66. On May 30, 1997,37 the petitioners presented a writ of habeas corpus before the Mayor of the Metropolitan District of Quito, in which they declared that Mr. Palma had been detained, possibly at the orders of Military Intelligence, the Army General Command, the Head of Military Intelligence, or the Military Intelligence Group.38 The Mayor’s office ordered various authorities to bring Mr. Palma in person to the office on June 6, 1997 along with any relevant arrest warrant.39 This petition, did not, however, generate any result to clarify the whereabouts of Mr. Palma. 67. On May 30, 1997, the daily newspaper El Universo from the city of Guayaquil published a notice reporting that two weeks earlier two cadavers in an advanced state of decomposition and with signs of violence had been found on the banks of the Norcay River, near the Jesús de María parish of the district of Naranjal, in the province of Guayas.40 According to information from the press, the political lieutenant of Jesús María parish, Fanny Valladolid, oversaw the retrieval of the bodies and ordered them to be taken to the morgue41 in the Jesús de María cemetery, where the medical and legal examination was done. Then they proceeded to bury the bodies in the cemetery of that jurisdiction since no family members had come forward to claim them.42 The body had “a gag in its mouth, a strip of cloth around its neck, and a fabric inside the mouth.”43 68. On July 1, 1997, the Eleventh Criminal Court of Manabí took charge of the report filed by Mrs. Lidia Guadalupe Bravo and issued the order setting the matter for trial.44 69. On July 21, 1997, the petitioners presented a grievance about the alleged participation of members of the Navy in the detention of Mr. Palma, which was responded to via official letter of August 8, 1997 from the Chief of the Navy High Command. 45 In response, the Chief of the Navy High Command reported that after conducting a “detailed” investigation into the complaint filed, its results showed that no navy division nor any 37 Alleged by the petitioners. Not contradicted by the Estado. 38 Mayor’s Office of the Metropolitan District of Quito, June 13, 1997, signed by Dolores Pérez, Secretary General of the Metropolitan Council of Quito. Appendix to the petitioners’ communication dated March 20, 1998. 39 Mayor’s Office of the Metropolitan District of Quito, June 13, 1997, signed by Dolores Pérez, Secretary General of the Metropolitan Council of Quito. Appendix to the petitioners’ communication dated March 20, 1998 (This communication was sent to the Chief of the Judicial Technical Police, to the Director of the Center of Provisional Detention, to the Director of the Center for Provisional Detention, to the Director of the Center of Social Rehabilitation for Men of Quito, No. 1, 2, and 3 y and to the Attorney General. This is established in the petitioners’ communication received December 7, 2005). 40 Article published on May 30, 1997, in the Guayaquil newspaper El Universo, p. 14. Appendix to the August 24, 2000 communication of the State. 41 Article published on May 30, 1997, in the Guayaquil newspaper El Universo, p. 14. Appendix to the August 24, 2000 communication of the State. 42 Supplementary Report of the Ecuadorian National Police No. No. 2000-150-PJ-M-COMPL from March 3, 2000, signed by Nelson Carrión, investigator of the Ecuadorian National Police. Appendix to the August 24, 2000 communication of the State. 43 Interview with Miss Abg. Fanny Valladolid in the Supplementary Report of the Ecuadorian National Police No. 2000-150-PJ-M-COMPL of March 3, 2000 signed by Nelson Carrión, investigator of the Ecuadorian National Police. Criminal Case 319-97. Appendix to the August 24, 2000 communication of the State. 44 XI Criminal Court of Manabí, July 1,1997, signed by attorney Bernardo Zambrano, Secretary of the XI Court of Manabí, Manta and by the XI Criminal Court Judge of Manabí. 45 Official letter ESMAAR-SED-062-0 of August 8, 1997, addressed to Sister Elsi Monge, President of the Ecumenical Commission of Human Rights (CEDHU) and signed by Timoshenko Guerrero Rivadeneira, Vice-Admiral, Chief of the Navy High Command. Appendix to petitioners’ communication dated March 20, 1998.