STATEMENT: On the anniversary of the forcible disappearance of activists Jonas Burgos, Dexter Capuyan and Gene Roz Jamil “Bazoo” de Jesus
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KARAPATAN Public Information
Apr 28, 2026, 1:26:22 AM (yesterday) Apr 28
to karapatanhr, karapatan...@googlegroups.com, KARAPATAN Human Rights Update on behalf of publicinfo
PRESS STATEMENT
April 28, 2026
Reference: JL Burgos, Desaparecidos Chairperson
Desaparecidos secretariat, 09189790580
On the anniversary of the forcible disappearance of activists Jonas Burgos, Dexter Capuyan and Gene Roz Jamil “Bazoo” de Jesus
Today, the 28th of April 2026, on the anniversary of the forcible disappearance of activists Jonas Burgos, Dexter Capuyan and Gene Roz Jamil “Bazoo” de Jesus, DESAPARECIDOS and KARAPATAN renew their calls that they be surfaced and those responsible for their disappearance held accountable.
Jonas was abducted by State agents in broad daylight from a restaurant in Quezon City on April 28, 2007. He is among the 206 victims of enforced disappearance documented by KARAPATAN under the Gloria Arroyo regime.
Dexter and Bazoo were forcibly taken in the early evening of April 28, 2022 by men claiming to be operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group of the Philippine National Police near a mall in Taytay, Rizal. They are the 10th and 11th out of 17 victims of enforced disappearance under the Marcos Jr. regime.
All the efforts taken so far by their families and human rights organizations to ascertain their whereabouts have not been successful.
The crime of enforced disappearance has been a bane, especially since the martial law regime, when more than 700 activists and dissenters went missing. It persists despite the enactment 14 years ago of RA 10353, or the Anti-Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance Act, which has never served as a deterrent against perpetrators of enforced disappearance because of the prevailing culture of impunity that has shielded State forces or entities under their command from ever facing accountability.
Even protective writs issued to the victims by the courts and orders to the police and military to exercise extraordinary diligence in looking for the disappeared persons have not resulted in the surfacing of any of the victims. Also telling is the refusal of successive regimes to ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, which prohibits State agents or those with State authorization from arresting, detaining or abducting individuals and concealing their whereabouts. This is not surprising, given that enforced disappearance has long been one of the means resorted to by despotic Philippine regimes to silence dissent and instill fear among the populace.
The latest victim under Marcos Jr. is Scarlet Lyne Gayo, reportedly a staff of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP)-Cagayan Valley who went missing on December 9, 2025 in Cavite while on medical leave.
The other victims are Elgene Mungcal and Ma. Elena Pampoza who disappeared in Tarlac on July 3, 2022, just three days into Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s rule; NDFP consultant Ariel Badiang who was last seen in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon on February 6, 2023; habal-habal drivers Renel delos Santos and Denald Mialen and their passenger Lyn Grace Martullinas who were abducted in Negros Occidental on April 19, 2023; farmers Norman Ortiz and Lee Sudario who were taken by men in military uniform from a barangay in Nueva Ecija on September 29, 2023; fisherfolk organizer Mariano Jolongbayan who went missing on November 17, 2023 in Batangas; peasant organizer Mar Silos who disappeared on November 29, 2023 in Quezon; trade unionist William Lariosa, who was abducted by soldiers in Bukidnon on April 10, 2025; long-time activists Felix Salaveria Jr. and James Jazmines who disappeared on August 23 and 28, respectively, in Tabaco, Albay; Bicolano youth Gerald Gestole, who was seized in San Pedro, Laguna on November 17, 2024; and indigenous farmer Lito Pacheco who was last seen on November 3, 2025 in Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental.
DESAPARECIDOS and KARAPATAN vehemently condemn the despicable crime of enforced disappearance that has long been a tool of repressive regimes, and which Ferdinand Marcos Jr. perpetuates to this day.
