chairman Lourdes Rubrico on November 13, 2 p.m. and
decide the case within 10 days after its submission for decision.
“You, respondents President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, [Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of
Staff] Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, [Philippine National Police
Director] Gen. Avelino Razon, Major Darwin Sy a.k.a. Darwin Reyes,
Jimmy Santana, Ruben Alfaro, Cap. Angelo P. Cuaresma, a certain
Jonathan, Police Supt. Edgar B. Roquero, and Police Senior Insp.
Arsenio C. Gomez are hereby required to make a return of the writ
before the Court of Appeals Ninth Division on or before 4:00 p.m. of
November 9, 2007,” the SC says.
The CA Ninth Division is headed
by Associate Justice Edgardo Cruz, as chairman.
The petition was filed by Lourdes
Rubrico on Tuesday against the members of the Armed Forces of the
Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP).
Rubrico was allegedly abducted by
armed men belonging to the 301st Air Intelligence and Security
Squadron, based at the Philippine Air Forces Field Station Fernando
Air Base, Lipa City on April 3.
While Lourdes was detained, her
daughters Mary Joy Rubrico Carbonel and Jean Rubrico Apruebo were
harassed by Sr. Inspector Arsenio Gomez. There were also armed men
following them. Lourdes filed a criminal case before the Office of
the Ombudsman on April 20, 2007 but the case is still pending
against Gomez and several members of the AFP and PNP.
She was later on released from
detention, but wanted to get back against her captors at this time
since the Commission on Human Rights faced a blank wall in their
investigation and there is no other remedy but the issuance of a
writ of amparo.
The amparo writ for Rubrico is
the third released by the High Court. Last week, it issued a writ of
amparo last week in favor of the parents of UP students Sherlyn
Cadapan and Karen Empeno, along with one Manuel Merino, allegedly
forcibly abducted by elements of the Philippine Army 56th Infantry
Batallion, under then-Gen. Jovito Palparan, in the house of Raquel
Halili, at Barangay San Miguel, Hagonoy, Bulacan on June 26, 2006.
The second writ of amparo issued
by SC mandates Court of Appeals Justice Lucas Bersamin to conduct a
summary hearing on the petition of brothers Raymond and Reynaldo
Manalo, both allegedly abducted by the military.
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