What really happened to Fr. Romano?

It was 28 years ago when Fr. Rosaleo “Rudy” Romano, CSsR, a human rights advocate, vanished from the face of the earth without a trace. He was abducted in Tisa, Labangon, Cebu City allegedly by some elements of the Philippine Army's intelligence unit, the Military Intelligence Group (MIG). Although there were witnesses to the abduction, his body was never found and the culprits were never brought to the bar of justice. The case is just one of the many cases of forced disappearances during the dark years of martial rule that remained unsolved until this time.

Even if the abduction took place almost three decades ago, nobody comes out to tell the gruesome tale of Fr. Romano's fate. There was a news report that he was allegedly abducted and brought to a safehouse where he was interrogated and tortured. Later, he was salvaged (summarily executed) and his body thrown into the sea bound with ropes to a stone weight to make sure he didn't resurface in a bloated corpse. The alleged burial place was the open sea between Danao City and Camotes Island. The lead was never pursued by government investigators. The report died a natural death and lost in the collective consciousness of the narrow-minded and shortsighted people of the Philippines.

Fr. Romano is the face and image of all who vanished during and after the Marcos dictatorship. He is only one of the 'desaparecidos' (disappeared) whose names are forever etched in the collective memories of their families, relatives and friends. Their names are engraved in granite stone at Bonifacio Shrine in Intramuros, Manila, Bantayog ng mga Bayani in Quezon City and in Baclaran church in Paranaque. Fr. Romano has a special marker in Tisa, Labangon, Cebu City where the actual abduction took place. Being a Samareno, he was made an adopted son of Cebu for his works and dedication to the welfare of the poor and underprivileged Cebuanos.

As a young man, he discovered his true vocation when a missionary told him that a missionary life is not a bed of roses. Sometimes he has to sleep on the floor, take a long hike in the mountains, ride horses and motorcycle. Instead of being discouraged, he was aroused and challenged. He took the hard road instead of taking the easy route.  He left his comfort zone and devoted his life to the wretched of the earth. Just like the man hanging on the cross. His missionary life led him to Leyte, Samar, Negros Oriental, Siquijor, Zamboanga del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Misamis Occidental and Cebu. It was in Cebu where he met his gruesome fate.

Always at the forefront of rallies and demonstrations, Fr. Romano was not the typical activist who raised a clenched fist in the air and shout vindictive against the government in order to agitate the crowd. He was always calm under pressure. Although there were times he played mischief to make his audience laughed. In an atmosphere of anxiety and tension where 'a single spark can create a prairie fire' according to Chairman Mao, he was the voice of moderation. But his silent voice reverberated into the hearts and minds of his listeners. That is why he has to be silenced. It was him who aroused, organized, and mobilized thousands of Cebuanos to join the nationwide struggle against the formidable forces of the Marcos dictatorship. In the end, the good triumphed over the evil that men do. Unwittingly, his abductors made him a martyr. I never come to know Fr. Romano but I read a lot about his exemplary life.

On a personal note, I recalled that one of the suspects in Fr. Romano's abduction as mentioned in the newspaper was a certain Wilfredo Dagatan, a member of the dreaded MIG. If my memory serves me right, I had a classmate in the elementary grades in Mambaling also named Wilfredo Dagatan. Boy, as we fondly called him, was a shy but friendly classmate with fair complexion and short curly hair. When I saw his face in the newspaper, I knew I could not be wrong. If he was really involved in the case, he should come out in the open and tell it all. He need not fear of persecution. History has already absolved him. Who knows he may be hailed as a hero for unveiling the truth which has denied the people for so many years.

For sure some of those implicated in the Romano case are still alive and breathing the air of freedom without any twinge of guilt. They were just pawns in the game of the generals. In the military, the code of Omerta (silence) is held sacred by its members just like a crime syndicate such as the Cosa Nostra. But the times they are a-changing. It is foolhardy to bring the secret into their graves. For spilling the beans, a baggage will be lifted on their backs and they will live with a clear conscience for the rest of their lives. Now is the opportune time. Tomorrow may be too late.

The Aquino government has a chance to make amend with history - to find the real perpetrators behind the abduction and disappearance of Fr. Romano. After Marcos, no succeeding administration has solved the mystery. There were attempts to unveil the truth during Cory's administration but it was not pursued precisely because some of those involved were still active in the service. Where his mother failed, President Aquino is given the rare privilege at redemption. A reinvestigation should be conducted not to search for justice but in order to put the case to rest.

All the government really has to do is simple. Order a no nonsense reinvestigation. Offer the suspects reward not punishment. No more charges, no more prosecution. Let them sing like canaries. It is only out of their melodies that the truth will come out. After all, the people are no longer interested in search for justice. It is a rare commodity in this country. All they wanted is to find out what really happened to Fr. Romano.