Philippine court clears Catholic missionary nun, rights activists of perjury charges

Human rights activists welcome a court decision in Manila on Jan. 9, 2023, that dismissed perjury charges filed against leaders of a religious organization and human rights advocates. PHOTO BY MARK SALUDES/LICAS News

By LiCAS News

January 11, 2023
Manila, Philippines

A court in the Philippines cleared a Catholic missionary nun and several human rights activists of perjury charges that were filed by the country’s former national security adviser in 2019.

A Quezon City Metropolitan Trial Court in the capital Manila acquitted the activists after the prosecution failed to establish “beyond reasonable doubt” that the accused “made a willful and deliberate assertion of a falsehood.”

Among those found not guilty were Sister Elenita Belardo, national coordinator of the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP); women rights activists Gertrudes Libang and Joan Salvador; and human rights advocates Cristina Palabay, Elisa Lubi, Roneo Clamor, Edita Burgos, Wilfredo Ruazol, Gabriela Krista Dalena, and Jose Mari Callueng.

The case stems from a complaint filed by former National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon who claimed that leaders of the RMP, human rights group Karapatan, and women’s group Gabriela lied in their petition for a “writ of amparo” before the Supreme Court.

Esperon — who was a respondent in the amparo petition — accused the activists of calling RMP a “registered non-stock, non-profit organization” even as the Securities and Exchange Commission reportedly revoked the organization’s certificate of registration in 2003.

The Quezon City prosecutor’s office initially indicted the 80-year-ol Belardo, a member of the Religious of the Good Shepherd congregation. Esperon later appealed and included the other activists in the charge.

In a statement, Karapatan welcomed the dismissal of the case, calling it “a victory of truth and justice, against lies.”

The human rights group maintained that the case was “aimed at disrupting our work … in helping victims (of human rights violations) seek justice, in defending the rights of people.”

“We will continue to explore all options under domestic and international human rights mechanisms to hold the perpetrators of this form of judicial harassment accountable,” read the Karapatan statement.

Women’s group Gabriela expressed hope that “this positive decision augurs well for the calls to stop the attacks against human rights defenders in the country.”

The ecumenical group Promotion of Church People’s Response said the acquittal of the activists was “a much hoped for result.”

“However, the very struggle to overcome this charge pushed by [Esperon] underscores the great dangers in defending human rights in the Philippines.”

The group said the threats, harrassment, and other abuses faced by human rights defenders “are clear and present dangers.”

Ecumenical youth group Student Christian Movement of the Philippines also welcomed the dismissal of the case, saying “Our God is truly a God of justice and reason.”

“Through our faith and struggle, we can win against fabricated cases against human rights defenders and expose those who attempt to use the law for the defence of the selfish powerful,” said Kej Andres, the group’s national spokesperson.

“This victory is a joint effort not only by the legal teams of organizations, but also by the wide support of Filipino masses and Filipino religious who stand by the defense of human rights and defense of our faith to serve the marginalized,” he added.

The Rural Missionaries of the Philippines is a religious organization, which is inter-congregational and inter-diocesan in character, of religious women and men, priests, and lay people that was founded on Aug. 15, 1969.

It is a “mission partner” of the Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines, now known as the Conference of Major Superiors in the Philippines. The faith-based group is currently under scrutiny of the Philippine government for alleged terrorism financing and for allegedly being an aboveground communist organization.

Laiko Online Advent Recollection

November 21, 2022

To all Laiko Members: National Lay Organizations & Diocesan Councils of the Laity

Dear Brothers  & Sisters:

The peace & love of the Lord!

As we prepare to celebrate the birth of our savior Jesus Christ this Christmas, we are pleased to invite you to an online Advent Recollection on Saturday, December 3, 2022, 2:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M.

We have invited Fr. Jason Laguerta, Director of the Office for the Promotion of New Evangelization of the Archdiocese of Manila to facilitate the event with the theme:  “Journeying Together as a People during the Advent Season”.  Together let us prepare ourselves spiritually as we welcome His coming into our midst.

Kindly encourage all your members, family and friends to join this moment of grace, hope and thanksgiving. 

Here is the Zoom link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4273338193?pwd=VTV4aE4yVkpNQjdwMDRhcCtiZ0ZwUT09

Meeting ID: 427 333 8193

Passcode: EMMANUEL

Kindly register to join the Zoom room & be acknowledged.  Please email: laiko_phils@yahoo.com.ph, messenger: Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas or Text: 0967- 4025652. The event is also live at the Facebook page of Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas.

