A right path towards achieving peace based on justice

A Statement on the arrest of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte
March 18, 2025

Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them. You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed, so mere people can no longer terrify them. (Ps. 10:17-18)

After years of crying out for justice, the families of victims of extrajudicial killings during the administration of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte held higher their hopes on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. On that day, the International Criminal Court (ICC), through the Philippine National Police, served the warrant of arrest to the former president for crimes against humanity.

The Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform (PEPP), joins all people of goodwill in welcoming former Pres. Duterte’s arrest. This is a significant step towards justice for victims of drug-related killings – many of whom were denied due process and, ultimately, the right to life. This marks progress towards accountability, upholding of human rights and God’s gift of human dignity. The arrest is a signal to ending the culture of impunity prevalent in the country.

It is also a right path towards achieving peace based on justice.

During his stint as mayor of Davao City and as president of the Republic, Duterte waged a bloody “war on drugs,” purportedly to eradicate criminality and the illegal drug trade, which he framed as a threat to the safety of Filipinos. However, this campaign resulted in thousands of deaths, disproportionately affecting the poor and marginalized. Their families, already burdened by grief, were pushed deeper into poverty as many victims were breadwinners. Furthermore, among those killed were children – whom Duterte and his chief drug-war implementer, Sen. Bato Dela Rosa, dismissed as mere “collateral damage.”

Human rights advocates repeatedly condemned Duterte’s campaign of mass killings, urging him to address the underlying issues that drive people into drug abuse and criminality. Duterte could have looked into widespread poverty, unemployment, lack of access to social services, the inequitable distribution of resources, corruption, and bad governance. There are also the roots of unpeace. His refusal to heed these calls has now led to his reckoning, as he is now facing the bars of justice for the lives his drug war took, lives he was sworn to protect.

One must recall that former Pres. Duterte unilaterally terminated the peace negotiations between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) in November 2017. Consequently, he declared the latter, as well as the Communist Party of the Philippines and New People’s Army (CPP-NPA), as “communist-terrorist organizations.” After the termination of peace negotiations, he released Executive Order 70, formed the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), and launched an all-out war against the CPP-NPA-NDFP and “communist terrorist front organizations”. This resulted in rampant red-tagging, filing of trumped-up charges, tokhang-style extrajudicial killings like the “Bloody Sunday” of 2021 in CALABARZON, and other violations on human rights and international humanitarian law. Duterte’s inhumane project included the indiscriminate bombing of communities. The situation worsened when the Legislative bodies, upon his prodding, passed the vague Anti-Terrorism Law (ATL).

As peace advocates, we continue to stand in solidarity with the families of the victims and affirm the sanctity of human life through human rights. We also reiterate our unwavering call for the resumption of the GRP-NDFP peace process and the government of Pres. Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. to abolish the NTF-ELCAC and other laws like the ATL, which are impediments to the peace process.

May this be a time to bear one another’s burdens, demonstrating through our prayers and actions the Lordship of Jesus Christ on earth. Let us pray and participate in ensuring that God’s justice and righteousness will prevail in the verdict of Duterte’s upcoming trial, revealing how the Lord of all despises evilness, especially the mistreatment of widows and orphans (Exod. 22: 22-25).

Issued and signed on this day, 18th of March 2025

(Sgd.) Archbishop Emeritus Antonio J. Ledesma, SJ, D.D.
Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro City
Co-Chairperson, PEPP

(Sgd.) The Rt. Rev’d. Rex B. Reyes, Jr.
Episcopal Church in the Philippines
Co-Chairperson, PEPP
Ecumenical Bishops Forum (EBF)

(Sgd.) Bishop Emeritus Deogracias S. Iñiguez, Jr., D.D.
Head, PEPP Secretariat

(Sgd.) Sr. Mary John D. Mananzan, OSB
Office of Women and Gender Concerns-Conference of Major Superiors in the Philippines (OWGC-CMSP)

(Sgd.) Ms. Minnie Anne M. Calub
General Secretary, National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP)

What to do when tempted

By Fr. ROY CIMAGALA, roycimagala@gmail.com
March 8, 2025

OBVIOUSLY, the thing to do is to immediately go to Christ who will show us and empower us with the proper way to deal with the many temptations in our life. We should never just be by ourselves when these temptations come, thinking that we can rely solely on our own strength. Such thought definitely would come from the tempters themselves – our wounded flesh, the world’s allurements and the devil himself.

When we find this recourse to Christ difficult to do, we should just force ourselves to be humble, always acknowledging our helplessness before the forces of evil, and begging our Lord to help us. This way we can even convert these temptations into golden occasions to grow in our spiritual life. St. Paul said so in so many words: “In all things God works for the good of those who love him.” (Rom 8,28)

It’s only when we refer these temptations to Christ that things get clarified. Let’s remember that temptations will always make use of something desirable, anchored on some good and true things which are subtly and deceptively distorted and corrupted.

They will always appeal to our weaknesses. Thus, if we would just use a little bit of common sense, temptations can offer us some advantage since they point to us where our weaknesses are, where we have to focus our efforts to correct.

In a sense, temptations encourage us to develop the virtues that are affected by them. They remind us to be always humble and to ever depend on God rather than on our powers alone.

And so, we have to work hard in building up this relation with God if we want to keep some safe distance away from temptations. If our love for God is hot, the devil and the other tempters will find it hard to get near us, just like a fly would not get close to a hot soup.

Our usual problem is that we tend to be by ourselves when temptations come, and to rely simply on our powers which actually are already heavily compromised since our wounded flesh is an ally of the enemies of our soul. We always have a Trojan horse in our personal lives.

Without God’s grace we simply cannot do anything except to fall, if not soon then later. It would just be a matter of time. But when we are with God, we get to see the whole picture, and can distinguish the poison embedded in the many good, beautiful, true and sweet things that the temptations come with.

From there we would know what strategy to take. Very often, what can be effective is simply to ignore the temptation and to pour scorn on the evil spirits behind the temptation. This is effective if in the first place our spiritual life is healthy, with faith and love for God and for souls vibrant and strong.

But then when such faith and love is not that strong, the temptations can gain some foothold in us. When we notice this, our reaction should be just to stay calm and not to dare to get overexcited. When there is a storm around, we usually would stay home or at a safe place to ride it out, and avoid going around.

The same with this particular case of temptations gaining some foothold in us. It simply means that God is allowing these temptations to come to show us where we are weak, and therefore where we should do something about.

Living out the spirit of EDSA: A call to the Church people

A statement by One Faith. One Nation. One Voice.
February 24, 2025

As followers of Christ, we are called to be bearers of truth, justice, and righteousness. Our faith is not passive; it demands that we take a stand against oppression and work for the liberation of the poor and the marginalized. The spirit of EDSA People Power 1 is a testament to this call – a powerful reminder that when people are united in faith and purpose, they can overcome even the most entrenched forms of tyranny.
The victory of EDSA was not just a political triumph; it was a moral and spiritual awakening. It showed us that courage, compassion, and solidarity could break the chains of dictatorship. People from all walks of life – rich and poor, religious and secular, young and old –  came together with a shared hope: to reclaim their dignity and restore democracy. This was more than just an act of resistance; it was an expression of love for our country, fueled by faith in a God who sides with the oppressed.

Yet, decades later, we find ourselves confronting the same forces of greed, deception, and repression. The same powerful family that was unseated by the people now holds the reins of government once again, perpetuating a system that keeps millions in poverty, silence, and fear. The biblical mandate for justice has never been more urgent. Proverbs 31:8-9 commands us:

"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy."

As a Church, we cannot be neutral. Silence in the face of injustice is complicity. The prophetic tradition of our faith calls us to be the voice of the voiceless, to expose lies with truth, and to resist evil with love. Living out the spirit of EDSA means more than remembering history – it means embracing a continuing commitment to social transformation.

We must educate ourselves and our communities about the realities of injustice, the distortions of history, and the threats to democracy. Let us root ourselves in Scripture and in the social teachings of the Church so that our faith informs our activism.

The struggle for justice cannot be fought alone. Just as EDSA was a collective movement, we must build communities of resistance and hope, standing together in the fight against corruption, disinformation, and oppression.

Faith without works is dead (James 2:26). Our commitment to Christ must manifest in concrete actions – advocating for human rights, supporting the poor, exposing lies, seeking accountability for misdeeds, and challenging the systems that perpetuate suffering.

The challenge is before us. Will we remain passive in the face of oppression, or will we rise as a prophetic voice for justice and righteousness? The spirit of EDSA is alive whenever we choose to act in faith, speak truth to power, and build a nation where justice and peace reign.

Let us stand together – for God, for people, for truth, for freedom.

"Blessed are those who fear the Lord"

By Fr. ROY CIMAGALA, roycimagala@gmail.com
February 13, 2025

THAT’S from Psalm 128,1. The verse is often used as a responsorial psalm in many of the Masses during the year. And it definitely talks about a healthy kind of fear that is nothing other than a gift of the Holy Spirit. It’s a fear that protects and prevents us from offending God through sin, through disobedience to his loving and saving will for us.

We have to know when to be afraid and when not. We have to distinguish between a good fear and a bad fear, a healthy one and a sick one. We need to know how to handle and deal with our fears that are unavoidable in our life.

Fear is an emotion that we need to educate also. It just cannot be on its own, guided only by our spontaneous judgments and reactions, and appearing when it’s not supposed to, and not appearing when it’s supposed to. It has to be grounded and oriented properly, expressing the sublimity of our dignity as persons and children of God.

We need to fear because that is what is proper of a child of God as we all are. There’s always a healthy kind of fear involved in any relationship that is based on love and respect. It is the fear of not offending the other party. And this is much more so if the other party is superior to us. If the other party is God himself, then this filial fear is absolutely needed.

Besides, such fear can trigger a series of good effects. A passage from the Book of Proverbs affirms this. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (9,10) Pope St. Gregory the Great, in explaining the dynamism of this filial fear, says:

“Through the fear of the Lord, we rise to piety, from piety then to knowledge, from knowledge we derive strength, from strength counsel, with counsel we move toward understanding, and with intelligence toward wisdom and thus, by the sevenfold grace of the Spirit, there opens to us at the end of the ascent the entrance to the life of Heaven.”

With this fear of the Lord, we acknowledge we are creatures who are always dependent on God. This is what is called the ‘poverty of spirit’ that figures in one of the beatitudes, “Blessed are the poor in the spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

It’s this fear that we should foster, especially these days when we see a lot of people who are not afraid anymore to offend God. Though to be fair, we can also say that many do not fear God anymore because in the first place they don’t know him. No one fears what he doesn’t know.

We have to acknowledge some facts that we can gather nowadays. Like, there definitely is a lack of religious formation among many people, especially the young ones. This is aggravated by the fact that the reception of the sacraments is getting less and less. There is also a shortage of vocations and the rate of fidelity and perseverance to one’s vocation is low.

There is also a loss of the sense of sin even among Christians. And those who appear to be Christians often lack consistency with their faith when scrutinized. There definitely is a great need for catechesis and pastoral accompaniment.

Let’s hope that we can properly tackle these issues that should lead us to have a holy fear of God.

Baybay's rising hope: Doves of peace and a brighter future

By Pastor AL MAGNO TINIO
February 8, 2025

On February 7th, 2025, under the clear Leyte sky, a breathtaking spectacle unfolded.  More than a ceremony, it was a testament to the indomitable spirit of Baybay City.  As white doves ascended, their wings catching the sunlight, they carried with them not just feathers, but the hopes and dreams of a community reborn.  These weren't mere birds; they were living symbols of purity, cleansing the city of the past's shadows and ushering in a new era of peace.

This declaration of Stable Internal Peace and Security Condition (SIPSC) marked a pivotal moment, a victory hard-earned through shared sacrifice and unwavering commitment.  It was a profound acknowledgment of the resilience of the Baybayanons, their strength forged in the crucible of conflict.

