Grave fears for the safety of a Member of United Church of Christ in the Philippines after ‘disappearing’ Dennis Paradero Rodinas, 35, an active member of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines, was reportedly arrested by a team of the Provincial Regional Mobile Unit (PRMU) of the Philippines National Police in barangay Villaba in Tangub City. He has subsequently ‘disappeared’ and there are grave fears for his safety.

The United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) is a partner church of the Uniting Church in Australia.

Mr Rodinas was able to call his wife while he was being held at a checkpoint in Tangub City. Deanna Febra Rodinas, the wife of Mr Rodinas, said that her husband called her at around 6 am on Monday 29 June and informed her that Police Inspector Alwin Baclao, the deputy unit supervisor of the 2nd PRMU of the Philippine National Police based in Tangub City was detaining him.

The driver with Mr Rodinas was reported to have been arrested for driving without license while Mr Rodines was been arrested for bringing a laptop.

At about 3 pm in the afternoon on Monday 29 June, Mrs. Rodinas received a text message informing her that her husband has been on a custodial debriefing at the 55th Infantry Battalion based in Langub, Calamba town in Misamis Occidental. A message was forwarded to her from Police Director German Doria, Community Relations. It said that her husband has been arrested for possessing explosive compound and subversive documents during a combat patrol operation in the Villaba area in Tangub City.

Members of the UCCP have been unable to locate Mr Rodinas at the 55th Infantry Battalion base, in the PRMU office in Oroquieta, in Tudela town or at the Tangub Police Station. In effect he has ?disappeared? and there are grave fears for his safety.

Please send polite and respectful e-mails to the following people as soon as possible:

Her Excellency Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo

President of the Republic of the Philippines

E-mail: corres@op.gov.ph

Salutation: Your Excellency

The Hon. Raul M. Gonzalez

Secretary

Department of Justice

E-mail: sad@doj.gov.ph

Salutation: Dear Secretary

Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr.

Defense Secretary

Department of National Defense

E-mail: opla@dnd.gov.ph

Salutation: Dear Secretary

His Excellency Ernesto De Leon

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Philippines to the Commonwealth of Australia

Embassy of the Philippines

E-mail: cbrpe@philembassy.org.au

Salutation: Your Excellency

Points to make in your e-mail:

- Express deep concern that Dennis Paradero Rodinas, 35, an active member of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines, is reported to have ‘disappeared’ after being arrested by a team of the Provincial Regional Mobile Unit (PRMU) of the Philippines National Police in barangay Villaba in Tangub City on Monday morning 29 June.

- Request that his whereabouts be made public and that he be granted immediate access to his family and a lawyer of his choice.

- Seek assurances that his basic human rights are being respected while he is in detention.

- Ask on what grounds he is being detained and ask for his immediate and unconditional release unless there is evidence that he has been involved in a criminal offence that would justify his arrest and detention.