SC directs Army, PNP to comment on activists plea for reconsideration

The Supreme Court (SC) has directed the military and police to comment on the plea of environmental activists Jhed Tamano and Jonila Castro to reconsider the denial of their petition for the privilege of the writ of amparo and habeas data.

In a 15-page resolution, the SC En Banc directed the Philippine Army, the Philippine National Police, the National Security Council, and the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict to comment on the petition within a nonextendable period of 15 days.

To recall, the SC previously granted Tamano and Castro writs of amparo and habeas data amid claims that they were abducted. The SC also directed the CA to conduct summary proceedings to determine the full merits of their petition.

However, the Court of Appeals (CA) dismissed their petition in August 2024, ruling that they did not present enough evidence to support their claims.

In October of the same year, the appellate court dismissed their motion for reconsideration. 

This led the activists to file the present petition before the High Court.

Aside from this, the SC denied the motion filed by the respondents against the SC’s initial grant of the writs, citing denial of due process.

However, the SC said that finding substantial evidence at the initial stage did not violate the respondents’ right to due process. —VAL, GMA Integrated News