The ceremony itself was a symphony of emotion: palpable relief, cautious optimism, and a profound sense of gratitude.  Mayor Jose Carlos L. Cari's words, heavy with the weight of years spent striving for peace, resonated deeply.  His voice, a chorus of thanks to the Philippine Army, the Philippine National Police, and the DILG, echoed the collective sentiment. Their collaboration, a powerful embodiment of the "Whole of Nation Approach," had yielded a harvest of hope.

Brigadier General Noel A. Vestuir's commendation was more than a formality; it was a heartfelt tribute to the sacrifices made.  His words, "The declaration… signified our hard-earned victory of winning the peace in which some of us offered the ultimate sacrifice to achieve," resonated with a poignant blend of loss and triumph.  The unspoken stories of bravery and loss, carried on the wind alongside the doves, served as a solemn reminder of the price of peace.  Yet, amidst the sorrow, a brighter future emerged, painted in the hopeful white of those soaring birds.

The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and Pledge of Commitment was not merely bureaucratic; it was a sacred promise, a collective vow to safeguard the delicate bloom of peace. This promise, carried on the wind, whispered a hope for a transformed Baybay City – a city where children's laughter would finally silence the echoes of conflict.

This SIPSC declaration is not an ending, but a glorious dawn after a long, dark night. It stands as a testament to the enduring spirit of the Baybayanons, a beacon of hope illuminating a future where peace and understanding reign supreme. The path ahead may hold challenges, but today, in Baybay City, hope takes flight.  The doves' ascent is a potent visual metaphor for the boundless possibilities that lie ahead – a city liberated from conflict, empowered to build a better tomorrow.  A tomorrow where children play freely, and families plan for the future without fear.  In Baybay, the future is not just bright; it is soaring.

Demonic attacks on the rise

By Fr. ROY CIMAGALA, roycimagala@gmail.com
February 3, 2025

THIS should be no surprise to us. With the way things are now – new technologies offering more temptations than real advantages, and people spiritually and morally impoverished – what can we expect? That’s why requests for exorcism and deliverance have dramatically increased these days, not to mention the increasing cases of mental illness, psychological disorders, suicide, etc.

We should never take the devils for granted. They are always around, ever scheming and plotting against us in many, many ways, and often in a manner that is so subtle that we may not even notice them. As St. Peter would put in his first letter: “Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour.” (5,8)

We should never consider the devils as a myth, or as some kind of literary device only to highlight a point in the drama of our life. They are as real as you and me. Our problem is that we think lightly or, worse, falsely of them. And so, we become completely unprepared to deal with their antics.

But in spite of that unfortunate fact of life, we should remember that the devils cannot do anything against us unless allowed by God. And if allowed, it is because God in his mysterious providence can always draw a greater good from any evil the devils may cause in us.

We need to have a good grip on this rapidly emerging menace. And the first thing to do is to entertain the possibility that indeed these people who are disturbed by evil spirits are both mentally sick and demonically bothered.

Yes, while it’s true that the predicament can be an either-or proposition, we should not dismiss the possibility that it can also be a both-and one. Not just disjunctive, but also conjunctive. Let’s remember that the devil is always around. It’s not paranoia to be always alerted of the devil’s existence and his constant efforts to destroy us, usually in very sweet ways.

It would be good if we level up in our knowledge of psychology. This field of science is getting to be more and more relevant these days. It cannot anymore be the exclusive interest of some people. Everyone should know at least the basics of psychology and from there start accumulating relevant helpful information.

But we should never forget that the psychological and mental mechanism of a person is steeped in his spiritual dimension that can lead him either to the supernatural or infranatural world. It cannot be studied from the point of view of empirical science alone. It has to input the truths of faith to enable it to cope with the full range of its possibilities.

This is a point that should be taken more seriously these days. The complicated challenges of our times that have brought about many good things and also many bad things cannot but make this kind of demand. We have to take our faith more seriously, assimilating it in our system and making it the guide and shaper of our lives.

With our faith, we have the answer to all the questions, the solution to all our problems, even if the answers and solutions it offers may not be the ones we want. But they are the answers and solutions that God himself gives, and not just us.

Faith is the great healer, the constant pacifier, because it brings Christ into our lives, Christ who heals and who constantly tells us, “Do not be afraid...” We should bring our faith to bear on our sciences and on our other sources of knowledge.

“Today is born our Savior, Christ the Lord”

By Fr. ROY CIMAGALA, roycimagala@gmail.com
December 25, 2024

THAT’S the Good News of great joy for all of us! Let us take time to savor the significance of Christmas so that whatever happens in our life, however the twists and turns of life may take us, we are assured that we have a Savior who will take care of us in all our conditions, whether good or bad.

In one of the readings of the Mass for Christmas, from the Letter of St. Paul to Titus, we read the following assurance: “The grace of God has appeared, saving all and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age, as we await the blessed hope and appearance of the glory of our great God and savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to deliver us from all lawlessness and cleanse for himself a people as his own, eager to do what is good.” (2,11-14)

May we never give in to the subtle tricks of the enemies of our soul – our wounded flesh, the allurements of the world, and the devil himself—who would urge us to fall into discouragement, despair and hopelessness. We have everything that we need to be what God wants us to be, despite whatever failings we will always have.

But let’s go through some process of lifelong training under Christ’s guidance, if not with Christ himself, so that we would learn to live as true children of God as God wants us to be. In this regard, let us learn how to deal with our weaknesses, temptations and all evil and negative things we have to contend with in this life.

That Christ allowed himself to be tempted (cfr. Lk 4,1-13) means that he wants us to know how to deal with temptations. As we can see in that episode, the temptations the devil played on Christ involved good things but poisoned with a bad intention. Temptations are always like that – they will always be based on something good since evil cannot exist without being anchored on something good and true which it tries to distort and corrupt.

Like Christ, what we should do is to clarify the real intent and purpose of the good and the true that the devil and the tempter want to distort. This can only happen if we refer the temptation to God himself, and not just to ourselves and much less to the tempter himself. In the temptations of Christ, Christ clarified things to the devil.

Once we realize the real intent of the good and the true that the tempter uses with deception, let us make use of the very urgings and promptings that the temptation provokes in us to pursue the real intent of the good and the true as defined by God and described by the many instrumentalities we have in the Church.

Indeed, temptations can occasion a great good if we would only know how to see the good and the true that they try to distort, and then channel their urgings to do the real good and the true as defined by our Christian faith.

To be sure, this way of reacting to temptations will give us peace and joy, and a drive and a zeal to do good. It will start to heal our spiritual and moral weaknesses. In a sense, temptations, if dealt properly, can be a great gift!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

Clemency is closing a bitter chapter

A press statement of the Ecumenical Bishops’ Forum (EBF) on Mary Jane Veloso clemency
December 10, 2024

After close to fifteen years of imprisonment, the Ecumenical Bishops’ Forum joins other groups in urging the Philippine Government to grant full clemency to the detained mother of two boys – Mary Jane F. Veloso. This, after the Indonesian Government agreed to the repatriation of Veloso to the Philippines. Meanwhile, those responsible for Veloso’s arrest after she was arrested as a “drug mule” at an Indonesian airport were also arrested and jailed.

Mary Jane F. Veloso has long become the living symbol of what Filipino overseas workers undergo while seeking a job elsewhere and after they land a job. They endure a myriad of suffering at the hands of merciless persons who take liberties of their gullibility while seeking overseas employment.

We rejoice at the magnanimity of the Indonesian Government and the diplomatic efforts of the Philippine Government. We hope that the Philippine Government will complete the joy of the family by extending full clemency to a person vexed so wrongly and for a long time. The season of Advent calls for such. She has endured a lot. Lessons from her have been drawn. We congratulate the Indonesian and Filipino lawyers including the National Union of People's Lawyers who provided legal assistance to her as well as the migrant advocacy groups and other supporters of Mary Jane around the world.

“He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows generously will also reap generously.” (2 Cor 9:6)

Issued and signed on this day 10 December 2024.

BISHOP Ciriaco Q. Francisco, (Ret.) UMC
Co-chairperson, EBF

THE RT. REVD. Emelyn Gasco-Dacuycuy, IFI
Co-chairperson, EBF

THE RT. REVD. Dindo de la Cruz Ranojo, IFI
General Secretary, EBF

BISHOP Joel E. Tendero, UCCP
Treasurer, EBF

BISHOP Emeritus Deogracias S. Iniguez, Jr., DD.
Auditor, EBF

About the end of the world

By Fr. ROY CIMAGALA, roycimagala@gmail.com
November 26, 2024

IT’S understandable that since we are now at the end of another liturgical year, the gospel readings focus on this truth of our faith  – that both time and the world will end. Thus, in one gospel episode, Christ was asked about the signs that such end would be approaching. (cfr. Lk 21,5-11)

Thus, Christ responded: “See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and ‘The time has come.’ Do not follow them!” Looks like we are seeing these things nowadays. There are some people who are posing as the very son of God, etc. Let’s be warned.

Then Christ continued: “When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified’ for such things must happen first, but it will not immediately be the end.” There we have a clear indication of what to expect and the appropriate attitude we should have toward it.

Finally, he said: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues from place to place; and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.”

We should be prepared for this eventuality by making sure that we are guided always by our faith and the almighty and merciful providence of God, instead of allowing ourselves to be played upon by our fears and worries. We should be eternity-ready. That is to say, prepared to see God during our judgment and eager to be with God, fully identified with him for all eternity.

In this regard, we should rather be aggressive in our pursuit of our ultimate goal, the proper attitude to have in this life. Of course, we should first of all have a clear vision of our goal in life, knowing how to translate that goal into stages, and then let’s stir up all our faculties to achieve that goal.

We can take St. Paul’s words as some kind of inspiring slogan: “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.” (1 Cor 9,24) Yes, our life is like a race. The Letter to the Hebrews said as much: “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us...” (12,1)

The good thing about this attitude is that it engages our faculties properly and helps us avoid getting lost, being held hostage by the allures of this world, wasting time, etc. We would always be on the move, and would know how to put order in our daily activities, knowing the right priorities, etc.

And what is the ultimate goal that we should pursue? None other than that we become another Christ, if not Christ himself, ‘alter Christus, ipse Christus.’ This is simply because we have been created by God to be his image and likeness.

That image and likeness of God is Christ who as the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity is the pattern of our humanity, and as the Son of God who became man, is the redeemer of our damaged humanity.

Our creation is God’s project before it is our own. It is a work in progress that requires our cooperation precisely because as image and likeness of God, we have been endowed with intelligence and will that would enable us to correspond to God’s creative and redemptive action on us.

“My kingdom is not of this world”

By Fr. ROY CIMAGALA, roycimagala@gmail.com
November 22, 2024

WORDS of Christ in response to Pilate’s question, “Art thou the king of the Jews?” (Jn 18,33) That was when Christ clarified who he really was, and yet the poor Pilate and many of the Jews of that time could not get it.

These words are part of the gospel reading for the last Sunday of the liturgical year which is dedicated to Christ as King, the real King. (cfr. Jn 18,33-37) They remind us that our kingdom is not in this world. It is where Christ as our true King is – that is, in heaven from where we really originated and to where we are supposed to be destined in our definitive state of life.

These words remind us that our earthly life is a test whether what God wants us to be – that is, to be his image and likeness, sharers of his divine life and nature – is also what we ourselves would want to be. This test actually takes place every moment of our earthly life. We are made to choose whether we would like to be with God through Christ who is the “way, the truth and the life”, or to be by ourselves only.

We should always be aware of this test and should try our best to make the proper choice, avoiding getting lost and swallowed up by the drama of our life here on earth. And so, we should sharpen our awareness of the real purpose of our life here on earth as we go through the varying situations, conditions and circumstances of our life.

We should be excited and eager to reach our real destination. And reaching it should not be a problem since we have been given all the means to achieve it. What can help is that at the end of each day, we remind ourselves of the real end and purpose of our life, and then examine ourselves how we are doing to approach that end.

