SC orders Army, PNP, NTF-ELCAC to comment on activists' plea

The Supreme Court (SC) has directed the Philippine Army, the Philippine National Police (PNP), the National Security Council, and the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) to comment within 15 days on the plea of environmental activists Jhed Tamano and Jonila Castro.

This plea is to reconsider the denial of their petition for the privilege of the writ of amparo and habeas data.

Previously, the SC had granted Tamano and Castro writs of amparo and habeas data amid claims of abduction, and directed the Court of Appeals (CA) to conduct summary proceedings.

However, the CA dismissed their petition in August 2024, ruling that they did not present enough evidence, and later dismissed their motion for reconsideration in October 2024.

This led the activists to file their current petition before the High Court.

Meanwhile, the SC previously denied a motion by military and police officers to overturn the initial grant of the writs, citing denial of due process.

The SC reasoned that finding substantial evidence at the initial stage did not violate the respondents' right to due process.