'Christ has set us free. Stand firm and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery'. (Gal. 5.1)
The Iglesia Filipina Independiente condemns the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for maliciously naming her among the list of organizations and institutions to be in the 'echelon of alliances with the Communist Party of the Philippines' and are 'enemies of the state' that needed to be 'neutralized'.
This comes not as a surprise after we discovered that the Armed Forces of the Philippines has also been showing a documentary film that presents a number of our bishops and priests as communist rebels.
This is clearly a part of the counter-insurgency program of the government of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to restrain our bishops, priests and church workers who support the legitimate struggle of the basic masses for social, economic and political reforms in the country.
This now makes us clearly see with our eyes who were the authors of the brutal killing and murder attempt on two of our priests, Fr. William Tadena and Fr. Allan Caparro.
The inclusion of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente in the list of the 'enemies of the state' and the growing incidents of harassment of our bishops, priests and church workers demonstrate the worsening political repression and human rights violations in the Philippines.
We are deeply alarmed over the unfolding militarist posture of the government of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as characterized by her wanton disregard of the people's democratic rights and civil liberties. We are now witnessing the aggressive emergence of a police state while an undeclared state of martial rule is being imposed upon the people of our country.
The Iglesia Filipina Independiente calls on the faithful and the people to denounce the escalation of political repression in the country, to remain vigilant against tyranny and terrorism of the state and the military, and to resist military rule over civilian authority in the strongest possible terms. We are also urging President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to respect our people's democratic rights as citizens of the country.
In the last few months a gripping fear has descended upon Samar. Such fear not known since Martial Law era has spared no sectorgovernment officials, religious leaders, local government officials, members of the academe, party leaders and worst, the peasant folks. Most fingers point to Maj. Gene. Jovito Palparan as the cause and perpetrator of this curse upon our beloved province. Whether the accusing fingers right or not, the issue is of crucial concern for us Samareņos.
The General claims that he has been sent to squash the NPA. While we too as a community condemn the act of ambush against the men in uniform, something we pray should not happen again, yet we likewise raise our voices in protest of the pro-ambush retaliations inflicted by the military against the civilians on mere suspicions that they are sympathizers of the NPA.
Since February numerous reports of human rights violations are attributed to the military in the course of their operations. Abductions, illegal detentions, and salvaging become an everyday story. Intensified military operations in many barangays compounded by arrogant military actuations in forcibly occupying chapels and other buildings as their detachments heightened fear such that there has been an upsurge of internal refugees particularly from the town of Calbiga.
We appeal to the authorities concerned to reevaluate the policy or strategy adopted. We unite our voices with those delivered by no less than Congressman Cata Figueroa and Congressman Ining Uy. The data speak for themselves. The unjust and inhuman means do not justify the end. In fact, many from among us are tempted to think of other reasons why such events are happening in Samar. To what degree has mining become the issue? How can one explain that despite the Presidential Decree defining Samar Island natural Park just the other year, there is recently a swarming of mining applications in the province?
We appeal to the military. We want to believe that you are the protector of the people. We want to feel secure when you are around. Help dispel the atmosphere of fear and restore the climate of trust by acting within the limits of the law.
We appeal to our people to be courageous in defending and proclaiming the truth. As we link with Inter Faith Movement for Justice and Peace (IFM-JP) in documenting the events, we only want the truth. Let us not be carried away by black propaganda.
We appeal to our people to help our neighbor-evacuees with anything we can share: food, medicine, clothing, accommodation. We appeal to our local government units to assist our evacuees. All in the name of being one big family.
By airing our appeal we have only the good of Samareņos in mind. We wish our people to farm with no threat to life and property. We want our people to live and move around with no curtailments to their human, constitutional, legal and religious rights. We want our people to enjoy the protection of the law.
As we make this appeal we pledge to do our utmost best to protect and defend the rights especially the lives of the people, as well as the God-given natural resources of Samar which spells the Life for the Samarnons of tomorrow. We bring our appeal to the loving gaze of Mary that together with her we come to Jesus, the Prince of Peace with much hope that in His time, Peace which is development be ours too.
The recent development unfolding in our country the past days are alarming. We have heard violent killings of our messengers - Priest and Pastor - of Gospel and Truth.