We should develop a keen send of the real end and purpose of our life. This is unavoidable and indispensable. Even in our ordinary affairs, we take it for granted that we ought to have some idea of the end or purpose in mind before we move.

There should be at least the sensation that we are getting nearer it, knowing that one day more or one year more in our life is actually one day less or one year less in our life too. We should just be ready since we would not know when the zero-balance of this consequential equation would take place.

To get the sensation that we are getting closer to our final destination means that we are realizing that we are becoming more and more like Christ, who is the pattern of our humanity and the savior of our damaged humanity. He should be the king, the everything for us.

Thus, we have to learn how to submit everything to him, especially our inmost self – the heart, the will and mind together with the emotions, feelings, etc. That is how we make Christ our king.

We are supposed to be ‘alter Christus,’ the goal and ideal that is meant for us, though we need also to do our part, free beings as are, to achieve that status. God, our Creator and Father, wants us to be that way, though he does not impose it on us without our consent that should also be shown with deeds and not just with intentions or words.

Even Christ had to pray

By Fr. ROY CIMAGALA, roycimagala@gmail.com
October 28, 2024

IT’S worthwhile noting that even Christ had to spend the night praying before he made that big decision of choosing his 12 apostles among the many disciples that he had at that time. (cfr. Lk 6,12-16) This could only mean that for Christ to be completely in union with the will of the Father, he had to pray.

There should be no doubt on our part that we too should learn how to pray not only from time to time but rather all the time, if we want to be completely in union with the will of God as we should. Christ is showing us the example, and we should just try our best to follow it. It’s what is proper to us.

Prayer should be like the breathing and the beating of the heart that we need to keep ourselves spiritually alive. It’s what would enable us to enter, start and keep sharing the very life of God as we are meant to do. Without prayer, we would put ourselves in an anomalous condition as we separate ourselves from the very source of our true identity and dignity.

We have to learn to pray all the time, converting everything into some form of prayer by doing it always with God and for God and not just by ourselves, motivated only by some earthly and temporal reasons. This is always possible and practicable because God has designed everything as a form to connect ourselves with him. It’s up to us to follow that design or not.

Ideally, everything should be an act of prayer, whether we are doing our sacred or mundane duties, whether things are good or bad for us, whether we are alone or in a crowd, etc.

Prayer should not be understood only in its sacred, solemn mode. It can lend itself to all the situations and circumstances of our life. It is practicable in any situation. We just have to develop the proper discipline which, of course, will require some training.

And just like any training, it at first has to be taught under a controlled environment. That is why, at the beginning we were taught as children to recite and put into memory some vocal prayers. We may not understand everything said there, but that at least initiates us to the practice of prayer.

Then further steps ought to be made. We have to learn how to exercise our faith, how to meditate and contemplate, how to find a proper place, time and even posture for it. And then how we can have presence of God the whole day, the rectitude of intention in all our actions, the habit of offering everything to God, and literally of conversing with God and discerning his will as we go on with our daily activities.

Let’s remember that without God who is our creator and source of all good things, we can only do evil. We would be like a branch cut off from the vine. We may manage to give an appearance of life and goodness, but without Him, we actually have and are nothing.

We have to be constantly aware that we cannot be simply on our own. We need God and we need to be with everybody and everything else. We have to overcome our tendency that we can afford to be isolated. We should never forget that we are always in communion and we need to make that communion alive and healthy. Prayer does that for us!

We are light-bearers

By Fr. ROY CIMAGALA, roycimagala@gmail.com
September 23, 2024

WE have to be more aware of this great responsibility of ours if we are to be consistent with our Christian identity. We should not be shy or afraid to show our Christian identity to everyone. Let’s show it in such a way as to inspire others to follow and love Christ.

Christ himself told his disciples: “No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed; rather, he places it on a lampstand so that those who enter may see the light.” And he continued: “For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light.”

To top it all, he said that depending on whether we fulfill or fail to carry out this duty, there definitely would be serious consequences, for this is what Christ said in this regard: “To anyone who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he seems to have will be taken away.” (cfr. Lk 8,16-18)

And so, we just have to be more aware of this most important duty that is actually incumbent on everyone of us, and not just on some special people. We know that we are all interrelated, obviously not biologically that only has a limited scope, but definitely to a large extent, politically, economically, socially, etc. The fact that we all live in the same one world somehow makes us all interrelated.

But there’s actually a more radical basis of our interrelation. And that is that we are all creatures of God, children of his, meant to be the people and the family of God. It is a relationship that is spiritual more than material, forged by a supernatural principle and not just something natural.

This basic truth about ourselves gives rise to the duty that we have to help one another spiritually more than anything else. It is in our spiritual bond that actually gives rise to all our other relations with everybody else according to the different aspects of our nature.

This is what is meant by our duty to inspire others. Etymologically, the word ‘inspire’ means to breathe into. And it definitely is not only air that we should breathe into others. We have to breathe a spirit that in the end is nothing other than the spirit of God, who is the original inspirator.

Obviously, we have to see to it that that we inspire others properly. And by that, we mean that the spirit we ‘breathe into’ the others even by our mere presence or by our words and deeds, should be the spirit of God.

And so, the question to ask ourselves at the end of the day is whether in all our dealings and transactions, the effect of the spirit of God which is charity was made, that is, that we managed to inspire, motivate and edify others.

Inspiring, motivating and edifying others are certainly not a result of a mere gimmick or ploy, a fruit of one’s intelligence and cleverness alone. These can only happen when we are vitally united with God whose essence is love. These are primarily a spiritual affair, driven by divine love.

Thus, when we say that the others should be left inspired, motivated and edified by us in all our dealings, we need to understand that we achieve those goals always in Christ, with God’s grace, and not just by our own human powers, though all these human powers should also be harnessed at the instance of grace.

Good governance and visioning

By Fr. ROY CIMAGALA, roycimagala@gmail.com
August 22, 2024

THAT gospel parable about a king who gave a wedding feast for his son (cfr. Mt 22,1-14) reminds us that we should be ready when God calls us to himself. In that parable, the king was frustrated because all those whom he invited refused to come. And so, he ordered his servants to call whoever they would meet in the highways and byways. Still, he expected that those who would come would at least be properly dressed.

This means that we should truly be prepared for the eventual call and invitation that God would give us so we can be with him as he wants us to be. In this regard, we have to know how to “govern” our life such that at any time we would be ready for this eventuality.

Yes, some art of good governance over our life should be learned. We just cannot be at the mercy of chance and fortune. We need to know and be constantly aware of the real and constant purpose of our life, and arrange our life in such a way that that purpose is always pursued.

Just like in any serious business enterprise, there has to be goals set, short-term and long-term plans made, regular reviews, auditing and pertinent modifications made. We should have the sensation that there is progress in the pursuit of the real purpose of our life. Of course, when we notice that the “balance sheet” at any given moment of our life shows a red rather than a black, we should immediately do something to correct it.

Knowing that the real progress in our life is ultimately measured in our love for God and for others, we should somehow try to echo some lyrics of an old Spiral Staircase song which goes this way: “I love you more today than yesterday, but not as much as tomorrow!”

We should have a clear vision of our ultimate and definitive eternal destination and able to relate everything in our life to that goal. For this purpose, we should develop the practice of making daily examinations of conscience.

In our spiritual life, it is important that we settle accounts with God regularly. In fact, saints and the Church herself have recommended that we make a daily examination of conscience just before going to bed.

This practice can only mean that we understand that our life is not just a natural, material, individual or social affair. Or that it is simply our own life. It would show that we know that our life is a life with God and with others, pursued and developed in the spiritual and moral spheres more than anything else.

We need to do some accounting of it not only for our own interest, but also and more importantly for the sake of God and of the others. It would show that we understand that our human acts – those that we do knowingly and freely and thus we are responsible for them – either lead us to our proper end or not. Thus, we understand that our human acts have a moral dimension and therefore need to be assessed by us.

It would also make us aware of our most basic duty as children of God to pursue our own personal sanctification and to cooperate in the continuing work of God’s redemption of mankind through personal apostolate.

This way, we can somehow feel secure that at any given moment we would be eternity-ready, prepared to see God for judgment when he would finally call us to himself!

Marriage and divorce

By Fr. ROY CIMAGALA, roycimagala@gmail.com
August 16, 2024

“SOME Pharisees approached Jesus, and tested him, saying, ‘Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause whatever?’” (Mt 19,3)

This is the opening passage of the gospel of the Mass on Friday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time. It brings out the question of marriage and divorce that now is being hotly discussed in many parts of the country.

Some proponents of divorce claim that we seem to be backward since we are practically the only country that does not have a divorce law yet. It’s an argument that does not really need any serious attention. Truth is, we should be very proud that we do not have a divorce law, since divorce is from beginning to end an anomaly.

Divorce clearly goes against the very nature of marriage that is validly entered into by a couple. It breaks something that is supposed to be lifelong, regardless of the things that can take place in it.

As the couple vowed on their wedding day, they committed themselves to be wedded to each other “for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part.”

Of course, the nature of marriage is defined not by us but by God, the Creator. And as Christ himself said it clearly, when a marriage takes place, “a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So, they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, a man must not separate.” (Mt 19,5-6)

Perhaps to explain it in more common language, we can say that in marriage it is presumed that it is love that motivates the couple to enter into it. And by definition, love is total self-giving which, in this case, since it involves the use of the body which cannot be shared with anybody else once it is given to one spouse, can only be entered into by one man and one woman and for a lifetime.

The difficulties and challenges the couple meet in their marriage are always to be expected. They always come, one way or another, in one form or another, whatever one’s state of life is. But if the couple is animated by their Christian faith, they know that these difficulties and challenges are the occasions and reasons for their love to grow even stronger and more meaningful.

The nature of marriage can be defined by just looking at it, discerning what it is supposed to be, what its purpose is, etc. It’s based on the nature itself of man who for his proper development needs an institution to perpetuate himself and his descendants in a way fit for his dignity.

And this can only be marriage as it is known up to now – a life-long commitment between a man and a woman, based on the fullness of love that includes the use of the body.

We are capable of entering into this commitment, and this commitment also in turn helps in developing us toward full human maturity. We are capable of this commitment because in spite of our changing conditions there is something in us – precisely our spirit, our soul, our heart and will – that enables us to remain constant and consistent even as we face varying circumstances.

That is why, more than our bodily senses and powers, we really have to take care of our spiritual faculties, because they are the main engine for our development and our fidelity in our commitments.

Let’s be ready to carry Christ’s cross

By Fr. ROY CIMAGALA, roycimagala@gmail.com
August 8, 2024

IF Christ is the pattern of our humanity, then we have to be ready to carry his cross which is his ultimate expression of love for us. To carry his cross is the ultimate way we can identify ourselves with Christ as we should.

We should not be afraid of the cross in whatever form it may come to us. If we carry the cross with Christ, we know that all our suffering has a positive and favorable aspect. It’s not all entirely bad and negative, though in itself it will always be bad. But if viewed and lived through our Christian faith, there is something in it that can give us a greater good. We may refer to this advantageous aspect of suffering as the happy Good News or Gospel of Suffering.

Our pains and suffering are always the result of sin, ours and those of the others. They are the necessary consequence of our separation, whether temporary or permanent, from God from whom all good things come. (cfr. Ps 16,2; James 1,17) We may not be the direct cause of our own suffering, but in this world, we cannot escape the effects of sin, and so we must be ready for them just the same.

We have to remind ourselves that we are not meant to suffer. Our original as well as our ideal definitive state in heaven excludes suffering. Our first parents, Adam and Eve, were in the state of original justice, where everything was in order and in harmony. No pain and suffering touched them, until they fell into sin.

And as the Book of Revelation would put it, in our definitive state of life in heaven “He (God) will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (21,4)

In this life, we have to expect and be prepared for the unavoidable pain and suffering. And this means that whether we are guilty or not of our pains and suffering, all we have to do is to go immediately to Christ who shows us how to handle our pains and suffering and who is ready to forgive us if ever we are guilty of suffering.

