MANILA, Philippines — Last week, the Philippines held its Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections after a six-year break, with a substantial number of candidates seeking local leadership roles in communities across the country.

Nonetheless, there were some candidates referred to as “persons deprived of liberty” (PDLs) who, because they were not yet convicted, participated and emerged as winners in elections under the provisions of the Omnibus Election Code.

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Meanwhile, the Philippines has a deeply entrenched history of enforced disappearances, with a staggering 1,911 cases documented from 1986 to the present day. Despite the presence of legislation aimed at addressing these grave issues, the full implementation of this legal framework remains elusive, and as of now, no one has faced life imprisonment as a consequence of enforced disappearances.

In this latest episode of Newsbreak Chats, Rappler investigative reporter Lian Buan talks with multimedia reporter Jairo Bolledo, focusing on his comprehensive coverage of two significant stories in the past weeks: the election of PDLs in the recent elections and the situation of desaparecidos in the Philippines, spanning from the era of the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos to the current presidency of his son, Marcos Jr.

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Watch Newsbreak Chats on Thursday, November 9, at 4 pm. – Rappler.com