ASIA/PHILIPPINES - Ten activists killed: Christians protest against Duterte

Thursday, 7 December 2017 human rights   civil society   christianity   local churches   violence   terrorism   armed forces   politics   ngo  

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Manila (Agenzia Fides) - "Killing a human being means violating his inviolable and inalienable right to life. Killing a priest who is a consecrated person and preventing him from continuing his apostolate in favor of the poor, the excluded and the marginalized is an even graver sin and a crime that shouts to heaven for justice. We live these killings of priests and pastors in the Year of Clergy and Consecrated, a sign of the inestimable gift of life": this is how Bishop Edwin de La Pena, Bishop of the tortured city of Marawi, on the island of Mindanao, comments to Agenzia Fides the murder of 72-year-old Don Tito Paez, priest of the diocese of San jose, victim of an extrajudicial execution on 4 December 2017 (see Fides). This is the first Catholic priest killed under President Duterte's government. "I join my voice in denouncing this evil act to prevent him from fulfilling his prophetic task of defending those who are unjustly deprived of their basic human rights", says the Bishop.
On 3 December, Protestant pastor Lovelito Quiñones, 57, was shot dead in Mansalay, in the province of Eastern Mindoro. On the same day, eight indigenous people (the so-called "lumad") were killed by soldiers by the Philippine army in the province of South Cotabato in Mindanao.
Civil society groups, Catholic organizations and human rights defenders deplore and condemn the killing of these 10 activists in just a few days, on the eve of the International Human Rights Day, which is celebrated on 10 December. According to the groups, who manifest dissent in various parts of Manila, the killing of civilians and activists, often by "death squads", recall the time of the dictatorship of Ferdinando Marcos. Among the protest groups there are the civil society forum "Karapatan", and the "rural Missionaries of the Philippines" who complain about "state terrorism" and have announced a major demonstration in Luneta Parl in Manila on December 10th, International Human Rights Day. Nuns, religious, priests and young Catholics and Protestants will be among those present at the protest.
"The despotic regime of President Duterte is transforming the whole country into an extermination camp", said Cristina Palabay, Secretary General of "Karapatan", raising the alarm on human rights violations across the country. "Unarmed civilians have become targets of state security forces" she noted, hoping for "a serious investigation into the murders".
"Karapatan" attributes the latest attacks against the military program of "counter-insurgency" launched by Duterte, called "Oplan Kapayapaan", similar to that promoted by the administration of former President Gloria Arroyo, that carried out 1,206 extrajudicial killings, mostly activists and alleged supporters of the Communist armed groups of the "New People's Army". In a speech on November 29, Duterte urged soldiers to shoot members of the New People's Army. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 7/12/2017)


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