If we really want to truly love, we should be willing to suffer for the others out of love for God and for all souls. We need to realize that the willingness to suffer is the ultimate proof that our love is genuine. Love should not just be matter of goodwill, of benevolence, of doing some good to others. It has to go all the way to an eagerness to suffer for the others.

This is what Christ has done for us and has commanded us to do. Being both God and man, Christ should be seen by us as the epitome of true love which is the very essence of God that is also meant for us since we are supposed to be God’s image and likeness.

We have to be willing to suffer the way Christ suffered for all of us. That is what true love is. No wonder that Christ himself said: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (Jn 15,13)

It is this willingness to suffer that would show how, like Christ, we can go all the way to giving ourselves completely to everyone, irrespective of how they are. That is also why Christ commanded us, as an integral component of true love, that we even love our enemies.

The monster of wokeness

By LANCE PATRICK C. ENAD, lancivspatricivs@gmail.com
July 24, 2024

Last July 22, 2024, Cebuano speaking social media blew up with denouncements of how an entitled man dressed as a woman publicly embarrassed a waiter and made the waiter stand for two hours just because the waiter referred to the transvestite, Mr. Jude Bacalso, as "Sir." Of course, people were quick to jump into the bandwagon of condemnation -and rightly so. What many don't realize however is that such brazen entitlement is a logical consequence of either tolerating or supporting wokeness.

Wokeness is the popular term for Adaptive Marxism. Marxism in its original form simplified reality into economic class struggle: the class struggle between the oppressor, the bourgeoisie and the oppressed, the proletariat. Adaptive Marxism, however, without economic paradigms, shifts the class struggle into whatever it has. For example, third wave feminism (first wave feminism which simply advocated for equality is acceptable) holds that all of reality is a gender class struggle between the oppressor (men/patriarchy) and the oppressed (women). And so, if there are any problems in the world it is because of being oppressed by men and if there is going to be any solution, it is going to be the domination by women. Another version of Adaptive Marxism is Critical Race Theory (eg, Black Lives Matter movement). For Critical Race Theory, all of reality is basically a class struggle between the oppressor -white people- and the oppressed -colored people.

The LGBTQ+ ideology and transgenderism is a category of Adaptive Marxism or Wokeness. Reality, therefore, is the struggle between the oppressor (homophobes and transphobes -which is anybody who disagrees with this ideology) and the oppressed (Homosexuals and/or Transgenders). This is why, in order to be liberated, those who profess this LGBTQ+/ Transgenderist ideologies hold that they need to assert themselves. So now, as in countries like Canada, the US, and the west in general, there are legislation which allows transgenders to legally change their biological sex, there are laws that criminalize refusing to use their preferred pronouns and identified genders. In short, institutionalized madness.

In the Philippines, this is basically pushed forward by things like SOGIE bill, the public celebration of pride month in schools and establishments, and by a general toleration by people, and by support by mainstream media. Heck even newsrooms reporting on the debacle are even using “her” to the transvestite man.

This is why people like that transvestite have the nerve to publicly embarrass a waiter for 'misgendering' him by calling him sir. He has the nerve to commit such brazen profanity because he believes he is in the right because of his transgenderist LGBTQ ideology being tolerated by society, being supported by Media, and not being opposed by voices that should. Politicians who want to be voted for do things to make themselves relevant to by fostering this ideology by sponsoring pride month celebrations, etc. People who should be speaking out against this like the clergy, are not doing so.

Anyone with common sense can see that just because a man had a surgery to make himself like a woman, does not make him a real woman. Anyone with a common sense can see that this ideology is a distortion of reality -which is what you get from an anti-metaphysical philosophy.

In short, people shouldn't be shocked.

People who have tolerated Transgenderism and LGBTQ should not be surprised at this. They have fed this monster by their tolerance and they should not be surprised how big it has grown.

We have been fed with Wokeness by main stream media, by ideologues, in small quantities until we no longer find wokeness repulsive. People need to wake up - you can say this is the real wokeness, lol. People need to realize that wokeness is poison. Wokeness is anti-christian. Wokeness is Satanic.

Do not tolerate sodomy. Do not tolerate any form of Adaptive Marxism. Do not support establishments that support LGBTQ ideology. Oppose degeneracy. Fight against the poison of wokeness. Fight against any ideology that tries to nullify the laws of God. Fight for the social kingship of Christ. Ave Christus Rex.

How to enter God’s kingdom

By Fr. ROY CIMAGALA, roycimagala@gmail.com
June 27, 2024

CHRIST said it very clearly. “It is not anyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ who will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven.” (Mt 7,21)

Indeed, we always have to be open to God’s will and ways that oftentimes can be quite challenging and unattractive, since they demand everything from us. They require a lot of sacrifice. We just have to realize as quickly as possible that this is the language of real love. God gives us his all. We should also learn to give our all to him. As a saying goes: Love is repaid with love.

This truth of our faith is somehow highlighted when Christ gave this apparently harsh response to somehow who expressed his desire to follow him. “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.” (Mt 8,20)

When we truly love and follow Christ, we would have complete trust in his will and ways, regardless of the cost it asks of us. We know that his providence never fails. And the unavoidable suffering we can encounter along the way are actually golden occasions for us to learn some precious lessons, to grow in some virtues, and in the end to make ourselves more and more like Christ which is actually the purpose of our life here on earth.

We should just be ready for wherever God’s providence would take us. We have to be open to it all the time. Even as we make our plans and pursue them truly as our own, we should not forget that nothing in our life is actually outside the providence of God who can adapt himself to us, even in our worst situations and predicaments, and still lead us to himself.

Let’s always remember that God’s will is the source of everything in the universe. The whole of creation in all its existence, unity, truth, goodness and beauty starts from God’s will and is maintained by it. The entire range and scope of reality – be it material or spiritual, natural or supernatural, temporal or eternal – is “contained” there, not only theoretically but in vivo.

The task of looking, knowing and loving the divine will, therefore, has to be made more known by us, because we tend to simply have a superficial knowledge of God, restricting him to some sentimental considerations or to some images we form of him in our mind. Hardly would we get to know what he wants us to do in any given moment, if we are mainly guided by sentimental considerations and visual or conceptual images of him.

Getting to know and do God’s will is what actually would comprise the very substance of our relationship with him. That’s simply because that is what love is all about, what it entails, which is the very essence of God, as St. John affirmed (Deus caritas est). Love is deeds and not just sweet words or feelings. Real love is deeds done to correspond to God’s will for us.

We need to develop the proper attitude toward God’s will. We should first be aware that there’s such thing as God’s will, and not just God’s image. We should cultivate the desire to know, love and obey it until we can make as our own Christ’s very attitude toward his Father’s will, “Not my will, but yours be done,” and Mary’s words, “Be it done to me according to your word.”

Sanctifying sex

By Fr. ROY CIMAGALA, roycimagala@gmail
June 5, 2024

THAT may sound like an impossible and quixotic thing, but truth to tell, not only would it be possible and practicable, but also and more importantly, it is an indispensable duty of ours, failing in which would be tantamount to degrading ourselves to the animal level, not to mention the ultimate failure of ours when we miss the real purpose of our humanity which is to be God’s image and likeness, sharers of his life and nature.

We are reminded of this duty in the gospel reading of the Mass on Wednesday of the 9th Week in Ordinary Time where Christ told some Sadducees who did not believe in the resurrection that “when they (all of us actually) rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like the angels in heaven.” (cfr. Mk 12,18-27)

In other words, sex only has a temporal value. In our definitive state of life in heaven, when we are truly identified with God, we can still be male and female, but there would not anymore be any use for sex whose main purpose is to cooperate with God in creating another person.

In short, in heaven there is no more reproduction. The population is fixed, so to speak, and as Christ said, we would be behaving like angels, still with our bodies but which would already be completely spiritualized. That is, our bodily dimension with all its biological and other earthly components would be completely infused with the spirit of God, which is the spirit of love.

In our earthly life, we need to understand that sex has an important role to play. And that is, for us to cooperate with God in the making of man, something that should only be done only in the context of a lifelong commitment of marriage since the making of man and its indispensable need to be taken care of as human persons who are God’s image and likeness would require such commitment.

To sanctify sex means to understand its purpose and use according to God’s will and law about it. It should be trained to behave according to God’s will and law about it. But given our wounded nature, where it is very vulnerable to just follow the blind and erratic ways our hormones and other earthly factors, we really need God’s grace, first of all, and our all-out effort to attain its ideal condition.

Given how difficult this task can be, we have to understand that we may have to resort to some extraordinary means to keep our sexuality in its proper condition. In this regard, a saint once said: “To defend his purity, St. Francis of Assisi rolled in the snow, St. Benedict threw himself into a thorn bush, St. Bernard plunged into an icy pond…” (Escriva, The Way 143)

Indeed, we should not be surprised if we need to make use of some extraordinary means to keep ourselves on the right path with respect to how to sanctify sex. Sex should be a clear expression of love of God and of neighbor.

Thus, we need to understand that we can only sanctify sex and use it properly when we grow in our love for God and neighbor, such that we freely follow what God’s will and law on it is. As a corollary to this, we will understand that sex is actually a very sacred thing, and not just a toy to be played around according the movements of human or animal lust.

Marawi IDPs’ louder call for peace, truth and justice towards safe and dignified return

A press statement from the Marawi Advocacy Accompaniment (MAA) On the 7th Anniversary of Marawi Siege
May 23, 2024

We, members and networks of Marawi Advocacy Accompaniment (MAA) composed of bakwit communities (internally displaced persons - IDPs), civil society organizations, women and youth, and Meranaw leaders today, in commemoration of the 7th anniversary of the siege of our beloved Marawi City, reiterate our calls for justice, truth, human rights protection and peace towards the full realization of an IDP-centered and IDP-sensitive safe and dignified return of all IDPs back to Marawi.

Dubbed 'Kapanademtadem sa Marawi': 'LAKBAY KAMBALINGAN, LAKBAY KAPAYAPAAN', a ‘Solidarity Peace Caravan’ in various IDP areas in Marawi City was held today in Marawi City.

Seven years have passed since the Marawi Siege, the crisis of prolonged displacement still puts many lives in grave peril and has deprived the IDPs of their rights as human beings. Amid much publicized rehabilitation efforts in the city’s Most Affected Areas, the promise to rebuild the lives of the victims and survivors of the siege remain heavily unfulfilled.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) says that approximately 80,300 people (16,070 families) remain displaced since May 2017. Around 70% of the internally displaced population are in home-based settings while the rest are in transitory sites or temporary shelter communities.

Today, we demand that the Marawi Compensation Board (MCB), in the conduct of providing compensation for the families of those who perished and lost their properties and livelihood due to the Marawi siege in 2017, observe the principles of just compensation, fairness, and justice and prioritize those who need urgent compensation.

Beyond this, we believe that the national government has an obligation to address the issue more comprehensively by looking at the justice claims for the victims of the siege.

We urge both the national and regional Bangsamoro governments to take into account equally relevant challenges confronting the IDPs including land conflict and dispossession in Marawi, which affects especially four (4) barangays within ground zero; building of large-scale public infrastructures inside MAA which are reportedly unfit for the needs of residents; the continuing militarization of the entire province of Lanao with the intimidating presence and mounting of various military camps; and the critical issue of delivering justice to the innocent victims of the siege, who after seven years remain unidentified.

Until today, Marawi IDPs have been experiencing difficulties since our forced evacuation in May 2017. There are still unmet needs and challenges while we wallow in the cramped IDP camps and shelter communities such as lack of food and livelihood opportunities, poor sanitation and hygiene conditions, access to WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene), and pursuit of education for our children. The dire state of the IDPs is further exacerbated by the lack of programmatic intervention and inaction of some relevant government agencies who must attend to the needs of the IDPs.

