Surface Dexter Capuyan, Bazoo de Jesus, all Desaparecidos!

It has been three years since the abduction of Dexter Capuyan, a Bontoc-Ibaloi-Kankanaey, and Gene Roz Jamil “Bazoo” de Jesus, an Indigenous Peoples’ rights advocate. Their enforced disappearance remains unresolved, and the silence of authorities continues to deny their families and communities the truth they deserve. This case is not an isolated incident but part of a broader pattern of enforced disappearances and attacks against the Indigenous Peoples, advocates, and defenders of human rights.  

The Indigenous Peoples and human rights defenders hold the faces of Dexter Stewart A. Capuyan and Gene Roz Jamil "Bazoo" C. de Jesus during the protest in front of the national headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, April 30, 2026. Photo courtesy of N. Bacarra/ Kodao.

Dexter and Bazoo were targeted because of their work in advancing Indigenous Peoples’ rights and resisting the structures that perpetuate dispossession and repression. Their abduction is a direct assault on the collective struggle of Indigenous Peoples’ communities and on the broader movement for justice. The refusal of state institutions to surface them, investigate their disappearance, and hold perpetrators accountable reflects the entrenched impunity that allows such violations to persist.  

Panaghiusa Philippine Network to Uphold Indigenous Peoples’ Rights demands accountability. We hold the Philippine government responsible for failing to protect its citizens and for perpetuating a climate where enforced disappearances remain unresolved. We call for the immediate surfacing of Dexter and Bazoo, a credible and impartial investigation into their abduction, and the prosecution of those responsible. The continuing silence of authorities is complicity, and the longer this silence endures, the deeper the injustice becomes.  

We stand with the families of Dexter and Bazoo, who have endured three years of uncertainty and grief. Their demand for truth and justice is our demand, and we commit to amplifying their voices and accompanying them in their search. Their persistence is a reminder that enforced disappearance is not only a crime against individuals but also a continuing violation against families and communities who are denied closure and justice.  

We join the families of all victims of enforced disappearance in demanding that the government surface every Desaparecido. Dexter and Bazoo are among many whose names and lives must never be erased. The right to truth and justice is fundamental, and the state has the obligation to uphold it. To surface all Desaparecidos is to affirm the value of every life stolen by silence and impunity.  

Panaghiusa reaffirms its commitment to resisting criminalization, defending Indigenous Peoples’ rights, and confronting the structures that enable such violations. We will continue to document cases and engage national and international mechanisms to ensure that the plight of the disappeared is never erased from public memory. Three years of silence will not erase the demand for accountability. The struggle for land, life, and dignity is inseparable from the fight against state violence and repression.  

Chuwaley Capuyan, daughter of Desaparecido Dexter Capuyan, calls for accountability over the enforced disappearance of her father and Indigenous Peoples' rights advocate Bazoo de Jesus, April 30, 2026.

We call on all allies, organizations, and communities to stand with us in demanding truth and justice. Surface Dexter Capuyan and Bazoo de Jesus. Surface all Desaparecidos. End impunity now. #