CAMP AGUINALDO, Quezon City—The AFP created a fact-finding committee that will “conduct speedy, comprehensive, and exhaustive investigation” on the continued disappearance of labor activists Elizabeth Magbanua and Alipio Juat.
This was done through a letter directive dated October 5, 2022, which is one of the AFP’s actions in compliance with the Petition for Writ of Amparo filed by the relatives of the missing persons before the Supreme Court and granted by the Court of Appeals in a decision on September 9.
The AFP Provost Marshal General will lead the committee as its chairperson with the Deputy Army Provost Marshal; Command Provost Marshal of JTF-NCR; Legal Officer of the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, OJ2; and a representative from the AFP Center for Law of Armed Conflict as members.
The Deputy Provost Marshal General AFP shall serve as secretary/recorder.
Aside from investigating the disappearance of the activists, the committee shall also utilize all available technical and modern technological resources to locate the whereabouts of the missing persons.
It will also seek to determine the cause, manner, location, and time of their disappearance, as well as any pattern or practice that may have brought about the incident.
Furthermore, the team shall also identify and summon witnesses and order the production of documents germane to the subject of its investigation.
The committee will then need to submit a fact-finding report to the Office of the Chief of Staff and the The Judge Advocate General, AFP after the completion of their investigation but not later than five months from September 9.///