We reiterate our view that rebuilding Marawi must go beyond rebuilding the streets destroyed during the siege. Rebuilding the city must begin with rebuilding the lives of the displaced population by pursuing truth, justice and accountability within a transitional justice framework to comprehensively address the roots of festering conflict and to ensure that another Marawi siege or a similar tragic incident will never happen again.

A truth-seeking process to investigate the roots of Marawi siege and documentation of the dead in the mass grave (Maqbara) must be initiated by conducting an independent legislative inquiry on what really happened in Marawi and how billions of budget allocation for rehabilitation of the city has been spent since 2017. Delaying justice for the victims of the siege is resulting in prolonged emotional and psychological trauma to the families and survivors.

More importantly, the government must recognize the critical need to listen to the IDPs, Meranaw leaders, civil society, and the broad peace movement in Marawi in order to restore genuine peace and help Marawi get back on its feet and fulfill the promise of the Bangsamoro peace process.

There is an urgent need to institutionalize relevant peace and social justice measures to end decades of conflict and structural poverty in the region, and most importantly address the historical injustices committed against the Bangsamoro and all other inhabitants of Mindanao.

We believe that the issue of displacement, especially one that is driven by armed-conflict, is a transitional justice issue that must deliberately respond to the justice claims of the IDPs by addressing the bakwits’ most pressing needs, redress for the victims and their families, and by supporting their advocacy for durable solution.

We urge the general public, our progressive allies in the media, partner communities, human rights and peacebuilding civil society organizations, and champions within the government to remain in solidarity with the IDPs. Rebuilding Marawi to its old and new glory requires honoring and recognizing the heroism, culture and faith, optimism and resilience of the people of Marawi.

Today, we reaffirm our commitment to sustain our collective advocacy and struggle towards the safe and dignified return of the IDPs back to Marawi.

Seven years after the siege, our call remains louder: KAMBALINGAN! (Kambalingan is a Meranaw term which means ‘voluntary, safe, and dignified return’ of IDPs)

Christ gives himself to us completely

By Fr. ROY CIMAGALA, roycimagala@gmail.com
April 18, 2024

THAT’S what we can gather from what Christ said about himself being the Bread of Life. “I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If any man eats of this bread, he shall live for ever; and the bread that I will give, is my flesh, for the life of the world.” (Jn 6,51)

This gives us a great reason to be truly happy and confident in our life which will always be marked with all sorts of challenges, trials, difficulties, etc. Christ wants to give himself completely to us so he and us can be one as we should, since we are God’s image and likeness, despite our weaknesses, limitations and sins.

We need to process this truth of our faith thoroughly and try our best to receive Christ as the Bread of Life in Holy Communion as worthily and frequently as possible. We need to enliven our belief that in Christ we have everything, we have what is truly and ultimately needed by us. Many of our needs are passing, are of a temporal nature. It is Christ who we truly and ultimately need.

And he gives himself so completely to us as to make himself bread to be eaten by us. Although he is like air since we cannot truly live without him, he compares and makes himself bread, because unlike air, he as bread has to be deliberately sought.

This duty of seeking him is what we have to be more aware of. In the Gospel itself, we hear our Lord saying, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.” (Mt 6,33) Not only that, we should also spread this most wonderful truth as widely as possible.

In the first reading of the Mass on Thursday of the Third Week of Easter (cfr. Acts 8,26-40), we are told about the Apostle Philip who preached about Christ to an Ethiopian eunuch, giving us an example of how eager we should be to make Christ known, loved and received by as many people as possible.

Christ as the Bread of Life means that he is truly and really with us even while he sits at the right hand of the Father in heaven. We are not left only with some picture or souvenir or symbol of his. And he accompanies us in our earthly sojourn, giving us the ultimate means we need to tackle whatever we may encounter in this life.

It’s a madness of love to which we have to correspond as best that we can. God himself gives us the grace in abundance to enable us to correspond to that love. We should not be scared of the tremendous prospect before us. But it’s up to us if we choose to love him or not. We should do everything to make use of what God is making available to us.

We are told that if we are generous with God, God will even be more generous with us, for he cannot be outdone in generosity. He assures us that whatever little we give to him will always yield us a hundredfold. It’s always good to keep this divine assurance in mind.

We have to learn to subordinate our earthly and temporal concerns and plans to the task of seeking Christ. We have to be wary of being influenced mainly if not solely by the standards of practicality, convenience and other worldly values. That’s our problem. God is often left behind in the play of our competing interests.

The challenge of Christian poverty

By Fr. ROY CIMAGALA, roycimagala@gmail.com
April 9, 2024

THE readings of Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter (Act 4,32-37 / Jn 3,7-15) somehow reminds us of two things: we need to live Christian poverty which demands all from us, and for that to take place, we need to be “born again,” so that the spirit of Christ would truly animate us and not just our human spirit.

Christian poverty is no joke. As depicted in the first reading, the believers of Christ sold or turned over everything, created a common fund which was distributed to everyone according to their needs.

This is a big challenge for us, considering that we always tend to get attached to the things of this world in a way that undermines true love that channels the very love of God for all of us.

Let us remember that in our relation with God, there is no middle ground. It is either we are with him completely or not at all. We have to overcome that strong tendency to think that we can be partly with God and partly with our own selves, even if we can say that we are giving God 99% of what we have and keep only 1% for us.

We have to give all! In fact, with God we have to give our very own selves, and not only things, not only some possessions. Remember Christ telling us that we have to love God with “all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Mt 22,37)

Let’s hope that we can echo these words of an old song: “I have no use for divided hearts. I give mine whole, and not in parts.” Let’s strive to reach that goal. It’s not an easy goal, but neither is it impossible. With God’s grace and our all-out humble efforts, we can hack it.

But given our human condition which allows us to learn things in stages, we have to understand that everyday we have to conquer our tendency to some earthly attachments so that we can say we are giving ourselves more and more to God until we give ourselves completely to him.

We have to learn to let go of our possessions, our preferences, our opinions, etc., until we can say that we are letting go of our whole selves so as to give everything to God.

This is what generosity is all about. Instead of feeling emptied, we feel filled with peace and joy. No earthly happening can add or diminish that peace and joy. It’s a peace and joy that can only be the effect of having God with us. As St. Teresa once said, “Solo Dios basta,” with God we have enough.

Christian poverty is never a state of misery and pure suffering and privation, even if in human eyes it can be seen that way. It is always motivated by love of God and neighbor, and is filled with all goodness, generosity and magnanimity.

It is a spirit of total self-giving that goes beyond any effort at quantification and measure. It’s never a matter of how much we give and keep. It’s purely a matter of total self-giving that identifies us with God of whom we are supposed to be his image and likeness.

We have to learn to develop and live this true spirit of Christian poverty which first of all would need God’s grace which we have to constantly beg and, of course, to exert our all-out effort.

The cross is necessary in our life

By Fr. ROY CIMAGALA, roycimagala@gmail.com
March 15, 2024

WE have to realize that we need the cross. Whether we like it or not, the cross will be unavoidable in our life due to our wounded human condition. We should, therefore, develop the proper attitude toward it, and that can only be the attitude Christ had toward the cross.

The gospel tells us that Christ knew he was going to offer his life on the cross as the ransom for all our sins. When it was not yet his time to do it, he managed to escape the attempts of those who wanted to arrest him. (cfr. Jn 7,1-2.10.25-30) But when that time came, he even went to offer himself for his eventual arrest and execution.

We have to understand that the cross, in any form it comes to us, is the way to our redemption. Christ had to win our redemption through the cross. And if we believe that we are meant to follow Christ, then we too, like Christ, has to win our own redemption through the cross with Christ.

It’s important that we lose the fear of the cross. For this, we need to ask first for God’s grace, and then train ourselves to develop a certain love for the cross. While the cross would inevitably cause us some suffering, we have to look at it with faith and convince ourselves that it actually is what would give us true joy.

So, we just have to be sport and cool about the whole reality of the cross in our life. What we need to do is to follow Christ in his attitude toward them. For Christ, embracing the cross, is the expression of his greatest love for us. We have to enter into the dynamic of this divine logic and wisdom so we can lose that fear of the cross.

Thus, we have to understand this very well. Unless we love the cross, we can never say that we are loving enough. Of course, we have to qualify that assertion. It’s when we love the cross the way God wills it – the way Christ loves it – that we can really say that we are loving as we should, or loving with the fullness of love.

We have to be wary of our tendency to limit our loving to ways and forms that give us some benefits alone, be it material, moral or spiritual. While they are also a form of love, they are not yet the fullness of love. Given our human wounded condition, the fullness of our love would always need the cross.

So, everyday let’s see to it that we have the cross. It can come to us in different ways – sickness, trials, difficulties, losses, death, etc. – and if we seem to have no cross for the day, then let’s look for it, the way Christ looked forward to embracing his cross.

This can take the form of taking the initiative to do a lot of good to others, or to make better use of our time, fighting against our tendency to laziness and complacency, or to do some small mortifications like denying ourselves some food, drink, the use of gadgets, etc.

We have to see to it that the cross figures prominently in our daily life, since the cross would clearly enable us to follow Christ instead of just following our own will and ways, which is a strong tendency for us. Our own victory over sin and death can only come through the cross, the cross of Christ.

The real purpose of fasting

By Fr. ROY CIMAGALA, roycimagala@gmail.com
February 16, 2024

THE Lenten Season being a time for intense spirit of penance and mortification in preparation for the ultimate act of love by Christ as he offered his life on the cross and finally conquered our sin and death through his resurrection, we should try to understand appreciate the necessity for such penitential acts like fasting and abstinence.

In the readings of the Mass on Friday after Ash Wednesday, we are given some ideas of what true fasting is. For example, in the first reading, from the Book of Isaiah, we are clearly told about true fasting is. “Is not this rather the fast that I have chosen?” it says

“Loose the bands of wickedness, undo the bundles that oppress, let them are broken go free, and break asunder every burden.” (58,6)

Fasting is not just a matter of refraining from our usual intake of food. We have to make sure that such act would have the effects mentioned above. When we fast we should keep in mind the effects we intend to produce and come up with the appropriate plan to achieve them.

The gospel for the day (cfr. Mt 9,14-15) is even more specific as to what fasting is for. It is to see to it that we foster our longing for Christ, our burning desire to identify ourselves with him.

In so many words, this is expressed thus, “The disciples of John approached Jesus and said, ‘Why do we and the Pharisees fast much, but your disciples do not fast?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them?

The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.’”

Indeed, we have to see to it that our fasting and abstinence would truly fuel our desire and hunger for Christ, identifying ourselves with him to the extent of even offering our life for the sins of men, just like what Christ did for all of us.

Let’s remember that only when we truly identify ourselves with Christ can we also share in his powers and everything that he has. Let’s remember that he is not sparing in this regard, but is making himself fully available for us.

Toward this end, we have to realize the need for fasting. That’s because our body needs to be disciplined, because with our earthly condition that is wounded by sin, it usually finds its pleasure in earthly things rather than in God. And fasting is one such effective form of self-denial and carrying the cross of Christ.

With fasting we align our body according to the dynamics of God’s love that will always be motivated by the salvation of mankind and will involve sacrifice. We don’t fast simply because of some health reasons, be it physical health or mental or emotional. Our fasting should be motivated by love.

And fasting nowadays may involve more than food. It can involve the use of our modern gadgets and technologies that if resorted indiscriminately can truly spoil and enslave us.

We really need to practice restraint and moderation in the use of these new things so that we would not compromise our spiritual and supernatural bearing. We need to purify our intentions and set clear limits when using them. In fact, we have to come out with a concrete plan to translate this ideal into reality.

The story of David and Goliath

By Fr. ROY CIMAGALA, roycimagala@gmail.com
January 17, 2024

THIS story (cfr. 1 Samuel 17,32-33.37.40-51) simply tells us one important lesson: that as long as we carry out our struggles with God, no earthly obstacle, challenge or trial can really put us down, no matter how formidable they are and how weak we may appear before them.