Our own Father William Tadena of the Diocese of Tarlac was murdered after saying Mass on March 13, 2005. Pastor Edison Lapus, the Conference Minister in Leyte of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines was gunned down yesterday, May 12, 2005, after attending a funeral for his father-in-law in San Isidro, Leyte.
Our National Office in Manila is flooded with appalling reports from various dioceses and parishes that relay the chilling death threats, intelligence surveillance and reported inclusion of some bishops and priests in the military's order of battle. This came not a surprise to us, especially after the expose to the public of the military list entitled: ''Knowing Your Enem'' that includes the Iglesia Filipina Independiente, Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines (AMRSP), the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP), and the Promotion of Church People's Response (PCPR) among others. Our conclusion is inarguable: the government and its military is regarding the Church as its 'enemy'.
And then we ask: Is this because the Iglesia Filipina Independiente is producing official denouncements to some of the government's immoral laws, programs, and practices; and bishops, priests, and laypeople are actively joining morally legitimate rallies, strikes, and condemnation of militarization and killings of mass leaders? Is this the outcome of our serious reading of the bible and the context altogether, devout faith in Jesus Christ, and courageous exercise of active spirituality?
For the Iglesia Filipina Independiente, this is what we believe in and this is our existence. The meaningful solidarity of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente and her bishops and priests with the struggling poor of our country today is for us like burning incense that we offer in the altar of God. History would teach us that our Church was a product of the people's struggle for liberty, justice and peace. If the evils of today think that they can neutralize the people and the Iglesia Filipina Independiente by way of fire, they should return to the Gospel and realize that to be Christ-like, one should undergo baptism by fire. "I baptize you with water to show that you have repented, but the one who will come after me will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."
(Matthew 3:11)
Maliciously regarding peaceful political dissenters as enemies and returning their shouts with bullets would be like putting candles to a burning incense. It will certainly fail the purpose of pacification and will intensify the opposite.
For the peace of God and justice for all to prevail, we urge the President and her Armed Forces, to immediately put an abrupt end to this culture of violence as we call on the Filipino people to pray and commit to continue offering solidarity to all victims of persecution and to persist as real witness of Christ's Gospel in the midst of the suffering of our people.
The Divinity School of Silliman University remembers with deep admiration the enthusiasm and passion Edison Lapuz brought to his formative years in preparation for the ministry. As a young seminarian, his infectious smile, contagious ideas, and principled character earned him the respect of students and faculty alike. He charmed special occasions with a gifted voice that he complimented with flawless ability on the guitar. Leadership was evident and a future of immeasurable and significant contribution to the church and community was the acknowledged destiny of this young man.
Into the world of injustice and pain he was sent by his conviction to serve faithfully. He never wavered in that faithfulness. Courageously he defended the marginalized, the poor and oppressed, in the manner of Christ. As a way of life he bore the scars of simple living, humbly and willingly accepting the meager amenities of ministry. Edison Lapuz defended the rights of the exploited and dispossessed with steadfast conviction because he understood this to be his calling as a faithful servant of Jesus Christ.
At the dawning of a significant ministry, abundant with potential, guided by conviction and principle, Edison Lapuz has been brutally gunned down. Mourning this tragic loss of life with his family and loved ones is to mourn for our Nation that has lost a remarkable leader in the wake of numerous indiscriminate killings that continue to take the lives of individuals committed to serving the poor and oppressed. This death confirms the rising repression that has been unleashed to silence defenders of justice for the exploited and weak.
The Divinity School of Silliman University denounces the brutal killing of Edison Lapuz as a crime against the Church. We call upon all church people to demand that justice be served and that this Administration put an end to the rising repression that our Nation is witnessing through the indiscriminate killings of individuals, lay and clergy, whose only crime is a passionate commitment to serve the poor and oppressed.
The continuing and escalating violence against advocates of human rights in the Philippines, including the murders of clergy and grassroots leaders, is deeply disturbing to the Christian conscience. I join with our colleagues in The United Methodist Church of the Philippines (UMCP) and the United Church of Christ (UCCP) in mourning the death on May 12 of the Rev. Edison Lapuz, a regional minister in the Northeastern Leyte Conference of the United Church, which is a long-time mission partner of the General Board of Global Ministries. Mr. Lapuz was shot and killed as he slept*. Alfredo Malinao, a grassroots organizer, was also shot and died later. Both were involved with a human rights organization, Promotion of the Church People's Response (PCPR).
