In commemoration of the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, we, the Union of Journalists of the Philippines – UP (UJP-UP), stand in solidarity with the families and loved ones of the disappeared.

Enforced disappearances are among the most brutal forms of repression. Its victims, known as the desaparecidos, are forcibly taken, denied legal protection and held in custody by their captors, often to be unlawfully detained, tortured or killed. To this day, the whereabouts of most victims remain unknown.

According to the Human Rights Victims’ Claims Board, no less than 2,300 killings and disappearances were documented under Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s dictatorship. But this is not left in the past. The same atrocities persist today under the administration of his son, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., whose term has already seen 15 recorded cases of disappearances, according to human rights group Karapatan. Among the recent victims are veteran labor organizer William Lariosa, and activists James Jazmines and Felix Salaveria—all of whom went missing in 2024 alone.

This is a product of the culture of impunity that carried on across generations. Despite the passage of Republic Act No. 10353 or the Anti-Enforced and Involuntary Disappearance Law, the failure in its implementation prevents perpetrators from being held accountable. But how can we expect the government to act when the majority of these cases are state-sponsored?

Other forms of repression also took place under Marcos Jr.’s administration. Also in 2024, the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) banned JL Burgos’ Alipato at Muog, citing that it “tends to undermine the faith and confidence of the people in their government.” The documentary tackles the enforced disappearance of farmer and activist Jonas Burgos.

But the Union welcomes recent developments in these cases. We honor the steadfast fight of the Burgos family and their well-deserved win at the recently concluded FAMAS Awards. Moreover, we stand behind the Supreme Court’s decision to identify indigenous rights activists Dexter Capuyan and Gene Ros “Bazoo” de Jesus, who were abducted by armed men in April 2023, as “desaparecidos” and to grant their families a writ of amparo. While overdue, this ruling is a sign of progress.

With this, we join the families and advocates of the desaparecidos in calling for the ratification of the International Convention for the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearance (ICPPED). This treaty, once ratified, will clearly define “enforced disappearance” as a crime and will seek justice for both the victims themselves and the people they left behind.

We enjoin our fellow media scholars to actively seek the truth behind these cases. We shall not remain silent while they remain hidden. Together, let us extend our deepest sympathies to the thousands of individuals affected, as we continue to search for answers until all desaparecidos have resurfaced.

For now, we seek justice by remembering.