Four Bodies Exhumed in Search for Missing Detainee

By Glazyl M. Jopson

BACOLOD CITY – The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) is searching for a man who went missing after being detained at Police Station 8 for theft in September 2022.

Police Lt. Col. Joery Puerto, chief of the BCPO Operations Management Unit, said authorities exhumed four unidentified bodies Monday in an effort to locate Henry V. Tayo Jr.

Two bodies were exhumed from a cemetery in Murcia, Negros Occidental, while one was found in Bago City and another in Barangay Handumanan, Bacolod.

Puerto said police are searching for other unidentified remains as part of their efforts to find Tayo.

Authorities are set to meet with Tayo’s family to collect a DNA sample.

“If it matches the sample taken from one of the four bodies, we will be able to confirm Tayo’s identity,” Puerto said.

At the time of his arrest, Puerto was the station commander of Police Station 8.

He said Tayo was taken into custody after being accused of stealing a cellphone in Magsungay, Barangay Singcang-Airport.

Tayo was released after 12 hours in detention because the complainant did not pursue charges.

Puerto said his release followed proper procedures and was documented.

Two days later, Tayo’s family reported him missing.

According to the Supreme Court, Tayo’s family filed a petition for a writ of amparo, requesting a production order against the police through the Regional Trial Court (RTC).

The RTC issued the writ and ordered police to submit a verified return within 72 hours.

However, the court later denied the privilege of the writ, ruling there was no evidence police refused to provide information on Tayo’s whereabouts or that they played a role in his disappearance.

Puerto said police addressed all accusations against them during court hearings.

Despite this, Tayo’s family sought help from the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO), which elevated the case to the Supreme Court.

In a press release on March 11, 2025, the Supreme Court reversed the RTC’s decision and granted the privilege of the writ of amparo to Tayo’s family.

The court ruled that all elements of enforced disappearance were present.

It found that Tayo was deprived of liberty by the state, which then refused to acknowledge or provide information about his whereabouts, effectively removing him from the protection of the law for an extended period.

The Supreme Court cited A.M. No. 07-9-12-SC, also known as the Rule on the Writ of Amparo, which provides legal protection for individuals whose rights to life, liberty, or security are violated or threatened by unlawful acts or omissions of public officials, employees, or private entities.

The rule was designed to address extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances.

The court found that police failed to exercise the “extraordinary diligence” required under the rule.

It said Tayo’s family made repeated visits to the police station for months and sought help from various agencies, including the Commission on Human Rights, PAO, the National Police Commission, and the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

However, they received only empty reassurances that the case was under investigation, the court said.

Police presented a video of Tayo signing a release logbook but could not produce footage of him actually leaving the station.

The court noted that despite multiple requests from the family and other agencies, police only sought IT assistance to retrieve the footage nearly a month later—showing a lack of urgency in providing critical evidence.

The Supreme Court ruled police responsible and accountable for Tayo’s enforced disappearance and ordered them to release all relevant case documents.

It also directed the National Police Commission, the Philippine National Police, and the Department of the Interior and Local Government to conduct a thorough investigation and file criminal and administrative charges if warranted.

The case was remanded to the RTC for implementation of the court’s orders.

Puerto said authorities were given 60 days to provide any new information.

“What’s important is that we made an effort to look for him,” he said.