MANILA — The Court of Appeals has held top-ranking police officials, including current Philippine National Police (PNP) chief General Nicolas Torre III, accountable for the disappearance of 66-year-old Bicolano activist Felix Salaveria Jr., citing their failure to conduct a prompt and thorough investigation into the case.
In a strongly worded decision, the CA’s former 13th Division declared that Torre — then serving as chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) — and four other police officers failed “to exercise extraordinary diligence” in responding to Salaveria’s reported abduction by suspected law enforcers in August 2024.
“Evidently, the lack of a prompt and thorough official inquiry into the allegations made by petitioners indicate a laxity of the required diligence on the part of respondents,” the ruling stated.
“This court simply cannot write finis to this case on the basis of an incomplete investigation conducted by the police and the military. In a very real sense, the right to security of Felix is continuously put in jeopardy because of the deficient investigation that directly contributes to the delay in bringing the real perpetrators before the bar of justice,” wrote Associate Justice Mary Josephine Lazaro.
The court directed the PNP and the National Police Commission to launch a “serious, effective and thorough” investigation into the incident and ordered the officers to preserve and make available all evidence relevant to the case to the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and other bodies.
Aside from Torre, those held liable are Police Brigadier General Andre Perez Dizon, regional director of Police Regional Office V; Police Col. Julius Añonuevo, provincial director of the Albay Police Provincial Office; Police Colonel Ivy Castillo, CIDG Regional Field Unit 5 chief; and Police Lieutenant Colonel Edmundo Cerillo Jr., chief of the Tabaco City Police Station.
Salaveria was allegedly abducted on Aug. 28, 2024, in broad daylight in Barangay Cobo, Tabaco City, Albay — just five days after his friend and fellow activist James Jazmines went missing. CCTV footage showed him being forced into a gray van by unidentified men.
In addition to holding the police officials accountable, the CA also granted Salaveria’s daughters the protection of the writs of amparo and habeas data — legal remedies meant to shield individuals from threats to life, liberty, and security.
As of press time, the PNP has not issued a statement in response to the ruling./PN
