Vol. 364 No. 8
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if in the light of the change in the Presidency of the Philippines, the Government, either acting on their own initiative or through the EC process of political co-operation, have made any new efforts to discover the whereabouts of Father Rudi Romano.
15.
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the efforts the Government have been making to date to determine the whereabouts of Father Rudi Romano; and if he has been in touch with the United States authorities to seek their assistance in the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 and 15 together.
As you may be aware, I provided a written answer on 5 March 1986 to Deputy Frank Prendergast concerning the disappearance of Father Romano.
Since my statement on 5 November 1985 we have pursued the matter with the Philippine authorities but no information was forthcoming on his whereabouts.
During his recent stay in Manila, Ireland's Ambassador to the Philippines, who is resident in Beijing, raised the case again but was informed that, despite extensive inquiries, they had not been able to obtain any information on Father Romano. Subsequently, there was no opportunity to have useful talks with President Aquino's Government. However, I have given instructions that the matter be raised with the new Government as soon as possible.
As I indicated to the Dáil on 5 November 1985 the then Ten raised the case of Father Romano with the Philippine authorities. We were informed by the Philippine authorities that an inquiry was in progress and that we would be informed of the results. The Twelve did not receive the results of the inquiry but are following the case attentively.
My Department have also been in touch with the US authorities who have themselves taken a consistent interest in the case.
Does the Minister agree that with the recent political changes in the Philippines it was hoped that the whereabouts of Father Romano would have been made known immediately? As this has not happened, would the Minister pursue the matter on his own initiative or through the EC process of political co-operation?
The case of Father Romano is of concern to a number of member governments in the EC and we raised this matter with the old and new regimes in the Philippines. We have had diplomatic relations with the Philippines for the last two years so we can raise these matters directly but we will also be asking our friends, the Canadians, Americans and Australians to help to try to establish Father Romano's whereabouts. We will seek to have him released if he is incarcerated and to have him reunited with his community.
In view of the fact that Ireland is one of the biggest suppliers of missionaries in the world, pro rata, would the Minister consider giving status to these inquiries by sending a special ambassador to the Philippines to ask the new Government there to locate the whereabouts of Father Romano in view of the concern which has been expressed by his Order.
I will consider any practical suggestion in connection with the release of Father Romano but I do not think that the Deputy's suggestion would be of any help in this regard as our Ambassador there at present knows the officials and would have a head start on anybody trying to establish credentials. I assure the Deputy that the Ambassador, my Department and the EC are all concerned about Father Romano and will continue to seek a solution.
This ties in with a supplementary which I asked on an earlier question. Does the Minister agree that this case, along with a number of others under the Marcos regime, represents a test of the bona fides of the new administration as to whether they intend to have regard for human rights and rule of law? Does the Minister also agree that the case should be pursued on this basis because I should hate to think that it would be a case of plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose. It is on the basis of coming clean on Father Romano that the new Government in the Philippines will be judged on their attitude to human rights.
There is an implication in the Deputy's question which I would not care to accede to at this stage. I am sure he does not mean what he implies but we are talking about a new Government who have come to power in extraordinary circumstances, after virtual dictatorship which lasted for 20 years. We should give that new Government every possible room for manoeuvre so that democracy in the Philippines is established genuinely and human rights respected. We will be watching developments there not with a critical eye but with an encouraging eye.
Would the Minister consider sending to the Philippines a special ambassador or a special representative from the Department, such as the Minister of State or an official to undertake an on-the-spot investigation? I ask this because of the significance for Ireland of the development in that other country in the context of our being a supplier of missionaries.
Perhaps I will give more serious thought to what the Deputy suggests than I would give normally to a question in the House. However, the sending to the Philippines of a special ambassador, to use the Deputy's term, might be taken as a vote of no confidence in the existing ambassador who is an accredited representative of the Irish Government to the Government of the Philippines. We should keep that factor in mind also.
