UCCP and NCCP Statements on the recent spate of human rights violations among UCCP members

by Global Ministries | published on Oct 10, 2014

Can the government still protect its people?

“Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when the people revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake.” Matthew 5:10 – 11

Can the government still protect its people?

In the past two months, several lay members and pastors of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) have borne the brunt of human rights violations. These recent incidents do not include the 16 members from the UCCP who had been killed, abducted, missing and detained since the Arroyo administration took over the Philippine government.

These incidents continue to highlight the unabated and unsolved extra- judicial killings of activists, journalists, and church people. It appears that the present State authorities are too weak as they have not, or does not want to exert effort, to end the spate of violence in the land.

The Macapagal-Arroyo administration and the military establishment have resorted to the “blame the victim” syndrome, for the victims’ alleged links with left-leaning or communist – front organizations, as though this justifies the killings and the legal shortcuts which Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Puno lamented about recently. This is as callous as the remark of Secretary of Justice Raul Gonzales blaming murdered Peace Corps volunteer Julia Campbell of carelessness resulting to her untimely death.

In particular, we would like to air our concern over the following incidents:

1. On March 2, 2007 Renato Pacaide was killed in Davao del Sur. He was an active UCCP Member in Davao del Sur. He was also the Provincial Coordinatior of Anakpawis and Secretary General of Nagkahiusang Mag-uuma sa Davao del Sur. Witness narrated that Renato, with his step daughter Michelle who was coddling her one (1) month old baby, were crossing Rizal Avenue towards NAMADDS office when two unidentified men riding a motorcycle stopped in front of them and pointed a gun at them. The trigger man glanced at Michelle and her baby for a while before he shot Pacaide who was hit in his upper left chest and lower shoulder. Paciada fell to the ground and his killers caught up on him and finished him off with bullets in the stomach and head.

2. On March 5, Priel Booc, a lay worker of UCCP Southern Mindanao District Conference Community Development Program and Chairman of KARAPATAN – Task Force Militarization, Southern Mindanao Region experienced harassment. Booc received a text message from sender’s number 09155780969 saying “Pare pagbantay ka kay ikaw na ang sunod nga tirahon amigo ta piro trabaho lang ni amo, okay? (Brother be careful you are the next to be killed we’re friends but it’s our job, okay?

3. On March 22, Abner Hizarsa, a member of UCCP J.P. Rizal, Makati and a former political detainee and member of SELDA (Samahan ng mga Ex-detainees laban sa Detensyon at para sa Amnestiya) was abducted by unidentified men suspected to be military agents in Subic, Zambales. He remains missing up to this date.

4. On March 30, former Conference Minister Rev. Carlos de la Cruz of the Lowland Cavite-South Manila Conference and companion Emiliano Cojano were abducted in Dasmariñas, Cavite. They were reportedly tortured and were released the following day.

5. On April 21, 2007, Pastor Francisco Bonuan was arrested and is currently detained in Camp Dangwa for his alleged participation in Balweg killing case. Originally, there were 14 John and Jane Does in the case, and the authorities eventually named outspoken government critics in the area of North Luzon as culprits, even when the NPA Command in the Abra had claimed responsibility for the killing. Most of the alleged killers were already released by the Court for lack of evidence.

The above – cited incidents and other incidents of extra-judicial killings, harassments, abductions and disappearances all the more give credence and weight to the findings of the reputable organizations and institutions, including the United Nations Human Rights Rapporteur Dr. Philip Alston and the government’s Melo Commission. The National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) has released the report of the “Ecumenical Voice on Peace and Human Rights in the Philippines” on human rights violations against church people and many other victims in a document “Let the Stones Cry Out”. The government and the military, however, are in a “state of denial”.

We call on the Macapagal- Arroyo administration that has all the government resources at its disposal to protect its own citizens. We call on the military to respect the people’s democratic rights, even those who criticize questionable policies of the administration. We call on with one voice on all state agents and other perpetrators of violence: STOP THE KILLINGS AND ALL FORMS OF POLITICAL PERSECUTION!

The Bible tells us that authorities, including governments were established by God. They are God’s servants for the good of the people. (Romans 13:1, 4) The Gloria Macapagal -Arroyo administration and its instrumentalities will, eventually, hold themselves accountable to God and the Filipino people.

Issued by: Bishop Eliezer M. Pascua
General Secretary

NCCP PRESS STATEMENT

In March this year, a multi-sectoral delegation of human rights advocates traveled to Canada, the United States, and Switzerland to raise in the international arena the issue of extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and other forms of political repression in the Philippines. Named the Ecumenical Voice for Human Rights and Peace in the Philippines, the team presented “Let The Stones Cry Out: An Ecumenical Report on Human Rights in the Philippines and Call To Action” to ecumenical bodies, churches, legislators, and the United Nations Human Rights Council. A highlight of the trip was a hearing conducted by the US Senate Committee on Human Rights headed by Senator Barbara Boxer. For a considerable length of time, the media spotlight was focused on the Philippines following that trip. We had hoped that such an international exposure of the issue would move the Philippine President to bring to an end the sorry state of human rights in the country.

Nothing has happened. The killings have continued unabated and with a vengeance. More members of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines have been abducted and while we continue to hope, we are aware of the ghastly trend that attends enforced disappearances. There are no indications that, even with the barrage of appeals from international quarters, including the European Union and the United Nations Human Rights Council, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo intends to end this witch hunt and barbaric slaughter. The cutting criticism about the Philippine human rights record by Senator Boxer has been met, not by rectification, but by callousness and insolence. We doubt the seriousness of this government to halt the systematic assassination of critics. We condemn the foreboding authoritarianism that has began to stalk the land.

As we commiserate with the family members of the UCCP victims, we support their rage against the dying of the light of justice and freedom. We join their fight to bring back the light.

MS. SHARON ROSE JOY RUIZ-DUREMDES
General Secretary
National Council of Churches in the Philippines