Rev. Lapuz and Mr. Malinao are only two in a series of murders of PCPR-related clergy and laity--Protestant and Roman Catholic--in recent months. A report from Bishop Elmer M. Bolocon, general secretary of th UCCP, indicates that 50 people, including six members of his church, have been ambushed or assassinated so far in 2005 on the islands of Leyte and Samar in the Visayas region. Rev. Lapuz was closely identified with the cause of poor farmers in his area and also with Fedilito Dacut, a church member and lawyer killed on March 14.
The conflict involves long-standing grievances of the poor and their supporters against economic and political policies, especially those of the current government led by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Regional human rights organizations are deeply concerned about the deterioration of the situation in the Philippines.
The Philippines is a country I deeply love, having attended Sillman University there and visited many times. It has wonderful people, most of whom long for a speedy and just end to the current conflicts. I plead with the government to establish fair economic policies and to control the use of violence against those who question current practices.
Bishop Solito K. Toquero of Manila has spoken forcefully and eloquently for The United Methodist Church in opposing the violent rampant in the Philippines, in mourning the death of Rev. Lapuz, and in calling upon President Macapagal-Arroyo to fairly investigate his murder and that of others. I join my voice to that of the bishop.
The General Board of Global Ministries is enriched by its relations with The United Methodist Church in the Philippines and the United Church of Christ in the Philippines.
I join with Bishop Bolocon of the United Church in honoring the commitments of Rev. Lapuz and in our common faith in the God whose reign of love, justice, and peace will finally prevail.
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN
My wife and I know Edison very well. We were never classmates but we have worked with him in many activities in the Divinity School of Silliman University. For a couple of years we were also neighbors at the Divinity School compound, Laguna, Dumaguete City.
Edison was a silent and serious person. He was a deep and critical thinker. He seriously took the "bible on one hand and the newspaper on the other." Faith to him is a transforming power for individuals, church and society. Christianity to him was a way of life to be spent in making this world a better place to live in. Edison fully embracedwhat we were thought at the Divinity school that faith encompasses all aspects of life - political, religious, and economic. Edison was a person where faith and action are one. His death demonstrated this commitment beyond measure.
I remember that at the height of the insurgency in the Philippines and there were thousands of internal refugees - those people who were displaced from their communities because of the conflict between the insurgents and the military/government - many of them came down to Dumaguete from towns with strong insurgency problems like Santa Catalina. When the big churches (including the towering Silliman University Church) were debating whether they are to offer their churches as safe sanctuaries for these internal refugees, people like Edison from the Divinity School, the Chapel of the Evangel and other grassroots organizations in Dumaguete were already busy providing food, solidarity support, and finding solutions to the problem. (I remember that there was even a well-known pastor in Dumaguete who refused to baptize the children of the refugees.) For the several weeks that the internal refugees encamped at the Silliman ball field, many people like Edison were always there for them. No amount of intimidation from the military and powers-that-be could deter them from being in solidarity with the refugees. Their faith is that to help the poor and the least members of Christ family is not to be debated as an option; it is an imperative because when they do so, they do it also to Jesus Christ.
Edison, though serious and principled person, knew also how to relax and to enjoy life. Edison's smile was contagious and when he laughs it was without reservation. He shares jokes, plays and regularly hangout with friends on weekends and holidays.
I am truly saddened with the death of Edison Lapuz and other prophets of justice and peace in the Philippines. When I saw the news in TV Patrol World of TFC about the death of Edison, my feeling of fear during the Martial Law in the Philippines returned to me. I could not believe it and like the prophet Habakkuk, I whispered to myself: "How many more and how long, O Lord, how long?" How many more Edison Lapuz to die before we learn the way of peace and justice and freedom? How long, O Lord, before the Philippines learn the way of peace and justice? How long before the present Philippine government will learn the lessons of the past that they could not forever suppress the truth? How long before they learn that they cannot kill the spirits of justice, freedom and truth?
