Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Manila (Agenzia Fides) – The use of "martial law" must be an extreme measure and of short duration: the purpose is to combat impunity and restore the rule of law. A serious problem to tackle is the circulation and proliferation of weapons, which are exacerbating the problem of violence, on both a public and private level, in Mindanao. On these two central issues - the martial law and weapons - in recent days, the Catholic Church in the Philippines has raised her voice, demanding compliance with principles such as peace, legality, protection of human dignity and human rights.
Martial law in the Province of Maguindanao, proclaimed December 5 by the Filipino Government, is to ward off a possible "armed rebellion" after the arrest of Andalo Ampatuan Jr. (believed to be directly responsible for the massacre of Maguindano of November 23, which killed 57 people), Andalo Ampatuan Sr., the patriarch of the clan, and several militia in the service of the political group.
According to Bishop Colin Bagaforo, Auxiliary Bishop of Cotabato, a measure of impact was required "for the growing dangers of public policy and the existence of real private armies" that gave the other a political clan "absolute power" in the territory at the expense of the rule of law - as seen in the episode behind the massacre, because another politician wanted to register his candidacy in the elections.
But as Fides learns from the Filipino Bishops' Conference, the Church, while accepting the need to stem the violence, calls on the government to "act for peace and ensure protection of human rights in the area." Through its new Chairman, Bishop Nereo Ochimar of Tandag, on the island of Mindanao, the Catholic Bishops' Conference calls on the government to use martial law "for a short time," in order "to prevent abuses of power and not generate the suspicion that behind the measure is a hidden agenda." The Bishop remarked that "the exercise of civil power must be directed to the promotion of the common good," stressing the urgency to "bring the perpetrators of the massacre to justice."
Archbishop Orlando Quevedo of Cotabato, which includes the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of Maguindanao, recalling the dark days of the Marcos dictatorship, warned: "The longer the martial law is in effect, the more violations of human rights there will be," adding that the complex issue of Mindanao, "cannot be resolved with a state of emergency," but needs to rethink global and long term.
The Church has also highlighted another problem: the proliferation of small arms in Mindanao, which aggravates the general climate of violence and of "rough justice". The illegal spread of small arms in southern Philippines - she stresses – leads to the exponential increase in injuries, deaths, violations of human rights, and fueling the war between rival gangs. It is estimated that there are over 1.1 million illegal weapons without a license, circulation in the Philippines, a large percentage of them in the South. The point is that civilians have begun to arm themselves to defend themselves from the violence that abounds.
According to the Archbishop Angel Lagdameo of Jaro, to limit this, the United States should not support the Philippines with military aid and supplies, but instead with improvements to education, health, human development. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 9/12/2009)