The youthful David with a sling only as his weapon managed to defeat the vaunted warrior Goliath because God was with him. May this story reassure us that as long as we are doing God’s will and ways, our victory is guaranteed, even if that victory may be in a form that is not in accord with our desires.

We have to learn how to deal with the difficult and the impossible things in our life. Let’s remember that as long as we are here on earth, we have to contend with all sorts of difficulties, trials and temptations.

And as if these are not enough, we also have to contend with the truth of our faith that tells us that we are meant to pursue a supernatural goal that definitely cannot be achieved simply with our own human powers, no matter how excellent they are.

The secret is always to go and to be with God who can make the impossible possible. In all our affairs and situations in life, we should always go to God to ask for his help and guidance, and to trust his ways and his providence, even if the outcome of our prayers and petitions appears unanswered, if not, contradicted.

This should be the attitude to have. It’s an attitude that can only indicate our unconditional faith, trust and love for God who is always in control of things, and at the same time can also leave us in peace and joy even at the worst of the possibilities.

Remember the Book of Ecclesiastes where it says that for everything there is a season, “a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal…” But everything is under God’s control, and even if we are capable of eternity, we just the same “cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.” (3,1ff) We just have to trust him.

We have to follow the example of the many characters in the gospel who, feeling helpless in the many predicaments they were in, earnestly rushed to Christ for some succor. They went to him unafraid and unashamed and they got what they wanted.

There is no denying that life always has more to offer to us than what we can understand, let alone, cope. And they can come in all shapes and sizes, good and bad, pleasant and unpleasant, likeable and hateful. There are surprises and moments when we seem to rot in expectation and still things we long for don’t come.

In the face of all this, I believe the attitude to have and the reaction to make is to be calm, pray hard, and while we do all we can, we have to learn to live a certain sense of abandonment in the hands of God.

We just have to remember that Christ never abandons us and is, in fact, all ready and prompt to come to our aid, albeit in ways that we may not realize, at first.

“A holy day has dawned upon us”

By Fr. ROY CIMAGALA, roycimagala@gmail.com
December 25, 2023

FINALLY, it’s Christmas! A child is born for us! Thus, in the Alleluia verse of the day’s Mass, we are made to say: “A holy day has dawned upon us. Come, you nations and adore the Lord. For today a great light has come upon the earth.”

It’s indeed a day of great, undescribable joy! In the Opening Prayer of the Mass for the day, a beautiful sentiment is expressed: “Lord God, we praise you for creating man, and still more, restoring him in Christ. Your Son shared our weakness: may we share his glory…”

Once again, our Christian faith tells us who we really are. Despite our natural awkwardness in believing this truth of our faith, the truth is that we have been created to be like God, to share in his very life and nature. And no amount of our sins and foolishness can detract from that truth. God will do everything to recover us. All we have to do is to go along with God’s will and ways as far as we can.

We need to process this truth of our faith about ourselves very slowly, because it will obviously astound us to think that we are supposed to be one with Christ. Who, me, one with Christ? We most likely would be tempted to say, tell it to the Marines!

But that’s just the naked truth about us, whether we like it or not. We cannot be any other if we just bother also to know why it is so. An expression that is relevant to this matter is ‘alter Christus,’ another Christ. And it’s worthwhile to know what it is all about.

We are supposed to be ‘alter Christus,’ the goal and ideal that is meant for us, though we need also to do our part, free beings as are, to achieve that status. God, our Creator and Father, wants us to be that way, though he does not impose it on us without our consent that should also be shown with deeds and not just with intentions and words.

We are supposed to be ‘alter Christus’ simply because, if we have been created in the image and likeness of God, and Christ is the Son of God who is the perfect image and likeness that God has of himself, then we can only conclude that we have to be like Christ.

In other words, Christ as the Son of God is the pattern of our humanity. If we want to know who we really are, how we ought to be, all we have to do is to look at Christ and try our best, with God’s grace, to identify ourselves with him.

More than that, because of our sin that defaced the original state in which we, in Adam and Eve, were created, Christ is the Son of God who became man to save us. The immediate conclusion we can derive from this truth of our faith is that for us to know how to handle our sinfulness, again all we have to do is to look at Christ and try our best, with God’s grace, to identify ourselves with him.

So, let’s welcome Christ to our life. At his birth on Christmas Day, we should also remind ourselves that Christ actually wants to be born in each of us, so we can truly be “alter Christus” (another Christ), if not, “ipse Christus” (Christ himself).

Have a Merry and Blessed Christmas, everyone!

The virgin birth

By Fr. ROY CIMAGALA, roycimagala@gmail.com
December 20, 2023

“THE Lord himself will grant to you a sign. Behold, a virgin will conceive, and she will give birth to a son, and his name will be called Immanuel,” which means “God is with us.” (Is 7,14)

Thus, the prophecy about Christ’s birth was announced and was fulfilled in Mary. When she asked the Archangel Gabriel how she can conceive a son since, according her, she had “no relations with a man,” the angel told her about the Holy Spirit who will overshadow her and with that she will conceive a son in her womb. (cfr. Lk 1,26-38) And with her faith-filled “Be it done,” the virginal conception took place.

That a virgin can give birth without human intervention clearly tells us that the birth involves a divine intervention that shows that the one to be born is not only man but is also, first of all, God. He is both God and man, perfect God and perfect man!

What can we derive from this truth of our faith? What we can only conclude is that, indeed, God and man share the same life and nature, without of course blurring the distinction between God who is the Creator, and man as a creature made in God’s image and likeness.

This is, of course, a truth of faith that is really incredible! Given the way we are, we can only say, “No way.” But again, whether we believe it or not, the truth still remains that we share the same life and nature of God. It’s just really up to us, if we rev up our faith, to accept the truth about ourselves.

In this regard, the way to go is to follow the example of Mary whose faith in God is so complete and perfect that she, being a creature, could become the daughter of God the Father, mother of God the Son, and spouse of God the Holy Spirit.

All these came to be because of her response, “Fiat” (Be it done) to God’s messenger. Her openness to God’s will, her obedience to the divine designs for man somehow started the healing of the disobedience of our first parents that plunged all of us into a life and a world of sin.

That “Fiat” is the best example of obedience that man as a creature can have in relation to the will of God, our Creator and Father. It perfectly echoes in a mysteriously anticipative way also Christ’s obedience to the will of his Father – “If it is your will, let this cup pass by me, but not my will but yours be done.”

Mary’s “Fiat” is the perfect model of how our will ought to be conformed to God’s will. We have to be reminded that by the very nature of our will, the very seat of our freedom, our will is supposed to be in synch with the will of its Creator. It just cannot be by itself, turning and moving purely on its own.

It is meant to be engaged with the will of God, its creator and lawgiver. It is the very power we have been given by God that enables us to unite ourselves with God in the most intimate way. All the other aspects of our life—physical, biological, chemical, etc. – are also governed by God-given laws but, by themselves, they cannot bring us into intimate union with God.

It is with this faith that the impossible to us becomes not only possible but would be actualized. The virgin birth is proof to this truth of faith!

The end times

By Fr. ROY CIMAGALA, roycimagala@gmail.com
November 28, 2023

NOW that we are ending the liturgical year, we should not be surprised that the readings and the tenor of the prayers at Masses these days somehow refer to the end times. It’s a good occasion to remind ourselves of this reality, not to scare us but rather for us to be realistic in our life here on earth and learn to prepare ourselves for the end times.

We are told in the gospel that the time will come “when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down,” and that “nation will rise against nation, kingdom against kingdom,” and that “there will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues from place to place; and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.” (cfr. Lk 21,5-11)

To top it all, we are told not be deceived because as Christ said, “many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and ‘the time has come.’ Do not follow them!” It would seem that as the end of time approaches, the enemies of God and of our soul would use the most duplicitous tactics to mislead us. So, let’s be properly guarded.

We have to learn to prepare for this eventuality. If Christ, who is God made man and who is our Redeemer, could not help but had to offer his life to save us, how can we think that our life and the world in general would take a different path?

Remember Christ telling his disciples, “A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.” (Jn 15,20) So we have to expect to have the same fate as Christ. And that means that we have to prepare for the worst scenario. The world will end badly. That’s already a given, a truth of our faith.

What we have to do is to always have a proper focus in life. Especially these days when we are easily carried away by many distracting elements, what with all we can devour in the social media, videos, etc., we need to remind ourselves quite strongly that we have to be well focused on what is truly essential in our life.

We have to remind ourselves that our life here on earth is actually a testing and training ground for what God, our Father and Creator, wants us to be, that is, that we be his image and likeness, adopted children of his, meant to share in his very own life in eternity.

Everything that we are, we have and we do in this life should be made as an occasion, material or reason for us to attain that God-given goal for us. Everything should be related and referred to him. Simply being on our own and doing things on our own, without any reference to God, is an anomaly. It would surely end in tragedy even if we feel we are having a good time in our life.

This fundamental truth about ourselves should be proclaimed time and time again because we are notorious for taking it for granted, if not for violating it. We have to remind everyone that we have to take the necessary steps for us to be aware of this truth and to live according to it.

Obviously, what is truly helpful in this regard is that everyone learns really how to pray, how to engage God in a continuing conversation, or at least to have an abiding awareness of his presence and interventions in our life.

Official statement of Aksyon Klima Pilipinas on the 10th anniversary of super-typhoon Yolanda

In commemoration of the 10th anniversary of super-typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines.
November 8 2023

On 8 November 2013, category-5 storm Yolanda (international name ‘Haiyan’) made landfall on eastern Visayas in the Philippines. It unleashed a combination of strong winds, heavy rainfall, and storm surges that is almost unprecedented in history. In a matter of hours, it left in its wake severe loss and damage, most notably the deaths of at least 6300 people and destruction of PHP95.5 million across multiple sectors. To this day, some communities in the areas hardest hit by this super-typhoon still struggle to fully rebuild and/or recover from its impacts.

Yet the legacy of Yolanda goes beyond its trail of destruction. It changed how the Philippines viewed climate change, from being just another environmental issue to being a crisis, an emergency that impacts every aspect of development. It exemplified the urgency and importance of the calls of civil society and community representatives in the Philippines and elsewhere for climate justice, for holding big polluters accountable for causing this crisis, and for the victims of climate-related disasters to be given reparations from developed countries and ecologically-destructive corporations.

At the global level, the wrath of Yolanda directly led to loss and damage (L&D) becoming a true focal issue in the climate negotiations. After the intervention of then-Philippine negotiator Naderev Saño, the world agreed to establish the Warsaw International Mechanism on L&D, in recognition that climate-related risks and impacts are becoming too much for developing countries, the most vulnerable communities and ecosystems to adapt to or mitigate. By 2022, the negotiations on L&D have finally led to an agreement to set up funding arrangements to address this climate issue.

Nonetheless, there is so much that still needs to be done. In the decade that has gone by, greenhouse gas emissions have continued to increase worldwide. The adaptation needs of developing nations are now up to 18 times higher than the financing currently provided by developed countries. While Yolanda to this day remains the most destructive storm in Philippine history, six of the next nine most damaging tropical cyclones actually came after it.

We from Aksyon Klima Pilipinas will continue to honor the lives lost and the communities affected by Yolanda and other climate-related disasters by advancing our advocacy for urgent, effective, inclusive, just, and sustainable climate action for our collective future. On the 10th anniversary of the landfall of Yolanda, we make the following calls:

Developing countries must continue pressuring developed nations to actually live up to their commitment under Article 4 of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change: to provide sufficient finance, technologies, and capacity-building for implementing sufficient, cost-effective, fair, inclusive, and transformative adaptation and mitigation measures. Without this pressure, more incidents like Yolanda will happen in the future, which no individual or community deserves to experience.

At COP28 and beyond, the Philippine government must not shy away from reminding the Global North of our existing vulnerabilities and the L&D that we have experienced, including through the first-ever Philippine Pavilion at the climate negotiations. This is not to perpetuate the image of a nation of victims and reactors; this is to show its true commitment to uphold climate justice for current and future generations by holding developed nations and big corporations accountable for their pollution and other actions that dealt us immense L&D.

