KARAPATAN raises grave concern about another reported abduction in Tabaco, Albay, five days after the disappearance of James Jazmines, a brother of National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) consultant Alan Jazmines.
Felix Salaveria, Jr., 66, a founding and active member of Cycling Advocates (CYCAD), a group that promotes bicycle riding as a low-cost, healthy and non-polluting alternative mode of transport, was reportedly abducted on the morning of August 28, 2024.
A graduate of San Beda High School and a former Sociology major at the University of the East in Manila, Salaveria was founding member of Tabak (Tunay na Alyansa ng Bayan Alay sa mga Katutubo) and Katribu (Kabataan para sa Tribung Pilipino), groups advocating for the rights of indigenous peoples in the 1980s. He was also a staff of the defunct Ethnic Studies and Development Center’s Minority Rights Advocacy program.
Salaveria is a cycling buddy of James Jazmines, also a biking enthusiast. On August 23, 2024, Salaveria celebrated his birthday with his cycling buddies including James who disappeared sometime after the birthday dinner.
Salaveria is an avid eco-waste management advocate, who encouraged the proper disposal of waste since he began living in Tabaco, Albay. He coordinated with other groups based in Tabaco for alternative ways of transporting waste for conversion to compost for permaculture, and even donated a bike for this purpose. In addition to his waste disposal advocacy, he also maintained a small community garden in his residence in Barangay Cobo, Tabaco.
According to his family, Salaveria suffered a stroke in 2023 that paralyzed the left side of his body and sought treatment at a clinic in Tabaco.
KARAPATAN decries this latest abduction as another brutal and indiscriminate act. Salaveria’s delicate health condition, at his age of 66, is an added cause of concern, particularly since he is still recovering from his stroke.
KARAPATAN demands that Felix Salaveria Jr. and other victims of enforced disappearances be surfaced alive, unharmed and reunited with their worried families.
