World church
leaders denounce rights violations in the Philippines, echo the call
to “Stop the Killings”
Press Release
September 19, 2020
QUEZON CITY – "It
is in the time of crisis that we come together as a people of God
and stand in solidarity with one other. The call to end human rights
violations is an act of allegiance and faithfulness to God and a
call to say no to systemic injustice," said Rev. Dr. Collin Cowan,
General Secretary of the Church World Mission in the International
Ecumenical Convocation on the Defense of Human Rights in the
Philippines on September 17.
World church leaders in
the Convocation denounced the worsening rights situation in the
Philippines and raised alarm on the violations experienced by rights
defenders and organizations. “In the context of COVID-19 pandemic,
human rights have been greatly exacerbated and worsened, in which
context civil society space has even more drastically reduced,” said
Peter Prove, Director of the World Council of Churches (WCC)
Commission for International Affairs.
The WCC is one of the
partner organizations of the National Council of Churches in the
Philippines (NCCP) that are closely monitoring the Philippines at
the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), and has been advocating in
behalf of the rights defenders here in the Philippines to the UN
Special Mechanisms for many years. As part of its ongoing
commitment, it continues to push and advocate for the members of the
45th UNHRC to vote for an independent and impartial investigation on
the killings and Human Rights Violations under President Duterte as
reflected on the report of the Office of the High Commissioner for
Human Rights last June.
Derek Duncan, co-chair of
the Asia Pacific Forum said that “US churches, in particular, are
painfully aware of the troubled colonial history between the US and
Philippines, which contributes to our nation’s complicity in today’s
human rights abuses by both government and industrial-commercial
structures in the Philippines”. However, he emphasized that their
continued advocacy with the US government remains of critical
importance and their current advocacy “focuses on introduction of a
robust Philippine Human Rights Act, an instrument which would
‘suspend United States security assistance to the Philippines until
such time as human rights violations by Philippine security forces
cease and the responsible state forces are held accountable’.”
The World Student
Christian Federation (WSCF) also expressed concern “over the rights
violations of human rights defenders, particularly the red-tagging
of NCCP and the Student Christian Movement in the Philippines. The
government’s militarist policies have been an excuse to persecute,
to kill and to shrink the space for civil society,” remarked Marcelo
Leites, Regional Representative of WSCF-Latin America and the
Caribbean.
Christian Conference of
Asia General Secretary Dr. Mathews George Chunakara also condemned
the “[Philippine] government’s act to stifle the voices and
conscience of the people” and called to repeal the Anti-Terrorism
Act of 2020. “The subversion of democratic rights during the martial
law is back to be seen. There are many indications that the current
President is going to the same direction as Marcos during the
martial law era.”
Rev. Dr. Chris Ferguson,
General Secretary of World Communion of Reformed Churches, responded
“If we were to keep silent, even the stones will cry out. We pledge
to mobilize our own people, raise the issue to the international
forums, bring together our families to advocate and work and be part
of the global struggle against authoritarianism.”
These were in response to
the testimonies from church workers and human rights advocates who
have been red-tagged, vilified, harassed, and charged with
trumped-up cases. Among those who gave their testimonies were Sr.
Ellen Belardo from the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines, United
Church of Christ in the Philippines, Bishop Hamuel Tequis, Rev.
Marco Sulayao of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente, Jane Molina
Lee, widow of a drug war victim, and Clarizza Singson of
Karapatan-Negros. Cristina Palabay of Karapatan gave the Philippine
Human Rights situationer and Atty. Ephraim Cortez of the National
Union of Peoples’ Lawyers discussed the Anti-Terrorism Act and its
impacts on the work of churches and humanitarian organizations.
Filipino church leader,
Bishop Reuel Norman Marigza, General Secretary of the National
Council of Churches in the Philippines, called on the international
community for a continuous accompaniment and greater solidarity with
the Philippines. “With you by our side in solidarity, accompanying
us in our quest for justice, we may be afflicted and persecuted,
vilified and harassed, charged falsely or imprisoned under made-up
charges, yet we are not forsaken.”
Before him, The Most Rev.
Gerardo Alminaza, Bishop of the Diocese of San Carlos, gave one of
the welcome remarks, said that the cries for justice and solidarity
ring out and reverberate through the villages in the island of
Negros which “shake the Church and quicken the hearts of her
people”. Ms. Ma. Cathrine Kay Almario, NCCP Vice Chairperson for the
Youth also welcomed the participants who stated that the current
administration must be held accountable for its crime against
humanity.
The Convocation ended with
the launch of a unity statement read by Rosmalia Barus, the Vice
Moderator of the United Evangelical Mission, The Most Rev. Rex RB.
Reyes, Jr. of the Episcopal Diocese of Central Philippines,
Episcopal Church of the Philippines, and WCC Central Committee
member, with Ms. Patricia Mari Mungcal of the NCCP. The said
statement carries the message that the international ecumenical
community will bear witness and keep watch with regards to the human
rights situation in the Philippines. The statement also supports the
recommendations of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights, including recommendations from at least 24 UN human rights
experts for the UN Human Rights Council to “establish an
on-the-ground independent, impartial investigation into human rights
violations in the Philippines”. The signature campaign, initially
signed by 20 international church institutions, will continue until
September 24 while the 45th UNHRC Regular Session in Geneva is still
on-going.