Parties at the 2023 UN climate negotiations in Dubai, United Arab Emirates must set up a L&D Fund and associated funding arrangements that is aligned with the imperative of preventing even more peoples and ecosystems from experiencing extreme climate change impacts. Such a mechanism must consist of new, additional, and predictable funding for addressing L&D in the form of grants. It must be based on the principles of equity, polluters pay, and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities.

The Climate Accountability (KLIMA) Bill must be enacted as soon as possible by the Philippine Congress. Doing so would establish stricter measures for holding corporations accountable for their actions respective to human rights, especially the recently-recognized right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment. It would also establish a national fund to address the needs of victims of climate-related disasters, which is aligned with the government’s position of changing the Philippines’s narrative into more of a country of initiators of action.

To be a saint requires a miracle

By Fr. ROY CIMAGALA, roycimagala@gmail.com
November 1, 2023

ON the Solemnity of All Saints, celebrated on November 1, we are reminded that we all are actually called to become saints for the simple reason that we are meant to be God’s image and likeness, sharers of his life and of his nature as God wants us to be. To be a saint is to be God-like.

That is why Christ always compared us to God. “You are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect,” he said. (Mt 5,48) On another occasion, he said, “Be merciful just as your Father is merciful.” (Lk 6,36)

Reiterating the same idea, St. Peter said, “You must be holy in everything you do, just as God is holy.” (1 Pt 1,15) St. Paul, for his part, said, “This is the will of God, your sanctification…” (1 Thes 4,3)

But for us to become saints, as we should, we need God’s grace. We cannot achieve that simply using our human powers, even if we are expected to use them to the full. And this means that somehow a miracle must happen for us to become saints.

This is where we have to ask for that miracle. And that miracle can only take place if we have deep faith. Like those characters in the gospel who begged Christ for the miraculous cure of their ailments, the miracle took place because of their faith. In all those miracles, Christ commended those who received their miraculous cure for their faith.

Yes, faith is needed for miracles to happen. We have to be clear about this point. For miracles to happen, especially the most important one which is for us to become saints, to become God-like as we should, faith is needed. This was dramatized in that gospel episode where Christ was presented with a paralytic lying on a stretcher.

“When Jesus saw their faith,” the gospel narrates, “he said to the paralytic, ‘Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.’” Christ said this before he went to cure the man of his paralysis. He cured the man precisely because of their faith, that is, their belief that Christ was truly the expected Redeemer.

Nowadays, many people claim that miracles do not happen anymore. They say miracles only took place in the distant past, the time of the gospel when Christ went around in the land of Judea and Galilee. But now, miracles are considered obsolete, if not an anomaly.

This is like saying that Christ, the son of God who became man, has ceased intervening in our lives, that he was purely a historical man, subject to time and space, and that after death, he is simply no more, completely wrapped in the spiritual world, if ever that exists, and that he has no immediate and tangible impact on our lives.

We have to be clear about this point. Christ is always around and is actively intervening in our lives, directing and leading us to our proper end, in spite of our very erratic ways. He can never be indifferent to us, and is willing to suffer and die for us just to save us. Precisely he came as an expiation for our sins. He is the one who pays for our sins. All we have to do is just to try to go along with him in the best way we can.

What we have to do is to feel that we are helpless without God’s grace, without begging for a miracle for us to become real saints!

KATRIBU on the impact of Maharlika Investment Fund on the Moro and Indigenous Peoples

Delivered Speech by Beverly Longid, KATRIBU National Convenor, during the Maharlika Investment Fund forum organized by the First Quarter Storm (FQS) Movement
October 13, 2023

Pagbati sa ating lahat na narito sa Forum. Maraming salamat sa FQS sa pag-imbita sa Katribu na ibahagi ang aming kabuuang pagtingin sa Maharlika Investment Fund and its impact on the Moro and Indigenous Peoples. For far too long, the term 'investment' has invoked anxiety and fear among these communities, as it has become synonymous with large-scale destructive ventures – mines, dams, commercial plantations, and other land conversion schemes. These projects have consistently led to the displacement of Moro and Indigenous communities, robbing us of our ancestral lands, destroying our livelihoods, and disrupting our way of life.

President Marcos Jr. has outlined mining as a key investment policy to aid in the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Energy and infrastructure projects are viewed as major indicators of national development. However, these policies have dire consequences.

With mines and dams come the ominous shadow of militarization. Communities that protest against these projects find themselves facing militarization, which, in turn, brings forth severe human rights violations. Since last year, human rights monitors have documented 11 indiscriminate bombings and aerial strafing of rural communities – several are key biodiversity areas and 7 affect Indigenous Peoples.

Lest we forget, it has been over six years since the bombings devastated the Islamic City of Marawi, leading to the forced displacement of 98 percent of the city's population, along with residents from neighboring municipalities. This tragedy resulted in widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure and the loss of countless civilian lives. In the aftermath, several states stepped forward, offering millions of dollars for rehabilitation and recovery efforts. The U.S. government, solely through USAID, pledged $63.6 million (Php3.4 billion), to support humanitarian and recovery work in and around Marawi.

The Marawi program has come under heavy criticism of corruption, cronyism, lack of transparency esp. that the two Chinese firms contracted by government for rehabilitation have been blacklisted by the World Bank for rigging projects in the past, and greater role of the private business entities over community consultation and participation.

Despite the government's claims of liberation and near-full rehabilitation, the harsh reality remains that the Maranao and other residents have yet to be compensated for the destruction of their homes and livelihoods. For many, the possibility of returning to their once-thriving city grows increasingly bleak. Their cries for justice, especially for those who lost their lives during the siege, continue to echo unanswered, highlighting the persistent wounds inflicted upon the affected community.

The MIF’s implementation comes at a time when the human rights situation has worsened with the enactment and implementation of the anti-terror law. Under this law, Moro and IP communities, organizations, and advocates are not only red-tagged and criminalized but are now even designated as terrorists, further suppressing their voices and rights. The first individuals charged under the terror law were Ayta Japer Gurung and Junior Ramos, accused of committing acts of terrorism as members of the New People’s Army. Fortunately, the Olongapo Regional Trial Court (RTC) found inconsistencies in the statement of the witness and dismissed the case, ruling that it was a result of mistaken identities.

In January of this year, the Anti-Terrorism Council designated Dr. Naty Castro, a dedicated Lumad advocate, as a terrorist individual. This alarming move was followed by the arbitrary designation of four leaders from the Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA) as terrorist individuals, leading to the freezing of their organization's bank accounts. Since its establishment in 1984, the CPA has been at the forefront of defending ancestral lands against encroachments and exploitation in the Cordillera region and across the country.

The DBP and Land Bank is mandated to provide funds for rural and agricultural development – this includes development for Indigenous Peoples. However, the implementation of the MIF would exacerbate government neglect and further denial of essential social services to Moro and Indigenous Peoples, as public funds meant for countryside development are siphoned to the MIF and continue to be siphoned away due to corruption. Discrimination and Islamophobia create barriers, limiting their access to social services, economic opportunities, and political participation.

Moreover, these ventures trample upon the sacred right to free prior informed consent, a fundamental right and principle that safeguards Indigenous communities. The environment, too, bears the brunt of these projects, facing irreparable damage that affects not just the Indigenous Peoples but the entire nation.

The cycle of exploitation and marginalization must end. We must advocate for sustainable and inclusive development that respects the rights and dignity of Indigenous Peoples. Let us call for transparency in investments, ensuring that the benefits are equitably distributed and that the environment is preserved for future generations. It is our collective responsibility to challenge the status quo, demand accountability from our leaders, and stand in solidarity with the Indigenous Peoples who are the custodians of our rich cultural heritage.

In conclusion, let us work together to build a future where investments empower, rather than oppress. Let us strive for a society where the rights of Indigenous Peoples are not just acknowledged but fiercely protected, where our wisdom and traditions are celebrated, and where we can thrive in harmony with nature. Thank you.

The Guardian Angels in our life

By Fr. ROY CIMAGALA, roycimagala@gmail.com
October 2, 2023

OCTOBER 2 is liturgically celebrated as the Memorial of our Guardian Angels, reminding us of this tremendous reality that we have these powerful spiritual beings who are assigned to each one of us to help us in our earthly life and, most importantly, to connect us with God.

The gospel reading of this memorial somehow tells us of the crucial role these guardian angels play in our life. (cfr. Mt 18,1-5,10) In it, we are made to understand that there is a connection between being child-like and being great in heaven, and why the angels are important in our life.

When the disciples asked Christ about who is the greatest in heaven, Christ placed a child in their midst and said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.” And he further said, “Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.”

A little later, he again said, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.”

These words are worth considering very seriously because in them Christ somehow tells us the important role angels play in our effort to become child-like even as we grow in age and experience.

Let’s remember that angels are spiritual beings who upon their creation have made the eternal decision to be with God. There are also spiritual beings who upon their creation have made the opposite decision whose effect remains with them forever. These are the devils.

That the angels of children “always look upon the face of my heavenly Father,” as Christ said, can mean that these children who still are not in the age of reason, are always connected and guided by God. They are yet incapable of separating themselves from God.

In our case, since we already have our own mind and have accumulated a lot of knowledge and experience, we should try our best to be humble so as to be like children, always guided by the angels who are always on the side of God.

In other words, to be child-like is to be guided always by our guardian angels who will always connect us with God. There is a connection between being child-like and being with God through our guardian angels. We should not downplay the role of angels in our life, taking them for granted or, worse, considering them as unreal or just fictional literary devices, etc.

This is a truth of our Christian faith that we should always remember and act on. We definitely have to train ourselves how to be child-like and how to connect with our guardian angels all the time. Christ told his disciples that they had to humble themselves to become child-like, for the obvious reason that they – and us – are notorious for regarding ourselves as mature and totally independent, with hardly any need for God.

It would be helpful that everyday, we have the habit of consciously entering into a close engagement with our guardian angels. We should not dare to face our day simply relying on our own human powers. Each of us is assigned a guardian angel to connect us with God, and vice-versa, for God to enter into our lives, since these spiritual beings are God’s messengers to us.

Tribute to LALA: A Lumad Activist, Artist, and Fighter

By BEVERLY L. LONGID, National Convener, Katribu
September 18, 2023

It is with a heavy heart that we receive the news of the passing of our colleague and fellow Indigenous Peoples activist, artist, and fighter, Kaerlan “Lala” Fanagel.

On behalf of Katribu Kalipunan ng Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas, we extend our deepest and most heartfelt condolences to the grieving family, relatives, tribe, and cherished friends who are mourning the loss of Kaerlan "Lala" Fanaguel. According to the military's report, Lala was among the six individuals killed during an encounter between the 47th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army and the New People’s Army in Bilar, Bohol, last September 7.

We recognize and acknowledge that the right to self-determination and the pursuit of justice in the face of oppression are fundamental principles that guide the paths of many. We hold in high regard Lala's decision to join the New People’s Army (NPA). It was a conscientious, difficult, and mature choice made in response to the relentless threats and harassment he endured from the state. In his eyes, the conventional avenues for seeking justice appeared insufficient to address the escalating attacks on the Indigenous and Moro Peoples. We pay tribute to his unwavering dedication, particularly to the Lumad to which he belonged.

Lala, a native of Barangay Poblacion, Malapatan in Sarangani Province, had previously served as the secretary-general of PASAKA Pasakaday Salugpungan Kalimudan (Confederation of Lumad Organizations in Southern Mindanao). He was also a former council member of Katribu, a national alliance of Indigenous Peoples organizations in the Philippines; Kalumaran Mindanao-wide organization of Lumad; and the Sandugo, an alliance uniting Moro and Indigenous Peoples organizations. In these roles, Lala diligently led various activities and protests both in Davao and Metro Manila, tirelessly working to shed light on the challenging circumstances faced by Indigenous Peoples in his region.

