On threat to bomb Lumad schools

Is the President driving us to rebel?

By SANDUGO
July 28, 2017

It’s logical. If the Philippine President himself threatens to bomb a school of indigenous peoples (IP), where else can we run to?

These self-help schools were built by the bare hands of the Lumad people because there were no schools in their communities. The schools such as ALCADEV in Lianga, Surigao del Sur, whose executive director Emerito Samarca was killed with Lumad leaders Juvelio Sinzo and Dionel Campos in 2015, were expressions of Lumad people’s hunger for genuine development while preserving their culture of collectivism and care for environment. It is a way of the Lumad elders to secure the future of their next generations and equip the youth to protect their ancestral lands from corporate plunder and land grabbing.

The US-Duterte regime is now taking the anti-people road. This road will eventually lead him to accountability unless he makes a turn left, the road to just and lasting peace, through the NDFP-GRP peace talks, and make radical changes in his policies which will address the basic problems of the Filipino people.

Instead, Pres. Duterte bellied us indigenous peoples and Moro who joined the people’s protest during his State of the Nation Address by saying “Umuwi na kayo.” We came all the way from Mindanao to call to stop the All-out War, martial law and the bombing of our communities. Thousands have evacuated due to threat of bombings and human rights violations of military and paramilitary groups.

And we were bullied by no less than the President.

Our situation as national minorities is already worse as it is. The Maranaw people continue to suffer in evacuation centers as the Armed Forces of the Philippines refuses to end the firefight to justify the extension of martial law. The IPs are still facing the wrath of the All-Out War through intensified military operations in communities. Political killings against national minorities continue with 21 victims under the Duterte regime.

With President Duterte’s threat to bomb Lumad schools, violence is encouraged against Lumad and Moro.

If the schools were destroyed, so is our future. Essentially, it is to destroy our race.

If so, we are left with no choice but to resist.

Christ’s cross opens heaven’s gate

By Fr. ROY CIMAGALA, roycimagala@gmail.com
July 23, 2017

INDEED, it is Christ’s cross that does the trick. Our own salvation, our capacity to open heaven’s gate has to pass through the cross of Christ, and not just any cross. Christ’s cross is the key.

It’s in Christ’s cross that all our sins are borne by Christ himself and forgiven. It’s where our death leads to our life everlasting. It’s where we can truly say we are united with Christ.

We need to carry that cross, as Christ himself said. "Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” (Mk 8,34) We need to do everything to fulfill this indication of Christ everyday.

Any suffering we have in this life, be it physical, moral or whatever, can be considered as the cross of Christ as long as we unite that suffering to Christ’s redemptive suffering and death on the cross. That’s simply because Christ has made as his own all the suffering we can have.

We can make use of some human devices so that we can be reminded of this wonderful truth of our faith. One such device can be the practice of carrying a little crucifix in our wallet, and taking it up from time to time to kiss it.

This can be done especially just before going to bed so that we can associate the ending of our day with this sublime sacrifice of Christ which we should try to reflect in our life. We should try to end our day the way Christ ended his life here on earth.

We can also do it upon waking up in the morning to signify our intention to carry the cross the whole day. It should mean that we are willing to suffer the way Christ suffered. We should be willing to take on any offense the way Christ accepted all the offenses and sins of men by accepting his death on the cross.

We should try not to over-react to any suffering that can come our way. As long as we unite with the suffering of Christ, we can manage to echo what St. Paul once said:

“We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body.” (2 Cor 4,8-10)

These words were spoken by St. Paul in the context of showing how our weakness and suffering – the fragile clay jars that we are, as St. Paul describes us – can actually show God’s power working in us. In the same letter, St. Paul precisely said that it’s when we are weak that we are strong. (cfr 12,10)

It’s important that our attitude and reactions to suffering of whatever kind conform to this reasoning of faith expressed by St. Paul. It’s a reasoning that perfectly captures the reason behind Christ’s willing acceptance of his suffering and death.

It is this kind of suffering, this kind of cross that led to Christ’s resurrection, and that will lead to our resurrection too. This is the kind of cross that opens the gates of heaven for us!

