JAMES BALAO URGENT ALERT

URGENT ALERT: MEMBER OF THE CORDILLERA PEOPLES ALLIANCE (CPA) MISSING SINCE SEPTEMBER 17, 2008

URGENT ALERT Case Type: Enforced Disappearance

Victim: JAMES M. BALAO

Place of the Incident: somewhere between his residence in Fairview, Baguio City and his family residence in La Trinidad, Benguet

Date of the Incident: 17 September, 2008

Alleged Perpetrators: unidentified elements of the Intelligence Security Unit (ISU) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines

Account of the Incident:
On the morning of September 17, 2008 at 7 AM James Balao left his residence in Fairvew, Baguio City, intending to go to his family residence in La Trinidad, Benguet. He informed his family that he was going home that day through a text message at about 6:45 am. He was not able to reach home and has not been in contact with his family or friends since, nor have they been able to contact him.

In the first week of June, 2008 Balao began reporting regular surveillance to his family, which increasingly heightened until his disappearance last week. He had often observed white and blue vans tailing him from his residence on his daily chores.

According to a reliable source, Balao is even listed in the AFP dossier as the head of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Education Bureau in the Ilocos and Cordillera regions.

The Cordillera Human Rights Alliance believes that the surveillance and enforced disappearance of Balao was perpetrated by state security forces as a part of their operations under Oplan Bantay Laya, a policy of categorizing legal people's organizations and their staff and volunteers as "front organizations" and "supporters" of the of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) or National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) or the New People's Army (NPA). This policy has led to the surveillance, harassment and intimidation,abduction and killing of members an leaders of progressive people's organizations all over the country.

Recommended Action: Your urgent response to this action alert is being sought.

Please send letters, emails or fax messages calling for:

1. The immediate surfacing and release of James Balao by his captors.

2. The authorities, particularly the Philippine National Police, to agressively assist the Balao family, the Cordillera Peoples Alliance and the Cordillera Human Rights Aliance in their search for James Balao.

3. The immediate termination of Oplan Bantay Laya which has labelled legal progressive organizations such as the Cordillera Peoples Alliance as "sectoral fronts" of the Communist Party of the Philippines, National Democratic Front of the Philippines and the New Peoples Army.

4. The Philippine Government to observe the Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) and other international human rights laws and declarations such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).

You may send your communications to the addresses below. You may use the Letter of Concern accompanying this URGENT ALERT. Thank you very much.

H.E. GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO
President of the Republic
Malacañang 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

OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENTIAL ADVISER ON 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
osec@opapp.gov.ph

SEC. GILBERTO C. TEODORO JR.
Department of National Defense
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

SEC. RAUL M. GONZALEZ
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

HON. LEILA DE LIMA
Chairperson, Commission on Human Rights
SAAC Bldg., UP Complex
Commonwealth Avenue
Diliman, Quezon City
Philippines
Fax: (+632) 929 0102
Email: drpvq@chr.gov.ph

ATTY. RUSSELL MA-AO
Regional Director
Commission on Human Rights - Cordillera Administrative Region
SSS Bldg., Harrison Road, Baguio City
Tel: 074 619 9089

ATTY. AMADOR P. BATAY-AN
Regional Director
NCIP-Cordillera Administrative Region
2/F Hillside Square, Km. 4, La Trinidad, Benguet Province, 2601
Tel. Fax no.: (074)422-41-73

ATTY. EUGENIO A. INSIGNE
Chairman
National Commission on Indigenous Peoples
2nd Floor N. dela Merced Building,
Cor. West and Quezon Avenues,
Quezon City, Metro Manila
Telephone (63 2) 373-97-87
Telefax (63 2) 373-97-65

MAJOR LLEWELLYN R. BINASOY
Chief Research & Special Concerns Division
Assistant Chief, AFP Indigenous Peoples Affairs Desk
Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Civil Military Operations
Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City

ATTY. SEDFRY CANDELARIA
Chairperson, Government of the Republic of the Philippines Section
Joint Monitoring Committee - CARHRIHL
6/F Immaculate Conception MultiPurpose Center,
41 Lantana St., Cubao
Quezon City, Philippines

Please send us a copy of your email/mail/fax to the said government official to our address below.

URGENT ACTION Prepared by the:
Cordillera Human Rights Alliance (CHRA)
No. 10 Rimando Road, Baguio City, 2600
Tel/Fax: 074 445-2586 cel:09189199007
email: chra@cpaphils.org/ d1nteg@yahoo.com.ph

Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA)
#2 P. Guevarra Street, Baguio City, 2600
Tel: 074 442 2115; fax: 074 443 7159
Email: cpa@cpaphils.org, pic@cpaphils.org