We, in the Leadership Team of the Methodist Federation for Social Action - Northern Illinois Conference chapter and our United Methodist congregations in Lisle and Lemont, IL., join the brave people of God in condemning the brutal death of the prophets of peace and justice like Edison. We call on the people of God in the Philippines not to fear for the God of justice and truth and freedom is with us and our "suffering for a while" is not worth comparing with the glory of God that is about to be revealed. Don't forget that Good Friday has not the last say. Easter is coming and has the final say. Easter dawn is coming when life triumphs over death, when faith triumphs over fear, when justice overcomes oppression, when truth overcomes falsehood and light dispels darkness. We call on the government to protect and serve the people with justice and truth and not repress, intimidate and kill them. Madam President you have the power to stop the culture of repression and killings, do it now before it is too late and the blood of many innocents, martyrs and saints are in your hands. Exercise your power and political will to serve the people and to bring peace and freedom, at last, to our motherland.
The perpetrators may think they can silence the prophetic voice simply by killing the prophets. They may think they are doing the Philippines good. The reverse is the truth: they are doing a great disservice to our beloved country and its citizens.
The Rev. Edison Lapuz, Conference Minister of the North Eastern Leyte Conference (NELCON) and a member of the National Council of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) is the latest victim of a dastardly and systematic elimination of people who are perceived as "enemies of the State." Ever since the coming out of a military-produced black propaganda material entitled "Know the Enemy," there have been unsolved, open killings and brutal murders undertaken against personalities affiliated or connected to those groups identified as "enemies." Such is the situation that even the Commission on Human Rights of the Republic of the Philippines is alarmed at the reported more than 50 victims of ambushes and systematic killings so far this year alone. In the last two months, 6 UCCP members in Leyte and Samar have been ambushed and/or assassinated.
The Rev. Edison Lapuz is the latest victim of irresponsible name-calling and labeling in an organized attempt to "cleanse and purge" the Church of so-called "leftists" or those of "progressive" persuasion.
As a pastor assigned to the rural communities, the Rev. Lapuz had been exposed to the struggle of peasants and fisher-folks to obtain land in Northern Leyte. His pastoral vocation brought him close to the issues and efforts of the marginalized. He consistently sought for the Church to be a living witness to the Gospel as it confronts the harsh reality of people's suffering. Believing in the possibility of enhancing the democratic space, Edison Lapuz became Eastern Visayas Coordinator for Bayan Muna, a post he held before he became Conference Minister of NELCON. Like many who gave the parliamentary and electoral struggle a chance, the Rev. Lapuz found out too late that democracy is only good for some - and people who propose alternatives become targets of those who are resisting having the political and economic monopoly broken.
As Conference Minister, Edison Lapuz was pastorally responsible for expressing the Church's alarm and concern over the recent shooting of one UCCP member and the killing of another in his conference. The Rev. Lapuz unflinchingly maintained his firm commitment to stand for justice and righteousness; he set aside the death threats he was receiving as an attendant risk to the prophetic call. Indeed, his ultimate gift to the people and for his beloved country, deeply felt as intrinsic to his call as a pastor, echoes the words of Jesus:
"Greater love has no one than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends." As General Secretary, spokesperson of the Church, I address the following:
To the perpetrators of the dastardly act of assassination and murder, and those who are behind them:
You do not have the last say. We firmly believe that the God of justice - the God of the prophets, will vindicate the death of the Rev. Edison Lapuz and the many others whose lives you have snuffed out.
You may think you have done the country good by eliminating with extreme prejudice its perceived "enemies"-- but for every life you unjustly take, many more will rise after them to cry out against the injustice until "two and two and fifty make a million" to see the day of genuine freedom come.
You may think you have done the country a service, but all you have done is push the Philippines down further into the abyss of lawlessness, into the dark pit of the disregard for the rule of law, into the quagmire of intolerant totalitarianism.
By eliminating the perceived "enemies of the State" this way, you are, in fact, escalating the cycle and level of violence, leaving the people more and more limited options in seeking redress of wrongs.
To those in the fellowship of the Church who had been making sweeping and unsubstantiated allegations against the leadership of the Church:
Behold the unfortunate consequence of name-calling and labeling which has put the lives of your brothers and sisters at stake and in danger. Upholding the Scripturally-based prophetic tradition is what we must commit to do fearlessly together.
To the general membership of the Church:
May we uphold in our prayers the bereaved family of our brother Edison? He left behind Emma M. Lapuz, his wife and two children: Edem Harmonay, (12 years) and Demy Freedom (6 years).
