UA Date: 11 April 2006
UA Title: Youth Leader from Hacienda Luisita, Tarlac Missing
UA Case: Arbitrary Arrest, Abduction and Enforced Disappearance
Victim/s: Ronald Intal
· 24 years old, married
· Male
· A resident of Barangay Asturias, Tarlac City, Philippines
· Leader, Samahan ng mga Kabataang Demokratiko sa Asyenda Luisita or SAKDAL (Organization of Democratic Youths in Hacienda Luisita)
· Leader, Anak ng Bayan Party
Place of Incident: Near a tricycle terminal in Barangay Balete inside Hacienda Luisita, Tarlac,
Philippines
Date of Incident: 03 April 2006, past 11:00 AM
Alleged Perpetrators: government soldiers belonging to the 70th Infantry Battalion under the 7th Infantry Division led by Major General Jovito Palparan, Jr., based at the Aqua Farm, Barangay Balete, Tarlac
Account of Incident –
According to accounts gathered by the Gitnang Luson News Service or GLNS (a cyber news service circulating news from Central Luzon), from witnesses, On April 3, 2006, Ronald was making charcoal near a tricycle terminal in Barangay Balete, inside Hacienda Luisita at around past 11:00 AM when he was accosted by armed men in uniform and taken to the military headquarters.
The witnesses further related that Ronald was brought to the Aqua Farm, a former fish breeding station in Barangay Balete now being used as a military headquarters.
Relatives of Ronald who went looking for him were later told by the soldiers at the Aqua Farm that Ronald was not with them.
On April 8, Gonzalo and Lourdes Intal, Ronald's parents sought the help of Tarlac City Vice Mayor Teresita Cabal in looking for their son who by that time had been missing for five days already.
They were told by the Vice Mayor that their son was being held by Nolcom personnel and may be released as soon as Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan gave the go-signal.
In its April 9 issue the GLNS reported the following: "Ayaw pa siyang pakawalan ni Gen. Palparan dahil hindi pa daw tapos ang appointment niya (Gen. Palparan will not release him yet because his [Intal's] appointment is not yet over), the elder Intal quoted Cabal as saying."
At the time of his abduction, Ronald was a known active youth leader who engaged in the Hacienda Luisita struggle of peasant workers. His abduction came at the heels of the killing of United Luisita Workers Union (ULWU) Board of Director Tirso Cruz on March 17, 2006 in Barangay Pando, Concepcion, Tarlac.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Send letters, emails or fax messages calling for:
1. The immediate formation of an independent fact-finding and investigation team composed of representatives from human rights groups, the Church, local government, and the Commission on Human Rights that will look into the arbitrary arrest, abduction and enforced disappearance of Ronald Intal.
2. The arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators of the crime/s of arbitrary arrest, abduction and enforced disappearance.
3. The immediate and proper indemnification of the victims; and
4. The Philippine Government to be reminded that it is a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and that it is also a party to all the major Human Rights instruments, thus it is bound to observe all of its provisions.
You may send your communications to:
President of the Republic
Malacanang Palace,
JP Laurel St., San Miguel
Manila Philippines
Voice: (+632) 564 1451 to 80
Fax: (+632) 742-1641 / 929-3968
Cell#: (+ 63) 919 898 4622 / (+63) 917 839 8462
E-mail: corres@op.gov.ph / opnet@ops.gov.ph
Hon.
Rene V. Sarmiento
*Office of the Peace Process
7th Floor Agustin Building I
Emerald Avenue
Pasig City 1605
Voice:+63 (2) 636 0701 to 066
Mobile:
Fax:+63 (2) 635 9579
Hon.
Avelino J. Cruz, Jr.
Secretary
Room 301 DND Building, Camp Emilio Aguinaldo,
E. de los Santos Avenue
Quezon City
Voice:+63(2) 911-9281 / 911-0488
Fax:+63(2) 911 6213
osnd@philonline.com
Hon.
Raul M. Gonzalez
Secretary, Department of Justice
Padre Faura St., Manila
Direct Line
521-8344; 5213721
Trunkline 523-84-81 loc.214
Fax: (+632) 521-1614
Email sad@doj.gov.ph
Chairperson, Commission on Human Rights
SAAC Bldg., UP Complex
Commonwealth Avenue
Diliman, Quezon City
Philippines
Fax: (+632) 929 0102
Email: drpvq@chr.gov.ph
Please send us a copy of your email/mail/fax to the said government official to our address below.
URGENT ACTION Prepared by:
KARAPATAN (Alliance for the Advancement of People's Rights)-National Office
34 Maamo St. Sikatuna Village, Quezon City 1100 PHILIPPINES
Voice/Fax: (+632) 435 4146
Emails: <karapatan@tri-isys.com > / karapatan@edsamail.com.ph / karapatan.pid@gmail.com
Website: www.karapatan.org