The escalating acts of plunder, militarization, bombings, enforced disappearances, criminalization, and the unjust labeling of Indigenous Peoples leaders and activists as terrorists have only fueled the flames of the ongoing armed conflict. In light of this, we fervently advocate for a sincere and collective effort to address the root causes of this conflict. It is our hope that, through such concerted endeavors, we may pave for a future that is more just and equitable future where the suffering endured by many may find its end.

ICHRP welcomes acquittal of Maria Ressa in Philippine tax evasion case

A press statement by the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP)
September 16, 2023

The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) welcomes journalist and Nobel Prize recipient Maria Ressa’s acquittal from a Philippine tax evasion case. The decision was promulgated by the Pasig City Regional Trial Court Branch 157 on September 12.

“Ressa’s acquittal serves not just a victory for Philippine news website Rappler, but also for journalism and democracy at large. This legal triumph proves the politically motivated character of the charges, which sought to silence those who were critical of the grave human rights violations of the Duterte administration,” said Peter Murphy, Chairperson of the ICHRP Global Council.

“While we welcome this development, in no way does it absolve the Duterte government of the crimes it perpetrated against the Philippine press. It must be remembered that his administration was openly hostile to the media, resulting in countless attacks on journalists and on press freedom,” continued Murphy.

It should be noted that while Ressa and Rappler have emerged victorious on their fifth and last tax evasion case, Rappler still faces two charges – an appeal on its closure order before the Philippine Court of Appeals, and a pending appeal on a cyber libel case before the Philippine Supreme Court. Under Ressa's leadership, Rappler was consistently critical of Duterte’s policies, especially his infamous “war on drugs”. This attracted the administration’s ire and prompted a string of legal attacks intended to silence and intimidate all journalists critical of his brutal regime.

Ressa’s acquittal is a small but important victory among the numerous cases of attacks against the press under the Duterte government. As documented by INVESTIGATE PH, his government saw the killing of 23 journalists, the shutdown of free-to-air broadcasts by media giant ABS-CBN, and the threat to sue Philippine Daily Inquirer journalist Tetch Torres-Tupas over her report on 2 indigenous peoples who were the first to be charged under the Anti-Terrorism Act.

This war on dissent has continued with no let up under the Marcos Jr. government. Some of the prominent cases include the brutal slay of broadcaster Percy Lapid on October 3, 2022, the ambush which led to the killing of editorial cartoonist Benharl Kahil on November 5, 2022, and Rappler journalist Frank Cimatu’s conviction of cyber libel on December 14, 2022.

“We call on the Marcos Jr. government to cease forthwith its abuse of the judicial process and its entire policy of political repression. It must actively put a stop to the attacks not just on press freedom but also on anyone who is critical of its policies. The Philippine government should stop making trumped-up charges against those who are defending the rights of the oppressed people. ICHRP will continue to keep watch and expose the Philippine government’s human rights and international humanitarian law violations,” concluded Murphy.

CARMMA condemns DepEd’s whitewashing of Marcos dictatorship in Matatag curriculum

A press statement by the Campaign Against the Return of the Marcoses and Martial Law (CARMMA)
September 11, 2023

Allow us to reiterate a basic historical fact: the two-decade rule of President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. is a dictatorship. The culpability of the crimes against the Filipino people during that dark and bloody period in our history rests primarily on the Marcoses.

We at the Campaign Against the Return of the Marcoses and Martial Law flag and condemn in the strongest possible terms the Department of Education’s shameless scheme to whitewash and distort our history with its September 6, 2023 memo to change “Diktadurang Marcos” to “Diktadura” in the Grade 6 Araling Panlipunan curriculum of the newly-launched Matatag curriculum.

It is now undeniable that historical distortion and mass disinformation are being raised to the institutional level. The Marcos Jr. administration is no longer hiding behind its army of online trolls and spin doctors; education is now miseducation. Semantically divorcing the Marcoses from the term “dictatorship” – in a curriculum, no less – is obviously a calculated and sinister plot to absolve the Marcoses of their brutalities during their despotic rule, especially among our youth.

Who is ultimately responsible for the murders, torture, illegal incarceration, and disappearances of thousands of activists, among them youth leaders, during martial law? Who signed the orders to dissolve Congress and for the military to take over media outlets 50 years ago on September 21, 1972? Who ultimately benefitted from the plunder of our nation’s coffers, burdening Filipinos with debt that will be paid by generations to come? The answer to these questions are simple: the Marcoses.

Hence, the compound term “Marcos dictatorship” is different from merely calling the period a “dictatorship” alone. How would the people and particularly the children know who was responsible for the plunder and atrocities of martial law if Marcos is not named? He cannot be Voldemort, he who must not be named! The Marcos dictatorship is a truth that cannot be and should not be denied. It is a truth as well that the people rose in defiance against the Marcos dictatorship that eventually led to their overthrow in the 1986 People Power uprising.

This brazen assault on truth at the cultural level goes hand-in-hand and with the huge so-called confidential and intelligence funds being greedily gobbled up by Department of Education Secretary and Vice President Sara Duterte – the spending of which, cannot be scrutinized publicly, and will most likely be for surveilling, harassing, and threatening educators and students who will defy this directive to distort history.

We call on all freedom-loving Filipinos, especially our teachers and students to denounce this deplorable ploy by the Department of Education to distort history and miseducate the youth. We enjoin all to continue holding the Marcoses and their cronies and allies accountable for their crimes against the Filipino people. Remembering is resistance, and we will never forget.

Marriage, divorce and the gender issue

By Fr. ROY CIMAGALA, roycimagala@gmail.com
August 18, 2023

THAT part of the gospel where Christ was asked about marriage and divorce and that also talked a little about man being created man and woman (cfr. Mt 19,3-12) gives us an occasion to clarify certain points that have become today’s hot button issues due to some ideological controversies.

We cannot deny that these days some ideologies are redefining things that are clearly set forth by our Christian faith and that can be clearly validated by an objective analysis of our human nature. One is that marriage can only be between one man and one woman, and that it is exclusive and is meant to be a lifetime commitment.

Why is that? It’s because for marriage to be true marriage, true love should be involved, a love that includes the use of the body and not just a spiritual love that can and should be given to as many persons as possible.

It’s an exclusive kind of love because once the body is given to another, it cannot be shared with anybody else. And if true love animates it, then everything is involved, and so there is a lifetime commitment involved.

Divorce is therefore a no-no. What can happen instead is what is known as nullity of marriage. That’s when it can be proven that the marriage was entered into with some impediments. Thus, marriage should be entered into with full knowledge of what it is and what it entails.

Marriage is also between a man and a woman because it is meant mainly for procreation, and not just enjoyment of some conveniences and pleasures, though these can also be reasons why people marry.

Of course, they should also realize that marriage has its own burdens for which they have to be ready to bear. It is also meant to raise a family where children are formed to be real persons and children of God as we are all meant to be – a tall order, indeed, but which can be borne as long as those concerned tackle this responsibility with God’s grace and their all-out effort.

Regarding the gender issue, it’s kind of funny that nowadays some people are finding it difficult to define what a woman is and what pronoun to assign to those who think they are women when biologically they are men.

Of course, given our human condition that is always a work in progress, to be consistent to one’s gender at birth requires some effort and work. Masculinity for men and femininity for women have to be taught and learned, knowing that given our human condition that is replete with weaknesses, inconsistencies can easily take place.

There can be same-sex attraction which can happen to anyone anytime, but if one is guided properly by a good understanding of our human nature and of our Christian faith, one would know what to do. It’s when one prefers to be guided simply by his own feelings and estimation of things that he or she or they can get into error.

Anyway, we all know that our human condition in this life requires constant vigilance and struggle precisely because of our human weakness and limitations. But we should try our best to follow the objective guide provided by natural law, moral law and the spiritual and supernatural law provided by our Christian faith.

In any case, charity should always prevail, especially in situations when we have to deal with controversial issues. Our differences and conflicts should not be reason to set aside charity. It’s precisely in situations like these that charity should be best lived.

Statement of the IBP in support of the integrity and independence of the Supreme Court of the Philippines

By Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP)
August 17, 2023

In a television interview on One News Channel, a disbarred lawyer claimed that his disbarment is part of Justice Marvic Leonen’s alleged vendetta against him. He likewise claimed that he was targeted by Justice Marvic Leonen because he is a BBM supporter.

Such claims are baseless, malicious and untrue. The Supreme Court is a collegial body. It takes at least one (1) division, or the Court sitting en banc to render a valid judgment. Statements that give the impression that Justices of the Supreme Court can be influenced by one Justice, or that the Supreme Court’s decision is tainted by politics are most unfair and contemptuous.

The disbarred lawyer’s claim that he can re-apply or file a motion for reconsideration “kapag namatay si Justice Leonen” is equally contemptuous.

More troubling is the disbarred lawyer’s claim that some people in the Supreme Court actually called him the day before his disbarment was announced to the media. The call was supposedly to convince him to request Pres. BBM to call the Supreme Court to withhold the issuance of the decision ordering his disbarment. He insinuates that certain personalities in the Supreme Court wanted to leverage his disbarment for certain favors from the President. Such claims are malicious, disrespectful and also contemptuous.

His tirades, insinuations and accusations have no place in a civilized and democratic country like the Philippines.

The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) abhors such unprecedented conduct of a former lawyer. The IBP stands by the Supreme Court as it continues to discharge its constitutionally guaranteed procedures and jurisdiction on matters relating to the discipline of errant members of the Bar.

If there ever was any uncertainty about whether this person deserved to be disbarred, his television interview is clear proof that the Supreme Court made the right decision.

The IBP stands squarely behind the Honorable Supreme Court, particularly the Court’s integrity and independence in the discharge of its functions.

If privileged, never feel entitled

By Fr. ROY CIMAGALA, roycimagala@gmail.com
July 25, 2023

WE are reminded of this aspect of Christian life in that gospel episode where the mother of the apostles, James and John, requested Christ to have her sons sit beside him, one on his right and the other on his left, at the Kingdom. (cfr. Mt 20,20-28)

Of course, mothers will always be mothers. They will try to give the best for their children. And so, Christ responded to her delicately that those seats were already reserved for those whom God the Father had chosen.

In the meantime, Christ reminded the mother and the two apostles if they were willing to suffer with him, making them understand that heaven can only be reached through the cross. And to the apostles’ credit, they readily responded, “We can!”

We have to realize then that any privilege, honor or praise given to us is a call for us to be more generous in our self-giving to such an extent that we would not run away from making the supreme sacrifice of giving our life for God and the others, just like what Christ did.

Our attitude should be to sharpen even more our desire to serve and not to be served. Christ made it clear to the mother and the brother-apostles when he said, “The Son of man has not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mt 20,28)

Reiterating the same idea, he told them, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. Not so is it among you. On the contrary, whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.”

We should never feel entitled. Christ himself was the first one to live by this principle. Being God, he emptied himself to become man and to bear all the sins of men by dying on the cross, all for the purpose of saving mankind. (cfr. Phil 2,7)

He reiterated this point when he lamented about the domineering sense of entitlement of some of the leading Jews of his time while praising the poor widow who put all that she had into the temple treasury. (cfr. Mk 12,38-44)

While it’s true that we obviously are entitled to our rights, we should not feel entitled to privileges and favors that are above our rights and needs. If they come and we cannot avoid them, then let’s be thankful. But we should immediately realize that when privileges and favors come our way, we are being called to serve more.

Let’s be reminded that these privileges, favors and blessings are meant for us to strengthen our desire to serve and not to be served. But as it is, we should try to avoid them, since they tend only to spoil and corrupt us. We always have to be guarded against this danger.

We need to acquire the mentality of a servant which is actually the mentality of Christ himself. Let us readjust our human standards to conform to what is actually proper to us as taught and lived by Christ. We usually look down on the status of servants. This has to change! We should be convinced that by becoming a servant we would be making ourselves like Christ. Let’s say NO to entitlements.