We renew our demand for the truth about the disappearances of Jonas, Dexter and Bazoo and all other victims of enforced disappearance and express our unwavering solidarity with their families in the relentless pursuit of justice for them and accountability for the perpetrators. ###
April 28, 2026
Reference: JL Burgos, Desaparecidos Chairperson
Desaparecidos secretariat, 09189790580
On the anniversary of the forcible disappearance of activists Jonas Burgos, Dexter Capuyan and Gene Roz Jamil “Bazoo” de Jesus
Today, the 28th of April 2026, on the anniversary of the forcible disappearance of activists Jonas Burgos, Dexter Capuyan and Gene Roz Jamil “Bazoo” de Jesus, DESAPARECIDOS and KARAPATAN renew their calls that they be surfaced and those responsible for their disappearance held accountable.
Jonas was abducted by State agents in broad daylight from a restaurant in Quezon City on April 28, 2007. He is among the 206 victims of enforced disappearance documented by KARAPATAN under the Gloria Arroyo regime.
Dexter and Bazoo were forcibly taken in the early evening of April 28, 2022 by men claiming to be operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group of the Philippine National Police near a mall in Taytay, Rizal. They are the 10th and 11th out of 17 victims of enforced disappearance under the Marcos Jr. regime.
All the efforts taken so far by their families and human rights organizations to ascertain their whereabouts have not been successful.
The crime of enforced disappearance has been a bane, especially since the martial law regime, when more than 700 activists and dissenters went missing. It persists despite the enactment 14 years ago of RA 10353, or the Anti-Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance Act, which has never served as a deterrent against perpetrators of enforced disappearance because of the prevailing culture of impunity that has shielded State forces or entities under their command from ever facing accountability.
Even protective writs issued to the victims by the courts and orders to the police and military to exercise extraordinary diligence in looking for the disappeared persons have not resulted in the surfacing of any of the victims. Also telling is the refusal of successive regimes to ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, which prohibits State agents or those with State authorization from arresting, detaining or abducting individuals and concealing their whereabouts. This is not surprising, given that enforced disappearance has long been one of the means resorted to by despotic Philippine regimes to silence dissent and instill fear among the populace.
The latest victim under Marcos Jr. is Scarlet Lyne Gayo, reportedly a staff of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP)-Cagayan Valley who went missing on December 9, 2025 in Cavite while on medical leave.
The other victims are Elgene Mungcal and Ma. Elena Pampoza who disappeared in Tarlac on July 3, 2022, just three days into Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s rule; NDFP consultant Ariel Badiang who was last seen in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon on February 6, 2023; habal-habal drivers Renel delos Santos and Denald Mialen and their passenger Lyn Grace Martullinas who were abducted in Negros Occidental on April 19, 2023; farmers Norman Ortiz and Lee Sudario who were taken by men in military uniform from a barangay in Nueva Ecija on September 29, 2023; fisherfolk organizer Mariano Jolongbayan who went missing on November 17, 2023 in Batangas; peasant organizer Mar Silos who disappeared on November 29, 2023 in Quezon; trade unionist William Lariosa, who was abducted by soldiers in Bukidnon on April 10, 2025; long-time activists Felix Salaveria Jr. and James Jazmines who disappeared on August 23 and 28, respectively, in Tabaco, Albay; Bicolano youth Gerald Gestole, who was seized in San Pedro, Laguna on November 17, 2024; and indigenous farmer Lito Pacheco who was last seen on November 3, 2025 in Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental.
DESAPARECIDOS and KARAPATAN vehemently condemn the despicable crime of enforced disappearance that has long been a tool of repressive regimes, and which Ferdinand Marcos Jr. perpetuates to this day.
We renew our demand for the truth about the disappearances of Jonas, Dexter and Bazoo and all other victims of enforced disappearance and express our unwavering solidarity with their families in the relentless pursuit of justice for them and accountability for the perpetrators. ###
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KARAPATAN is an alliance of human rights organizations and programs, human rights desks and committees of people’s organizations, and individual advocates committed to the defense and promotion of people’s rights and civil liberties. It monitors and documents cases of human rights violations, assists and defends victims and conducts education, training and campaign. It was established in 1995.
PUBLIC INFORMATION DESK
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KARAPATAN is an alliance of human rights organizations and programs, human rights desks and committees of people’s organizations, and individual advocates committed to the defense and promotion of people’s rights and civil liberties. It monitors and documents cases of human rights violations, assists and defends victims and conducts education, training and campaign. It was established in 1995.
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