The life of our brother Edison shed for the marginalized poor of the land and his commitment to the living out of the Church's ministry with the least of Christ's brothers and sisters remain to strengthen and encourage us to work for the well-being of the marginalized. Let us honor this commitment and pledge to continue to raise a prophetic voice, to do a socially transformative witness and ministry, to advocate for a society that is truly democratic and free, where diversity is respected, where freedom of belief and _expression is upheld.
May we be faithful until the end . . . when God's reign of love, justice and peace come to us at last!
We would like to express our deepest sympathy and solidarity to the family and friends of Rev. Edison Lapuz, Conference Minister of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines, a staunch advocate of justice and peace in Leyte, a co-worker in God's vineyard.
We believe that Rev. Lapuz' death was brought about by his deep commitment to and active involvement in the people's quest for abundant life. We believe that due to this commitment, the powers-that-be decided to silence him believing that the number of people expressing prophetic witness in these most trying times would be cowed to silence.
We are aghast by this senseless death which continue to haunt peace advocates in their quest for genuine peace. The number of peace advocates being killed has already reached an alarming scale, leading us to think that a systematic plan of silencing people expressing dissent is on a full-scale implementation.
In faithful adherence to our Christian faith, we reiterate our belief as expressed in The United Methodist Church Social Principles: "We hold governments responsible for the protection of the rights of the people to free and fair elections and to the freedoms of speech, religion, assembly, communications media, and petition for redress of grievances without fear of reprisal; . . .. We also strongly reject domestic surveillance and intimidation of political opponents of governments in power and all other misuses of elective or appointive offices... the mistreatment or torture of persons by government for any purpose violates Christian teaching and must be condemned and/or opposed by Christians and churches wherever and whenever it occurs." (Paragraph 164, The UMC Book of Discipline 2004)
We call on all faithful Christians to remember Rev. Edison Lapuz and his loved ones in prayers. May God's comfort and assurance surround them and be with them in these most painful and trying times of their life.
We also call on President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to order the immediate and fair investigation of this heinous crime and bring the perpetrators to justice. We also call on her to order the immediate investigation of Major General Jovito Palparan, head of 8th Infantry Division of the Armed Forces of the Philippines stationed in Catbalogan, Samar under whose command the province of Mindoro also suffered escalating number of human rights violation.
May Rev. Lapuz' spirit of genuine service, servant leadership and deep commitment to the cause of the poor and the powerless be our guiding inspiration in our faith, life and ministry.
Another martyr is felled by an assassin's bullet. The National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) condemns in the strongest terms, the brutal slaying of REV. EDISON LAPUZ, Conference Minister of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP), leader of the Ecumenical Movement in Eastern Visayas, and officer of the Promotion of Church People's Response (PCPR) on May 12, 2005, in San Isidro Leyte.
Rev. Lapuz was mourning the passing away of his father-in-law, who was just buried that day when he was murdered. Our sisters and brothers in Eastern Visayas have lost another pastor, a leader who was after God's heart. His untiring work for peace was the mark of a true pastor. His undying love for the poor and oppressed was the seal that drove him to be in their midst. His humor and happy disposition was expressive of his deep longing that the people whom he served deserve happiness. His devotion to Christian unity was obedience to the Lord of unity. At the time of his death, he was coordinating a Mining Conference for Church people in Eastern Visayas.
His advocacy apparently has earned the ire of people who want to crush the voices of legitimate dissent. Like Fr. William Tadena before him, Rev. Lapuz joins the list of Christian martyrs who have been killed because they decided to dedicate their lives in the defense of the powerless.
The brutal slay of Rev. Lapuz came a few weeks after an editorial in a major newspaper sounded the alarm on the increasing number of killings among activists. That editorial brought neither a word nor a peep from the President. The silence is disconcerting, to say the least.
The NCCP condoles with the family and friends of Rev. Lapuz. More importantly, the NCCP calls for justice for this most senseless death.
We appeal to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to act and act swiftly in giving justice to Rev. Lapuz and other victims of summary killings beforehim.
The NCCP has placed an appeal to its international partners to convince the Philippine government to put an end to this senselessness.
They have killed Rev. Lapuz' body but they can never kill his soul.