On President Duterte’s meeting with Bayan leaders ahead of the SONA rallies

A press statement by BAYAN
July 19, 2017

We thank President Rodrigo Duterte for taking time to meet with Bayan leaders in Malacanang last July 18, 2017. We sought a meeting to inform the President of the planned nationwide SONA protest actions on July 24 and to relay to him 20 urgent people’s demands. The meeting lasted for nearly two hours. The Bayan delegation consisted of representatives from workers, peasants, indigenous peoples, Mindanao activists and progressive lawmakers from the Makabayan coalition.

Unlike past meetings, the atmosphere was somewhat tense, more serious and revealed glaring differences on major issues. After the meeting, it was clear why there should be nationwide mass protests during the SONA. The people must persevere in the fight for genuine change.

After a brief introduction, we went straight to the issue of Martial Law. The President is bent on extending it. We have consistently opposed it. He said that it was not intended to target the Left. The Mindanao activists said that that was not reality on the ground. They related how Martial Law is being used to militarize communities and attack Lumad schools. Several communities have been displaced as a result. Lumad leaders showed the President pictures and other documentation.

On the issue of the stalled peace talks with the NDFP, the President echoed the line of his security cluster that there should first be a prolonged ceasefire before there could be any talk of reforms. We reiterated our position that the peace talks must continue because it is in the interest of the people and that the surest way to achieve peace is through socio-economic and political reforms. It appears that the fate of the talks and the people’s desire for a just peace will again be held hostage by the ceasefire issue.

The President gave no commitment on the issue of militarization of communities, saying that this was a reality in the ongoing civil war. For our part, a condition of extended Martial Law can only mean that military abuses and attacks will increase.

While there remain openings and agreements in principle on several issues, these will still require firm government commitment and militant struggle by the people. During the meeting, we sought to find common ground on the issue labor contractualization, free tuition for State Universities and Colleges, land reform and the issue of destructive mining. There is no clear indication that the President will fulfill his pledge of upholding an independent foreign policy by abrogating the Visiting Forces Agreement any time soon. Meanwhile, he was responsive to calls for the release of elderly and sickly political prisoners and received personal letters and appeals form them.

We again informed the President of the upcoming SONA rallies. He said he will not stop these and will allow protesters to air their demands near Batasan.

After the meeting, we returned to Mendiola to report the results to the Mindanao workers and other sectors who were camped-out since Monday. We would have wanted to bring more good news to them, but such was not the case.

From the foregoing discussion – with Martial Law’s extension under way and the people’s economic conditions worsening – the people are more than ever justified in waging militant struggle for change. We are determined to further expand people’s resistance to the anti-people and anti-national policies of the regime.

The SONA rally will see huge delegations from Central Luzon, Southern Tagalog and Metro Manila, as well as delegations from Mindanao. Protests will be conducted in almost every urban center in the country, from Ilocos to General Santos. On July 23, participants for the SONA rally will begin arriving in Quezon City and hold vigils near Commonwealth Avenue.

On July 22, we are calling on the people to gather at Batasan to protest the Congress special session to railroad the extension of Martial Law in Mindanao.

CHINA: A state built on graves will not last

A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission
July 14, 2017

China has lost yesterday one of its great sons, Nobel Laurate Mr. Liu Xiaobo. Indeed, Liu Xiaobo was a criminal for the Chinese administration. They had sentenced him to undergo a prison term of 11 years, after being convicted by what is passed off as ‘judicial process’ in China. The crime for which Liu Xiaobo was convicted is ‘inciting subversion of state power’ by co-authoring the Charter 08 pro-democracy manifesto, which called for the Communist Party in China to uphold the commitments made in the constitution.

Anything that is even remotely possible to be interpreted by Beijing as ‘organising for a cause’ is perceived as a threat by the Chinese administration. This approach is the defining character of a state that feels weekend internally and a government that has no moral standing to remain in power. The legislation Beijing enacted controlling all civil society activities, internal and those that are supported from external sources is a legislated evidence to this fear. So much so, today, a non-Chinese seeking a language interpreter’s service within China has to be reported to the authorities. Failing to do so is a crime.