Thank you.

Sincerely yours,

3rd Jesus-Centered Life International Conference slated Dec. 8

By CBCP News
November 18, 2022
Manila, Philippines

The Parents for Education Foundation, Inc. (PAREF), a network of 16 schools based in the Philippines, is holding the 3rd Jesus-Centered Life (JCL) International Conference this coming December 8.

In celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council, whose “ultimate purpose” according to St. Pope Paul VI is the universal call to holiness, the conference theme is “Holy and heroic: The courage to be Catholic”.

With over 30 years in his ministry, international speaker John Beaulieu from the Franciscan University of Steubenville in the US will speak on how Catholics can be heroically holy in their daily struggles.

An expert in youth evangelization, Beaulieu has worked in the Christian Outreach Office of the Franciscan University, and presently is its Director for Evangelization and Engagement.

In a recent press conference with Beaulieu, Dr. Raul Nidoy, and Danny Moran, the panel talked about how we can grow stronger and more courageous as we move on to the post-pandemic era.

“We are slowly going back to how our lives used to be, but it’s not as simple as we thought,” said PAREF Chair and President Danny Moran.

According to him, many changes and new challenges have occurred whether it be in the business sector or one’s own spiritual life.

Moran said it’s important to ask ourselves, “What are these difficulties, and how do we cope with all of these things? There has to be a lot of adjustments, but the bigger challenge is how we can be holy and heroic in this era.”

He suggested “beginning wherever we are– at home, in our daily lives, facing the situations that we encounter daily, whether it’s academic, athletic, or even professional, there has to be a lot of adjustments.”

Beaulieu stressed that despite the challenges and hardships presented by the post-pandemic era, people have to entrust their fears to the Lord, quoting Joseph Piper who once said, “Courage is fear that has said its prayers.”

To do this, the conference speaker heavily encouraged the need to pray, read the Bible and frequent the Sacraments “to put us in contact with the living Word of God” as a means of entering Him.

“This is so important: receive the sacraments. They give grace to us and draw us closer to Christ,” Beaulieu said.

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Appeal from Church People- Workers Solidarity

21 November 2022

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

Warm greetings from Church people-Workers Solidarity (CWS)!

CWS is a decade-old non-profit, ecumenical organization in support of workers’ rights and welfare. Workers are among the hardest hit by the worsening economic crisis exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic and neoliberal policies that depress wages, destroy unions and attack workers. Our support has been carried out through our various programs including Education and Formation, Campaign and Advocacy, Welfare and Support Services and Networking. We are present in key cities in Metro Manila and in the Visayas.

As the year ends, CWS has endeavored to continue serving workers and farmworkers through four major activities this December:

 CWS-National Capital Region Assembly on December 5

CWS-NCR will convene workers and church people to revive the NCR arm of CWS which was first launched on March 17, 2012. An expected 200 participants, mainly workers from key cities in NCR, as well as advocates from the church sector, are expected to attend. This assembly is timely because of the dehumanizing situation of the workers and their families. 

Himamaylan, Negros Occidental Mercy Mission, December 14

Himamaylan has been under intense militarization since October, owing to state forces occupying, hamletting, and indiscriminately bombing rural communities under the guise of counter-insurgency programs. Farmers and farmworkers are slowly going back to their communities but face dire economic difficulties as their homes, crops, and animals have been destroyed. Reports state that they are under virtual military lockdowns and thus need support to allow for the entry of essentials such as food, medicine, and others.

CWS will be part of this endeavor together with other church people and faith-based organizations in Negros.

Paskuhan Para sa Manggagawa at ang kanilang Pamilya, December 26

Paskuhan para sa Manggagawa is a CWS Christmas activity for workers and their family. This year CWS plans to provide educational materials and toys to three hundred (300) children of workers in the communities under the parishes of San Pancracio in Grace Park, Kalookan City and Risen Christ in Balut, Tondo Manila, as well as workers of Regent Food Corporation in Pasig City who are on strike.

Once a week Kapihan/ Talakayan sa hanay ng Manggawa ng Tondo which will start in November 25, 2022

This activity is designed to reach out to the workers in Tondo specifically those working in Manila North Harbor Center which is composed of 16 piers and an international port and South Pier Harbor Center. All of these are owned by big tycoon billionaires, Ramon Ang and Enrique Razon. Low wages, contractualization and inhuman working conditions are some of the issues that should be addressed during the discussions.