We grieve over the death of Rev. Edison Lapuz. Just last Monday, he visited our national office and brought copies of our poster campaign with the call: Defend Civil Liberties! Stop the Killings of Activists! Justice for Fr. William Tadena and all Victims of State Repression!
He was shot to death in the evening of May 12 after attending the funeral of his father-in-law in San Isidro, Leyte. He was the Conference Minister of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP), an active member of the Promotion of Church People's Response (PCPR), KARAPATAN and Bayan Muna in Eastern Visayas who issued strong statements against the killings and harassment of activists in the region. In fact, Rev. Lapuz was the main convenor of JUSTICE FOR ATTY. FEDILITO DACUT ALLIANCE in Eastern Visayas. Atty. Dacut was a human rights lawyer and Bayan Muna coordinator who was shot to death last March 14.
We revere him for the great witness of christian life that he has given us in our time. We honor him for his selfless love of country and dedicated service to the people. We salute him for his commitment to serve the people and their struggle for human rights, justice and peace and integrity of creation, that are attainable only through the people's struggle for national liberation and democracy!
The silence of the us-arroyo regime bespeaks of its complicity in this barbarous murder of a great man. While its fundamental fascist character makes martyrs of Christians and heroes of nationalists and patriots, still this crime against the people cannot be condoned. It must be condemned as a crime against humanity and must be morally rejected as mortal sin against God's commandment of love. John Paul II has enunciated this principle very clearly, before Marcos, the dictator: no amount of reason for national security can ever justify any human rights viiolation.
The incapacity of the US-Arroyo regime to alleviate the sufferings of the people, its impotence to stop corruption in all its forms in and outside of government, its shameless disregard for the rights of the people - all these reveal where is the presidency and its governance now: a servant of the feudal lords and foreign big business and source of capital of the bourgeoisie. It is a puppet of imperialist globalization. It is a civilian government that has given full powers to its military in its anti-insurgency campaigns, with impunity! It is the generals that rule, and the office of the President and Commander-in Chief has made a compact with these war criminals.
Indeed, this government has done nothing to the countless cases that have brought to its doorsteps! Instead, it has promoted those perpetrators accused by the people.
In this sense, this regime has lost its democratic power. It has lost its moral ground to truly govern our land and people!
Therefore, the most urgent need of the hour is: out with the US-Arroyo regime now!
For the sake of our people and our national salvation, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo must go, now!
Then we, the victims living and dead, shall leave this victimization behind, and continue to move forward for the cause of human rights, justice, peace and integrity of creation!
Long live Rev. Edison Lapuz, Fr. William Tadena, Joel Baclao! Forward Promotion of Church People's Response!
'Christ has set us free. Stand firm and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery'. (Gal. 5.1)
In March it was Fr. William Tadena in Tarlac. Yesterday is was Pastor Edison Lapus in Leyte. Today we ask, who is next?
We condemn the death of Pastor Edison Lapus even as we still seek and pursue justice for the murder of Fr. William Tadena of Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI). Pastor Edison Lapus was the Conference Minister in Leyte of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP). He was gunned down by suspected military men while attending a funeral for his father-in-law in San Isidro, Leyte in the afternoon of May 12, 2005. Father William and Pastor Edison were both members of the Promotion of Church People's Response, a national organization of Bishops, Priests, Deacons, Deaconesses, Nuns, Pastors and Church-workers from the Catholic and Protestant Churches.
We see these violent repression targeting men of the cloth as part of the grand design to silence legitimate political dissenters of the bankrupt and unstable Macapagal-Arroyo government. And this for us is inarguable, especially with the recent exposure to the public of the military lists entitled: "Knowing your Enemy" that includes, the Catholic Bishop Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), Association of Major Religious Superiors (AMRSP), PCPR, IFI, UCCP, and National Union of Journalist in the Philippines (NUJP) among others. This is clearly a part of the counter-insurgency program of the government of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to restrain Church leaders and Church workers to support the legitimate struggle of the basic masses for social, economic and political reforms in the country.
We are deeply alarmed over the unfolding militarist posture of the government of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as characterized by her wanton disregard of the people's democratic rights and civil liberties. We are now witnessing the aggressive emergence of a police state while an undeclared state of martial rule is being imposed upon the people of our country.
