July 22, 2021

Dear Brothers & Sisters,

The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue through the CBCP  is furnishing us with their publication Pro Dialogo Vol. 166 containing documents and reports of activities on interreligious dialogue.

This publication may be useful in deepening our knowledge and in promoting dialogue with believers of different religions and cultures.

Thank you.

LAIKO Secretariat

Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless.  (Is 10:1-2)

At this last Sona of President Rodrigo Duterte, we, the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines, condemn the oppressive decrees implemented by the Duterte regime including the establishment of the NTF-ELCAC and the passing of the Anti-Terrorism Law that have led to the increased number of extra judicial killings, arbitrary arrests and harassments of people we work closely with, the peasants, fisherfolk and indigenous people.  

We say woe to this regime and hold it responsible for the brutal massacre of the 9 Tumandok in Panay, leaving grieving widows and traumatized children, and the leaders in the March bloody Sunday raid, they who dared to stand for their rights to their ancestral land and the right to a life with dignity of rural communities.

We say woe to this regime for the constant red-tagging of peasant and indigenous leaders, often leading to extrajudicial killings or arbitrary arrest based on trumped up charges.  We say woe to the regime for its use of dubious search warrants and to the justices who are complicit in this oppression particularly of the rural poor.  We say woe to the regime for its attacks on the indigenous peoples, including the Lumads and the forced closure of their schools.  We condemn the unfounded cases hurled to harass and unjust imprisonment of some of our members who generously give their time to help educate the Lumad children to enable them to live a dignified life, appreciating their own culture and traditions.

We say woe for the use of the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act to freeze our funds, attempting to stifle our service to the rural poor.  Likewise, we condemn the freezing of the funds of the UCCP in Haran, again because the church has given shelter and solace to the displaced Lumads, empowering them to demand their right to peace and security in their ancestral lands.  We stand with all the peoples organisations, including peasant women, whose funds had been frozen to prevent their organizing, welfare and development work.

We will not be silenced as this Government becomes more and more oppressive, as the poor are made prey to a development aggression which only benefits the rich including those who sit in positions of authority in the country.    

At this SONA, we lend our voices to all those calling for an end to Duterte’s tyranny.  We demand justice, strong in the assurance that “the wicked will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb…For the Lord loves justice and will never forsake his faithful ones” (Ps 37: 1, 28)

RMP Leadership Team 

Church people Cry out: Uphold human dignity, fight for social justice!

Core of our faith is embracing the cause of the poor and the downtrodden, and journeying with them in their long quest for social justice, no matter the tremendous odds. Our love of God is manifested in our love not only for our neighbor but of country. It is thus our moral obligation to actively take part in building genuine democracy.

These are dark times for the Philippines as we witness brazen violations of the sanctity of life in various ways – from anti-people economic policies, to extrajudicial killings that have caught the attention of the international community, rampant corruption and traditional patronage politics, and continued sell out of our patrimony and sovereignty.

The May 9, 2022 elections provide an avenue for the faithful to demonstrate their rejection of these anti-people ways, and reclaim human dignity towards genuine development that favors the common good instead of the elite few. One way is by supporting candidates whose track record and platform demonstrate their service to the people. Candidates with known probity and integrity on human rights, good governance, and love of country are vital in ensuring that the current regime (whether through circumvention of the law or proxy) is ended.

In the search for genuine servant leaders, we thus propose categorical stance on the following:

1. Uphold human dignity and oppose attacks on people’s rights. Clear opposition to the Anti-Terrorism Law and other repressive measures used to silence government’s perceived critics; is part of efforts, national and international, or has taken a stance demanding accountability of State perpetrators of extrajudicial killings, especially on the sham War on Drugs, counterinsurgency program and on Moro peoples under the guise of war in Mindanao. This also includes clear stance respecting and upholding the rights of women, indigenous and other peoples, workers and farmers.

2. Support pro-people economic policies. This means putting an end to all forms of contractualization; support for job security and decent wages; promotion of a land to the tiller program, and support for local farmers towards agricultural productivity; development of local industries; protection of overseas Filipino workers; and rejection of regressive taxes and onerous loans.

3. Anti- political dynasty. Rejects domination of the same elite families in various levels of governance, and favors building of genuine leaders supporting grassroots and community empowerment.

4. Anti-corruption. Sterling track record and has not been involved in any case involving misuse of people’s money or doing favors to enrich family and supporters. Consistent in calling out branches of government, especially the Executive, in corruption issues including the Philhealth 15 B scandal, among many others.

5. Champion of national patrimony and sovereignty. Upholds an independent policy that protects the rights of the Filipino people above all. This includes taking a stance against Chinese aggression and plunder of the West Philippine Sea, and on unequal treaties with the United States such as the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).  Protects patrimony by rejecting large-scale foreign mining and other so-called development projects that drives away and destroys indigenous peoples communities.

6. Advocate of Just and Lasting Peace.  Categorically supports efforts to address the roots of the armed conflict, including peace processes with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines and the Bangsamoro; rejects militarist solutions and adheres to previous agreements such as the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) as basis of negotiations.

Faithfulness to public service is measured in many ways, but the one barometer of this is actual stance on these concrete issues. The real test of truth and knowledge is in practice.

“Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven.” (Psalms 85:11)   -Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium 183