The Philippine National Police (PNP) firmly denied on Sunday that it has two missing Cordillera activists in its custody.

In response to the CA's July 10 decision finding the petition for habeas corpus filed by Capuyan and De Jesus' relatives to be "sufficient in form and substance," the PNP stated that it "strongly and categorically denies" the allegation that the subjects of the writs, Capuyan and De Jesus, were arrested by the PNP.

The PNP issued the statement after the 13th Division of the Court of Appeals ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the police to bring back missing activists Dexter Capuyan, 57, and Gene Roz Jamil de Jesus, 27.

It also stated that after the two went missing, it immediately began searching for them in "faithful compliance with our duty to serve and protect the people.

According to human rights groups, Capuyan and de Jesus were kidnapped on April 28 in the Golden City Subdivision in Taytay, Rizal, by men posing as agents of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.

Meanwhile, the PNP will respond to the CA's order this week.