In the Bible, God anointed leaders to become shepherds of His flock to ensure their economic, political and spiritual growth. But God denounced some rulers of Israel, when the latter become selfish and irresponsible, saying: "You are doomed, you shepherds of Israel! You take care of yourself, but never tend the sheep. You drink, the milk, wear clothes made from wool, and kill and eat the finest sheep... You have not taken care of the weak ones, healed the ones that are sick, bandaged the ones that are hurt, brought back the ones that wandered off or looked for the ones that were lost... I, the Sovereign Lord, declare that I am your enemy." (Ezekiel 34:1-10) In John 10:10 Jesus said: "The thief comes only to steal, and kill and destroy: I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."
With this, we call on all Christians and Patriotic Filipino people to denounce the escalation of political repression in the country, to remain vigilant against tyranny and terrorism of the state and the military, and to resist military rule over civilian authority in the strongest possible terms as we urge President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to respect our people's democratic rights as citizens of the country.
"Greater love has no one than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends.'' (John 15:13)
The perpetrators may think they can silence the prophetic voice simply by killing the prophets. They may think they are doing the Philippines good. The reverse is the truth: they are doing a great disservice to our beloved country and its citizens.
The Rev. Edison Lapuz, Conference Minister of the North Eastern Leyte Conference (NELCON) and a member of the National Council of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) is the latest victim of a dastardly and systematic elimination of people who are perceived as "enemies of the State." Ever since the coming out of a military-produced black propaganda material entitled "Know the Enemy," there have been unsolved open killings and brutal murders undertaken against personalities affiliated or connected to those groups identified as "enemies." Such is the situation that even the Commission on Human Rights of the Republic of the Philippines is alarmed at the reported more than 50 victims of ambushes and systematic killings so far this year alone. In the last two months, 6 UCCP members in Leyte and Samar have been ambushed and/or assassinated. The Rev. Edison Lapuz is the latest victim of irresponsible name-calling and labeling in an organized attempt to "cleanse and purge" the Church of so-called "leftists" or those of "progressive" persuasion.
As a pastor assigned to the rural communities, the Rev. Lapuz had been exposed to the struggle of peasants and fisher-folks to obtain land in Northern Leyte. His pastoral vocation brought him close to the issues and efforts of the marginalized. He consistently sought for the Church to be a living witness of the Gospel as it confronts the harsh reality of people's suffering. Believing in the possibility of enhancing the democratic space, Edison Lapuz became Eastern Visayas Coordinator for Bayan Muna, a post he held before he became Conference Minister of NELCON. Like many who gave the parliamentary and electoral struggle a chance, the Rev. Lapuz found out too late that democracy is only good for some -- and people who propose alternatives become targets of those who are resisting having the political and economic monopoly broken.
As Conference Minister, Edison Lapuz was pastorally responsible for expressing the Church's alarm and concern over the recent shooting of one UCCP member and the killing of another in his conference. The Rev. Lapuz unflinchingly maintained his firm commitment to stand for justice and righteousness; he set aside the death threats he was receiving as an attendant risk to the prophetic call. Indeed, his ultimate gift to the people and for his beloved country, deeply felt as intrinsic to his call as a pastor, echoes the words of Jesus:
"Greater love has no one than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends."
As General Secretary, spokesperson of the Church, I address the following:
To the perpetrators of the dastardly act of assassination and murder, and those who are behind them: You do not have the last say. We firmly believe that the God of justice - the God of the prophets, will vindicate the death of the Rev. Edison Lapuz and the many others whose lives you have snuffed out.
You may think you have done the country good by eliminating with extreme prejudice its perceived "enemies"-- but for every life you unjustly take, many more will rise after them to cry out against the injustice until "two and two and fifty make a million" to see the day of genuine freedom come.
You may think you have done the country a service, but all you have done is push the Philippines down further into the abyss of lawlessness, into the dark pit of the disregard for the rule of law, into the quagmire of intolerant totalitarianism.
By eliminating the perceived "enemies of the State" this way, you are, in fact, escalating the cycle and level of violence, leaving the people more and more limited options in seeking redress of wrongs.
To the general membership of the Church:
May we uphold in our prayers the bereaved family of our brother Edison. He left behind Emma M. Lapuz, his wife and two children: Edem Harmonay, (12 years) and Demy Freedom (6 years).
