Fr. Romano remembered with call to end the spate of killings

Religious and progressive groups commemorated yesterday the 21st year of the involuntary disappearance of Fr. Rudy Romano by denouncing the killings of members of these progressive groups and demanding for justice and an end to these killings.

Romano, believed abducted by elements of the military, disappeared while in Labangon on July 11, 1985. On the same day, youth activist Levy Ybañez also disappeared. Both have not been found until now.

Promotion of Church People's Response-Cebu said that the recent spate of killings targeting church workers, human rights defenders, journalists and justice and peace advocates manifest the worsening human rights situation in the country.

"These records of human rights violations exceed far worst than that of the Marcos years, and these are absolutely disgusting and offensive against human dignity and Christian faith," the group said in a statement.

Fr. Herbert Fadriquela, PCPR-Cebu secretary general, said that due to these killings, the Church is in grief and they are alarmed, worried and disturbed because despite the abolition of the death penalty law, President Arroyo has declared an all-out war against insurgency that resulted to killings of many innocent civilians.

"We join with voices of the leaders of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines and the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines in demanding this government to muster political will to stop the wave of violence, cause the investigations of these political killings, and bring the perpetrators of these human rights violations to the bar of justice," PCPR said.

Fadriquela also called on the leaders and members of other churches in Cebu to be vigilant and to always uphold the fundamental and sacred rights of all human beings, regardless of whatever political convictions they believe in. - Wenna A. Berondo