Since its formation, China has used its courts and the prosecutorial department to silence all forms of public opinion, that the administration conceives as a threat that could over time challenge the absolute authority of the Central Party. Even lawyers appearing for their clients are not spared.

Make no mistake. What is passed off as ‘judicial proceedings’ in China has no justice element in it. It is merely a process, that serves the absolute authority of the state and nothing more. Besides, the individuals who run these institutions are deeply corrupt, like those in the administration. And many of them are known to have ‘parked’ their ill-gotten wealth outside the country.

China is one of the worst economic examples of today. Its riches are built upon absolute negation of freedom of the silenced. Anyone engaging in business with China is merely supporting this inhuman process. This includes international agencies, business houses and governments across the world.

The only way for China to change, is for the international community to call the black pot, black. No government has dared to do this, as was in the case of Liu Xiaobo. There has been not a single co-ordinated and sustained attempt by the governments of the world, to publically place pressure upon China to allow Liu Xiaobo to obtain proper medical treatment. At the age of 61, his life rotted in detention.

Today heads of states have made public statements condemning Liu Xiaobo’s untimely death. They should also perhaps ask themselves in what length they have contributed to this murder when they rolled out red carpets to Chinese leaders visiting them?

Our spiritual and supernatural world

By Fr. ROY CIMAGALA, roycimagala@gmail.com
July 9, 2017

WE need to be more adept in attending to the world of the spiritual and the supernatural which is where we also live, whether we like it or not, aware of it or not.

That it’s part of our objective reality can be verified from the fact that we can think and reason out, discover and invent things, and do many others that tell us we are capable of spiritual operations that presume that we also live in the world of the spiritual.

The supernatural aspect of our objective reality can be verified by the fact that there are many mysterious, naturally inexplicable things that take place in our life. There are miracles and other wonders that simply go beyond the limits of our nature.

We have to learn how to deal with our spiritual and supernatural world because that is where the real action is and where our ultimate goal is. That’s where we are truly defined, where our radical dignity is established. That’s where we can have our encounter with God.

For us, the material and natural world is nothing if not related to the spiritual and the supernatural world. Our material and natural world can only have meaning and purpose if related to the spiritual and the supernatural, that is, if related ultimately to God.

Of course, God made himself man in Jesus Christ so that our material and natural world, damaged by sin, can have a way to reconnect with our Creator and our Father. And Christ’s presence and redemptive action continues to take place with the action of the Holy Spirit.

This is a truth of our faith that should ever be made alive in us, kept sharp in our mind, and deeply felt in our heart. For this, we have to submit to a certain discipline that may involve a number of things.

We have to learn to be recollected all the time, keeping effective control and supervision of our senses and other faculties so that wherever we are, we could manage to be always in the presence of God.

We have to learn to pray and meditate on the word of God, for it is there where we begin to get in touch with Him on a day-to-day basis. If we truly exercise our faith, our prayer should always be exciting since we would be dealing with the Holy Spirit who knows all the truth and who can tell us of things to come.

We need to do everything to make sure our prayer is a real encounter with God, a direct conversation with the Holy Spirit who always intervenes in our life with his constant promptings.

For this, it is truly helpful to know more about the gifts of the Holy Spirit so we may be able to correspond to those gifts properly. Obviously to be most docile to the Holy Spirit, we need to clean up our mind and heart through penance. Let’s see to it that our heart is rid of any impurity that could prevent us from discerning the Holy Spirit’s promptings.

These are, at least, a few of the things we can do to take care of our spiritual and supernatural world.

Release of cops in rub-out case in Leyte, non-release of political prisoners, clear signs of impunity under Duterte

A press statement by KARAPATAN Alliance for the Advancement of People's Rights
June 20, 2017

“We express our condemnation and extreme disappointment on the release on bail of police officers involved in the Espinosa case, as among the clear indications of prevailing impunity under Pres. Rodrigo Duterte. We remind the President that his job as commander-in-chief does not entail protecting State security forces from accountability on their crimes,” said Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay on the release of the nineteen (19) accused policemen involved in the killing of Albuera mayor Rolando Espinosa.