The life of our brother Edison shed for the marginalized poor of the land and his commitment to the living out of the Church's ministry with the least of Christ's brothers and sisters remain to strengthen and encourage us to work for the well-being of the marginalized. Let us honor this commitment and pledge to continue to raise a prophetic voice, to do a socially transformative witness and ministry, to advocate for a society that is truly democratic and free, where diversity is respected, where freedom of belief and expression is upheld.
May we be faithful until the end . . . when God's reign of love, justice and peace come to us at last!
Filed Senate Resolution 267 to protect judges and lawyers from violence and intimidation
Senator Manny Villar, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Order, yesterday filed Senate Resolution 267 directing his committee to conduct an investigation into the findings of Netherlands-based International Association of People's Lawyers (IAPL) which labeled the Philippines as the most dangerous place for lawyers and judges.
According to IAPL, this year alone, three lawyers and law student were killed in the country namely Felidito Dacut, Teresita Vidamo, Ambrosio Matias and Leonard Matias. Last year, four lawyers and three judges were also murdered.
"A society where there is no rule of law and no one skilled in applying the law is a chaotic society where the weakest among us have no chance and the strongest among us have no restraint. The rule of law is the backbone of a democratic, peaceful and orderly society and an efficient and trustworthy judiciary is the true guardian of our freedom and the last line of defense against tyranny," cites Villar, President of the Nacionalista Party.
Villar further cites, "The government needs to immediately address the escalating violence against members of the legal profession, spearhead an investigation and bring the perpetrators to justice."
On top of the murder of legal professionals, 11 cases of harassments and attacks were documented also by the Committee for the Defense of Lawyers, which include the assassination attempt on the life of United Nations judge ad litem Romeo Capulong in March this year.
Villar says, "These attacks against lawyers and judges are attacks against the legal profession as they impact on the independence and integrity of the practice of law." Villar's Senate resolution also aims to recommend policy measures to protect legal professionals and to prevent the spate of violence and intimidation directed against them.
Villar's committee, which is conducting Senate hearing and inquiring on the spate of `media killings', intends to look into the murder of legal professionals in the country. "Media practitioners and legal professionals are the very protectors of truth, justice and freedom.
Thus, when they are the ones being preyed upon -- it is indeed a very serious and scary situation," adds Villar
The international mission agency of The United Methodist Church is increasingly concerned about violence in the Philippines that is claiming the lives of Christian pastors and laity who side with the poor in demanding justice and economic opportunity.
The Rev. R. Randy Day, chief executive of the General Board of Global Ministries, said that the situation in the Philippines is "deeply disturbing to the Christian conscience."
Day joined with Protestant leaders in the Philippines in calling for a full and fair investigation of the May 12 murder of the Rev. Edison Lapuz, who was shot while he slept. A grassroots organizer, Alfredo Malinao, was also killed in the late night attack on a house where a group had gathered following a funeral. Rev. Lapuz, the father of children 6 and 12 years of age, was a regional minister of the Northeastern Leyte of the United Church of Christ of the Philippines.
Earlier, United Methodist Bishop Solito K. Toquero of Manila issued a statement strongly protesting the murders of the two and others in recent weeks and months. "The number of peace advocates being killed has already reached an alarming scale," he said, "leading us to think that a systematic plan of silencing people expressing dissent is on a full-scale implementation."
Rev. Lapuz and Mr. Malinao were involved with a human rights organization, Promotion of the Church People's Response, which has highlighted what it considers the unjust social, political, and economic practices permitted by the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Numerous church leaders, Protestant and Catholics, have warned against a trend toward martial law in the Philippines, with opponents coming under intimidation and attack.
Bishop Elmer M. Bolocon, general secretary of the United Church, has reported that 50 people, including six church members, have been ambushed or assassinated so far in 2005 on the islands of Leyte and Samar.
The General Board of Global Ministries relates in the Philippines to both The United Methodist Church and the United Church. Strong historical ties with the latter come through the Evangelical United Brethren Church, which united with The Methodist Church in 1968.
Day joined with Bishop Toquero in calling upon President Macapagal-Arroyo to fully and fairly investigate the murders of Rev. Lapuz and others.
"I plead with the government," Day said, "to establish fair economic policies and to control the use of violence against those who question current practices." The mission executive noted that he attended Silliman University in the Philippines and has a deep affection for the country and its people.