This will be done every 7:30 am which is the time they are going home from work. This will be done in a parish near their workplace. 

This Advent Season, we seek your generosity and kindness to bring simple cheers to our sister and brother workers who ironically, create the world’s wealth but are among those with least in life. Your support in the form of goods, toys, and financial resources will go a long way for any of these activities. These will surely bring happiness and smiles to the children of the workers. 

You can send your donations through the BPI Kamuning Savings Bank account name Churchpeople-Workers Solidarity, Inc. and account # 3143-4239-39. Kindly advise us if you have deposited your donation so we can gladly acknowledge your support. For donations in kind such as educational toys and other gifts and items for the children, you can indicate the address where we can pick up the said items or you can bring these to this address, Bukal Center, ICM District House, 61, Banawe Street, 1114 Quezon City.

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Crossing the Line: Faith without action is dead

A climate activist sits near banners demanding protection of human rights, climate reparations, and countries’ adherence to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels, during the COP27 climate conference in Egypt’s Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh on Nov 18. (Photo: AFP)

UCANews
November 21, 2022  
Crossing the Line
Father Shay Cullen, MSSC

This year, instead of buying a cut tree for Christmas, plant one instead

COP27, the environmental conference on climate crises that concluded in Egypt last week, heard the voice of the Catholic Church calling for climate justice and restitution payments for the loss and damage caused by the industrial nations against the poor. Many in the hard-hearted rich industrial countries refuse to admit and accept their responsibility and liability for causing the climate crises.

These are the powerful hidden forces of industry that capture government departments and compromise and bribe politicians and bend them to their will. Their will is for all to deny that there is a climate crisis and leave the world as it is, consuming fossil fuel non-stop.

The planet is heading for a cliff at full speed, as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, with the deniers and obstructers’ foot hard down on the accelerator. The tipping point of no return will soon be reached when the heating cycle of the planet continues indefinitely. Life on earth will be unbearable for creatures, plants and humans, the experts say.Ucan Store

Paying reparations for harm being done to poor nations is an urgent matter of conscience, according to Archbishop Nicolas Thévenin, Apostolic Nuncio to Egypt and deputy head of the Holy See’s delegation. He said that the rich industrial nations must pay compensation for polluting the planet and damaging the lives and environment of everyone else. In rather undiplomatic words, the rich countries must stand up and pay up.

“All humans have to save the environment and the planet from the destructive forces of irresponsible governments and industry”

“It is imperative that we build bridges of solidarity. Those who are most vulnerable to the ravages of climate change are urgently calling for real support in this moment of crisis.” he said, “to ignore them [those affected by climate crisis] would be a failure of conscience.”

Pope Francis in Laudato Si teaches that all humans have to save the environment and the planet from the destructive forces of irresponsible governments and industry that cause global warming and the massive disasters that are happening around the world.

The damage to small countries from floods, typhoons and drought is immense and is brought upon them by irresponsible governments that approve coal and oil power stations and are paying oil companies a trillion dollars in subsidies to explore more oil and gas. This is extreme hypocrisy and a total contradiction to their statements in the past and today at COP 27 where they vow to reduce CO2 and methane levels in the atmosphere. In fact, they are increasing the emissions of CO2.

The Philippines has 28 polluting coal-fired plants and industry moguls and some government cronies and politicians under their influence are demanding to build 20 more coal plants. Public opinion is steadfast against any more and clamors for free renewable power from nature.

The tycoons and government must invest in low-cost renewable energy generating sources like wind, solar geothermal, hydro and biomass. Oil companies worldwide are among the worst in causing CO2 and toxic contamination.

The papal encyclical has inspired many to join The Laudato Si Movement (LSM) of committed lay people, priests, religious, and hopefully bishops. Working together with many organizations, they are committed to saving the planet by raising awareness and inspiring action to reduce global warming and CO2 emissions.

The objectives are: “To urge political, business and social leaders to commit to ambitious climate action to solve this urgent crisis and keep the global temperature increase below 1.5 degrees Celsius (relative to pre-industrial levels). They can be found at www.Laudatosi.org.