Former Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Region 8 chief Superintendent Marvin Marcos, along with 18 others, were initially charged with murder after they launched an operation to serve a warrant against Albuera mayor Rolando Espinosa last November 5, 2016; the operation led to the killing of Espinosa inside his jail in Baybay, Leyte. The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the senate investigation ruled the case as a “rub-out.”

On June 2, 2017, the Department of Justice downgraded the charges against the 19 cops from murder to homicide, with the regional trial court allowing bail of P40,000 each. On June 16, all the accused were released on bail. Earlier last April, President Duterte said that he will not only pardon cops involved in the Espinosa slay case should they be convicted, but that he will also promote them.

“Duterte apparently remains true to his words when it entails ensuring the continued support of institutions who might be detrimental to his presidency. When it comes to promises he made for the welfare and benefit of the marginalized, however, he falls short, or at numerous occasions, makes a reversal. This is true for the issue of the release of political prisoners, especially those for humanitarian considerations,” said Palabay.

As of May 15, 2017, Karapatan puts the number of political prisoners in the country to 402 – with 39 political detainees arrested under the Duterte administration. Palabay added that “there is a clear State policy of absolving culpable policemen in the war on drugs campaign and soldiers in their counter-insurgency war against the people, while maintaining the continued imprisonment of political prisoners jailed for trumped-up charges. It is deplorable to see scalawags being out on bail while those unjustly kept behind bars remain fighting for justice.”

“The Filipino people have been promised change, and we hold Duterte accountable that these changes be for the better. Instead, we now have martial law in Mindanao, aerial bombings and other community violations committed with impunity, the non-release of political prisoners, a militarized bureaucracy, a war on drugs that has claimed the lives of thousands, and an enabled and abusive State security forces with guaranteed protection. We urge Duterte to look closer, because for the most part, he has largely contributed to the worsening of the same oppressive and repressive system inherited from his predecessors,” concluded Palabay.

Joint statement on Marawi, martial law and internet freedom

By CPU, TXTPOWER and AGHAM
June 15, 2017

After Camp Aguinaldo spokesman Colonel Edward Arevalo warned that the military would exercise an alleged “right to censure”, DICT Head Rodolfo Salalima has announced arrests for “cyber sedition”.

It must be clear by now: Whether you’re in Marawi, Mindanao or Manila, we’re all unsafe from martial law’s effects on our basic rights. And nowhere is this more obvious than the internet and the basic rights we enjoy online and offline.

These threats by the military and DICT don’t strike fear at the heart of terrorists. They dampen civic engagement and attempt to negate the public’s right and duty to see to it that martial law is required, that martial law is actually aimed at the terrorists, and that martial law is not being implemented against the public.

We warn the military and the DICT not to overstep their bounds. Censorship, whether prior restraint or subsequent punishment, does not help combat terrorists. We urge the military to revisit their claim of a “right to censure”. It is an invention, with no legal provenance or constitutional basis.

We also warn against network shutdowns under martial law. Network shutdowns in Mindanao are unacceptable. It would isolate and disconnect Mindanao from the rest of the country and the world. Mindanaoans should not be silenced. It would be bad for business, commerce, education, governance and other aspects of our daily lives.

The dress rehearsals for turning off our internet have started many years back. In the name of counter-terrorism, the police, the military and the government have taken down mobile and internet access in Metro Manila, Metro Cebu and other parts of the country.

All the shutdowns have been applied for and granted in an questionable manner, without hearing and without assessment. It is not farfetched that the government would use this if the “online noise” of widespread criticism becomes intolerable to them.

If there’s any event and place where the public would understand a network shutdown, it is this incident and Marawi City from the very start. Based on "practice", shutting down all communications there would deprive the terrorists any means to communicate among themselves and the outside world. It is now a virtual ghost town, with most of its 200,000 inhabitants already transformed into evacuees.

But this appears to be impossible. Because it would affect the military operations, coordination between the Commander-in-Chief in Manila and the ground forces in Marawi and media reportage that has been so kind to the military.

We urge citizens and organizations to be vigilant and jealous of the rights we enjoy, offline or online, against any arrogant overreach by the military and government. They have a track record of abuse, and have also made threats of doing under martial law.

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