The promulgation of the Rules on the Writ of Amparo and the Rules on Habeas Data is perhaps one of the most significant developments, not only in the Philippine legal system, but also in the effort to curb impunity in the Philippines. It is significant because they are supposed to provide remedies to the victims and relatives of extra-judicial killings and enforced disappearances, and were promulgated by the Philippine Supreme Court, the supposed passive branch of the Government.

The articles compiled in this publication provide us with a comprehensive discussion on the history and nature of, and the procedure for availing, the writs of amparo and habeas data. It also contains a comparative discussion on the Writ of Habeas Corpus and the Writ of Amparo. This may not be the first publication on the two Writs; however, we believe that this will be a practical guide for human rights lawyers, considering that the authors are themselves human rights practitioners, and wrote their articles based on their experiences in handling these kinds of cases.