HENRY Tayo Jr., a confirmed drug user in Magsungay, Barangay Singcang-Airport, Bacolod City, had a troubled past, according to his parents, Henry Sr. and Merlina.
He had previously served eight months in jail for qualified theft and was under probation when barangay tanods apprehended him once more for another theft incident. This occurred around 11 p.m. on September 27, 2022.
According to police reports, Henry Jr. had stolen the cellular phone of a neighbor. The tanods from Magsungay turned him over to Bacolod Police Station 8 in Barangay Tangub for booking.
The neighbor later recovered her phone and decided not to pursue charges. With no formal complaint filed, and after the lapse of the 12-hour reglementary detention period, police at Station 8 claimed they released Henry Jr., who was 21 at the time.
But since that day, Henry Jr. has not been seen.
So the lingering question remains: Where is Henry Jr., nearly two years later?
WRIT OF AMPARO
What makes this case even more compelling is the issuance of a writ of amparo by no less than the Supreme Court, ordering the Bacolod Police Station 8 to produce Henry Jr. — dead or alive.
The writ, signed by Associate Justice Japar Dimaampao on November 13, 2024, was made public only on March 11, 2025. It contradicts an earlier ruling by the Bacolod Regional Trial Court Branch 43, which denied the petition for the same writ filed by the Tayo family.
But what exactly is a writ of amparo?
It is a legal remedy designed to protect and enforce the constitutional rights to life, liberty, and security, particularly in cases involving enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, whether perpetrated by public or private actors.
The Tayos turned to this remedy when all other avenues failed them.
DEAD OR ALIVE
Since March 11, the pressure has been on Bacolod Police Station 8 to comply with the Supreme Court’s directive. Station commander Lieutenant Colonel Joey Puerto admitted they had no choice but to obey the writ.
Not only has the Supreme Court reprimanded the police for their failure to exert extraordinary diligence in locating Henry Jr., but both the National Police Commission and the Department of Interior and Local Government have also placed them under scrutiny.
On March 17, with a permit from the Department of Health, Puerto’s team exhumed four unidentified cadavers for DNA testing:
* two from Ma-ao Public Cemetery in Bago City
* one from Handumanan Public Cemetery in Bacolod City
* one from Murcia Public Cemetery in Barangay Blumentritt, Murcia
Crime lab operatives from the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO) took DNA samples from the remains to match against those of Henry Jr.’s parents.
Should those results be inconclusive, Puerto said they would exhume two more unidentified cadavers from Felisa Public Cemetery in Bacolod once another permit is secured.
IN FLESH
With the writ of amparo now in effect, the Tayo family hopes for what they call “the next good thing”: the actual finding of Henry Jr. — in the flesh. They remain resolute in their pursuit of justice.
Henry Sr. emphasized that while their son had indeed struggled with drug addiction and had been jailed for theft, that did not justify any disappearance — or worse, summary execution.
“If my son is already dead, we will accept it. What matters is that we give him a decent burial,” he said.
Merlina, on the other hand, shared a haunting dream she had on March 25.
“In my dream, he was crying, bloodied and bruised, pleading for help,” she recounted.
To her, this was a sign that her son may have been tortured by his captors. But she still holds out hope that he is alive.
POLICE DILEMMA
Now the search for Henry Jr. is on — and it has become a full-blown police dilemma. Puerto’s team is now combing through cemeteries, digging up graves of unidentified persons. It’s a scenario that feels both surreal and tragic.
The Tayos are simply asking for proof that Henry Jr. exited the compound of Bacolod Police Station 8 after signing his release order.
But the police have failed to produce any CCTV footage or documentation to support their claim. Why?
Now, it is the Supreme Court demanding answers. And they are no longer asking nicely.
EJK?
So the most chilling question remains: Was Henry Jr. a victim of EJK (extrajudicial killing)?
If not, then where is he? If yes, who is responsible?
The burden of proof now lies squarely on the Bacolod Police Station 8.
The Supreme Court’s order is no ordinary directive—it is a call for truth, justice, and accountability.
The search for Henry Jr. is no longer just a family’s desperate plea; it is now a national litmus test for law enforcement transparency and integrity.
Yes, the Tayos are poor. But they managed to stir the highest court in the land — proof that their petition had substance, and that something is indeed terribly wrong.
As the Supreme Court now demands: Present Henry Jr.—now.
And in the grim silence that follows, one can’t help but wonder: Is finding Henry Jr. as impossible as a snowball’s chance in hell — or when pigs fly?
So, sa may ihibalo lang, please!/PN
