References:     Marie Hilao-Enriquez, Secretary General, Cellphone No.:
+63917-817-6274
               Jigs Clamor, Deputy Secretary General, Cellphone No.: +639189790580/
 +639228149751


PRESS RELEASE
November 8, 2007

With the first successful case of the writ of amparo  compelling the
military to surface and release an abducted youth leader in Mindanao,
Rights groups and victims' organizations express hope for a favorable
result of the first amparo hearing in Manila

"We laud the Supreme Court for granting the hearing of the first
petition for a writ of amparo filed by parents of the two missing UP
students," said Marie Hilao-Enriquez, Secretary General of the human
rights alliance KARAPATAN, on the hearing of the first petition for
the writ of amparo at the Court of Appeals.

Hope for favorable results of the writ surged high among the rights
activists and relatives of the victims as news of a successful
surfacing and eventual release of a UCCP youth leader through the writ
of amparo, was reported to KARAPATAN, yesterday, November 7.

UCCP youth leader, Ruel Muñasque and his companion, Roger Morales were
abducted on October 24, 2007, at a checkpoint manned by elements of
the 53rd IBPA in Dumalinao, Zamboanga del Sur.  They were blindfolded
and handcuffed and were brought to places where they were tortured.
At dawn of the following day, Morales was released but Muñasque was
disappeared.  On October 30, the family, through Atty. Tirsendo
Poloyapoy and Atty. Emiliano Deleverio, filed a petition for a writ of
amparo to avail of interim reliefs of Temporary Protection Order
(TPO), Inspection Order (IO), Protection Order, Witness Protection
Order and other reliefs that may be allowed by the Writ.  Judge
Abraham Ramas of RTC Branch 18 heard the case yesterday, November 7.
He compelled the military to produce Ruel Muñasque in court and
ordered him released from military custody.  By 5:30pm, Ruel went home
with his family, after two weeks of being disappeared.

"In this case, we rejoice that the writ of amparo worked and saved the
life of Ruel Muñasque, we hope that the same results will be obtained
for Sherlyn and Karen and the other missing persons," Marie
Hilao-Enriquez, secretary general of KARAPATAN said.

The Muñasque case is also a very hard evidence that the military,
specifically the Philippine Army, is commiting the dastardly act of
disappearance, illegal arrest and detention and divestment of property
contrary to what government functionaries, including the president,
has parroted that the military is not involved in any of these crimes.

"Now that the elements of the 53rd IBPA were caught in the act, we
challenge the commander-in-chief and the chief of staff to prosecute
and punish those responsible for the abduction of Muñasque and
Morales," Hilao-Enriquez dared.

Enriquez says of the CA writ of amparo hearing,"it is inevitable for
the court to answer the prayers of the petitioners given the gravity
of evidences presented."

Victims' organizations and rights groups such as Hustisya! (Victims of
Arroyo Regime United for Justice), Desaparecidos, SELDA and the
Ecumenical Movement for Justice and Peace and KARAPATAN showed their
support to the parents of  the two UP missing students, Sherlyn
Cadapan and Karen Empeño.

They also unfurled photographs of missing individuals whom the state
tagged as "enemies of the state" with the message Stop Enforced
Disapperances and Surface Victims of Enforced Disappearances
emblazoned on it.  The Court of Appeals is being asked to grant the
petitioners the inspection of military camps where Sherlyn Cadapan and
Karen Empeno were reported to have been seen.

"We hope that the court will hear us out and help serve justice," said
Desaparecidos National Coordinator Mary Guy Portajada, who added that,
"Mrs. Arroyo's government has been trying to impress the international
community that they are doing something yet abductions and
disappearances continue unabated."

KARAPATAN and its allied organizations expressed hope that the higher
court can help surface victims of enforced disappearances. ###