SC to PNP: Probe Cordillera militant leader’s kidnapping

James Balao disappearance case 

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet -- The Supreme Court has ordered the Philippine National Police to pursue its investigation into the disappearance of James Balao, a leader of the militant Cordillera Peoples Alliance, in this capital town in 2008.

           In a resolution released on Wednesday, the high court rejected the recommendation of a regional trial court (RTC) in La Trinidad, to archive the writ of amparo petition filed by Balao’s siblings, but agreed with its findings that the initial investigation was ”limited, superficial and biased.”

 The SC said the PNP should look into the claim of a witness that Balao was seized by his comrades.

     “The PNP is given six months from notice to submit the result of its investigation. Within 15 days… the PNP shall submit the results to the RTC. Within 30 days thereafter, the RTC shall submit its full report and recommendation to the court for final action,” the SC resolution stated.

         “While it appears that an impasse was arrived at by the Armed Forces of the Philippines in its investigation, there appears to be a valid lead on the part of the Philippine National Police,” the SC said.

Balao, a graduate of the University of the Philippines in Baguio City, was seized by unidentified men in Tomay town.

         The CPA had earlier claimed that Balao was abducted by government lawmen.  

         The CPA and the Cordillera Human Rights Alliance (CHRA) said they were enraged over the maligning and insinuation that CPA was behind the abduction of Balao.

           “In three media reports written by Tetch Torres-Tupas of the Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) dated June 22, 2016; Ina Reformina of ABS CBN News on June 22, 2016 and TarraQuismundo of PDI on June 23, 2016, they cited a Supreme Court decision ordering the Philippine National Police to investigate CPA as an angle of the abduction of Balao,” the groups said in a statement released Friday.

                 “The CPA, CHRA, our legal counsel and the family have yet to receive the SC decision.The angle by which these articles were written is malicious and outrageous.  This is being played up by the PNP and CHR to intensify the political vilification and persecution against the CPA and more so, to wash their hands off their accountability on James’ enforced disappearance. This is another effort to distract us from searching for James and searching for justice. 

          There was no effort to reach out to the CPA, the CHRA and the family before the article was released.

         “For the record, the investigations conducted by the PNP and AFP have been found to be inefficient and superficial.  It was through the effort of the CPA and the CHRA that we found out after two weeks where he was abducted including the description of who abducted him.  We went from camp to camp, station to station that we can reach in our efforts to find him making sure no stone is left unturned.  We attended court hearings, supported witnesses to testify in court and investigations.

          “We are the victims here and the blame should not be placed on us.  We urge the media to be more objective in the reporting of human rights cases.  The side of truth is always the side of justice.”