Today is the 29th year of the disappearance of Fr. Rudy Romano, a Redemptorist priest forcibly taken by military intelligence agents on July 11, 1985. He was well loved by the people, especially the urban poor, workers and farmers because he represented their concerns during the dark years of Martial Law. He was their voice in informing the government and the bigger public about their issues and demands.

The truth about his disappearance remains elusive till this day and justice has not been rendered.

The Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) joins with his confreres, his relatives and friends in remembering him and his contributions to freedom and democracy under the Marcos dictatorship. May the younger breed of priests, seminarians, nuns and other religious leaders continue to be inspired by the life and struggles of Fr. Rudy Romano in their respective vocations. May our fellow Filipinos never forget the human rights violations of the past and the people who gave up their lives so that we could live freer under a democracy.