The bishops and priests can roll up their sleeves and get out of the comfort of their palaces, rectories and cloisters”

The one group they overlooked to mention by name is the bishops of the world. They need to be inspired, motivated, and challenged to act and help save the creation from global warming. Sadly, not all bishops in the USA support Pope Francis on his stand in Laudato Si. Many are silent and some are misleading on climate change, says research by Creighton University in Nebraska.

If bishops around the world took up the call of Pope Francis and began their own environmental-changing project in their diocese and plant at least 1,000 tree saplings and care for them that would be a great contribution. They could teach by example and encourage every parish to have its own tree-planting project. They could offer a prize for the best effort.

The bishops and priests can roll up their sleeves and get out of the comfort of their palaces, rectories and cloisters and lead the people in planting trees. It’s a powerful way to teach the Gospel values and inspire and unite a parish.

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Philippines accused of downplaying migrants’ rights abuses

Migrant workers, many of them from the Philippines and employed as domestic maids, are seen amongst pedestrians at a public access walkway as they gather on their weekly Sunday off in Hong Kong’s Central district on Sept. 24, 2017. (Photo: AFP)

By Joseph Peter Calleja
November 18, 2022

A coalition of Filipino migrants has accused the Philippine government of brushing aside human rights violations of workers at home and abroad, at the United Nations meeting.

Migrante International, a global alliance of overseas Filipinos and their families in 24 countries, said the administration of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. had no right “to boast” that the human rights of migrants were being protected in the country and outside it.

“The Marcos Jr. government is lying: it is not protecting migrant Filipinos and our families. It is disgusting that it even made a marketing pitch for exporting Filipino labor in its report for the UN human rights body,” the group said in a statement on Nov. 16.

The statement came as the Philippine justice secretary allegedly “boasted” that the creation of the Department of Migrant Workers was proof that the administration of Marcos, Jr. was upholding human rights.

Filipino nun cries foul over human rights abuse of migrant workers during preparations for the Qatar FIFA World Cup

“The establishment of the Migrant Workers Department, something that President Marcos has achieved in his term, is a testimony of the government’s advocacy for the human rights and welfare of the overseas Filipino workers,” Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla told the UN Human Rights Council representatives during a recent meeting.

Remulla also said that the country has remained in Tier 1 in the US State Department’s Trafficking in Persons 2022 report.

The Philippines has been under the scrutiny of the UN since Nov. 14 for assessment of the human rights violations in the past administration.

The process is called the “universal periodic review” where 47 member states of the council would evaluate and recommend ways to address various human rights issues in a country.

Remulla said Marcos, Jr.’s performance was not yet ripe compared to former President Rodrigo Duterte, who had been accused of committing crimes against humanity for the alleged 30,000 killings of drug suspects during his term.

“It’s not fair for the president to answer for the accusations on the previous administration. What is important for us is today. We also cannot answer for the administration of the former President Ferdinand Marcos, Sr.” Remulla added.

The migrants’ group said Remulla cannot evade the attacks against Marcos, Jr., and Duterte because they are their close allies.

“Marcos, Jr. cannot hide the realities on the ground: the government’s neglect and abandonment experienced by distressed Filipino migrant workers all over the world. The countless cases and testimonies of Filipino migrant workers who have been denied the urgent assistance and protection they need is a more accurate measure of the government’s sincerity in advancing their rights,” the group said.

Several member countries of the human rights council have called on Marcos, Jr. to address violations and issues left by Duterte’s war on illegal drugs.

Meanwhile, a Filipino nun challenged Marcos, Jr. to protect Filipino migrant workers in Qatar, who were demanding compensation from FIFA, the international football association, for abuses, including unexplained deaths, while preparing for the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup.

Benedictine Sister Mary John Mananzan waved a red card on Nov. 16 against Marcos, Jr., and Qatar saying they had no right to abuse labor rights.

Philippine human rights activist Father Robert Reyes said that the true measurement of the Philippines’ success in upholding human rights is the rule of law.

“The basic indicator is no other than the law- how many were killed yet remain unsolved cases docked in courts? Did anyone go to jail due to his or her responsibility for the killings? Were the killers brought to justice?” Father Reyes told UCA News.

International Labor Organization estimates that about 10 million Filipino live abroad as migrant workers and about one million Filipinos leave the country each year on average to work abroad.

Remittance from migrants is a major national thrust for economic growth in the Philippines.

However, rights groups have documented rights abuses and even deaths of Filipino migrants.