BACOLOD CITY - A member and organizer of Kadamay Negros was reported missing on Wednesday.
Capt. Elmer Bonilla, head of Police Station 7, said that Iver Larit, 51, of Barangay Mansilingan here was last seen by his family on April 5 when he left their house at around 9 a.m. that day to go to the Kadamay Negros office.
Larit's son reported that his father went missing the following day after he failed to go home on Tuesday. The family said they could not reach him through his cellular phone.
According to Karapatan Negros island, Larit is an urban poor organizer and an education officer of Kadamay Negros.
Karapatan Negros island in a Facebook post said his colleagues in Kadamay started to worry as he was not able to arrive for an appointment with an urban poor community here that he was helping to organize against threats of demolition.
In 2011, he was detained for eight months for trumped-up charges, but was eventually dismissed for lack of substantial evidence, according to Karapatan Negros Island.
Despite the attacks, Larit continued to organize urban poor communities here.
Karapatan Negros Island pressed their calls to end the targeted attacks on community organizers in Negros.
Meanwhile, Progressive groups led by Kadamay Negros held a protest in front of the Old City Hall here on Thursday to call for Larit's appearance.