UCCP COUNCIL OF BISHOPS

PRESS STATEMENT 

28 September 2020

 

UCCP LEADERS INDIGNANT OVER COMPLAINT FILED AT THE DAVAO CITY

PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE

 

“This harassment on the Church by the military establishment and the government itself must stop!” An emphatic statement coming from UCCP General Secretary, Bishop Melzar Labuntog upon knowing on mass media, from PTV and from internet news portal Davao Today that several UCCP national leaders both past and present were named in the formal complaint at the Davao City Prosecutor’s Office. 

 

“The complainants have the face of indigenous people or Lumads, but they have been under the influence of the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP), and this is an instigation of the National Task Force to End Localized Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC)” explained Bishop Hamuel Tequis, the Davao City based UCCP Bishop.

 

Reliable mass media sources disclosed that, on September 15, some Manobo tribesmen filed complaints before the Davao City Prosecutor’s Office against several church leaders of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines, Haran and other individuals they tagged as members of the New People’s Army. 

 

Several of the forty eight (48) persons charge are UCCP leaders and members, others were not fully identified for violations of Republic Act No. 9208, as amended by Republic Act No. 10364, or the Anti-Trafficking of Persons Act (RA 9208), and Republic Act No. 7610 (RA 7610) or the “Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act”, and Republic Act No. 9851 (RA 9851) or the Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide and Other Crimes Against Humanity. [1]

 

Furthermore, the alleged violations of the laws herein mentioned are trumped-up accusations on the UCCP and the Lumad leaders sheltered in UCCP Haran, as government solutions to the several years of hiatus in the negotiations of return of the Lumads to their ancestral domain in Talaingod, Davao Del Norte. This complaint comes in a series of legal build up to crush the organized resistance of the Lumads to the NCIP’s conditions of their return which do not conform to their agreement stipulating that they should return to the ancestral land and not in a resettlement area, the land they left behind few years ago escaping for their survival because of intense militarization of their communities.

 

The Council of Bishops recalled the many instances when President Rodrigo Duterte, then Mayor of Davao City in 2016 have personally assured the Church that he will, within his power, judiciously support the unhampered return of the Lumads in Haran, to their ancestral land. 

 

The forced evacuation of the indigenous peoples was not solely a phenomenon in Davao Del Norte, but a reality as well in Agusan del Sur, Misamis Occidental and in Northern Luzon. These have been going on because the peace talks and peace process between NDFP and the GRP has been stalled accompanied by attendant problems and concerns of social justice within their tribal communities and the larger society, the Council of Bishops stressed.

 

Rev. Daniel Palicte, Conference Minister of Southern Mindanao District Conference believes that this is a campaign to smear the reputation of the Church that has been providing refuge for numerous Lumad families in its Haran Compound in Davao City for more than five years already. But he declared that UCCP Church leaders are unfettered in their resolute commitment to do God’s compassionate mission for and among the indigenous people in Mindanao and the entire country. 

 

Bishop Reuel Norman O. Marigza, former UCCP General Secretary and National Council of Churches in the Philippines incumbent General Secretary commented that the charges hurled at the Church leaders are persecutory measures from the government agencies that are supposedly working out probable and sustainable solutions to the needs of the indigenous people or Lumads for their safe return to their ancestral land. Instead of working out solutions, these agencies have never stopped harassing the Church and recently permitted paramilitary elements to forcibly and violently entered Haran rampaging Lumads’ sleeping quarters and classrooms and looted their food supplies and cash. They have also red-tagged our church leaders like Bishop Hamuel Tequis and others. 

 

Interestingly, NTF-ELCAC has no scruple in filing their complaints in the prosecutor’s office because it got huge budget for 2019.  The Philippine News Agency, which stated that around P20.150 billion of the budget will be used this year for cleared villages, while the remaining P16.288 billion will be appropriated next year for development projects. [2] It is disconcerting to know that the hard earned taxes of the people are used against the very interest of the people instead of serving them. Congress itself has cast doubts on the use of the huge budget of NTF-ELCAC.

The UCCP Church leaders suspect that this persecution of the church is intended to stop the church from it sprophetic witness in the midst of intensifying authoritarian regime in the country even in the midst of the pandemic. Political dissent is being suppressed as the tyrannical nature of the government is revealed in the passing of the Anti-Terrorism Law of 2020, the increasing number of extrajudicially killed especially human rights workers and advocates, peace negotiators, peasant and labor leaders.

 

Finally, the UCCP leaders and the Council of Bishops demand that this complaint be immediately quashed by Davao Prosecutor’s Office. They also expressed their readiness to dialogue to settle the differences with the government agencies and the military establishment. There are weightier matters that must be addressed by the government than persecuting and harassing the Church and the Lumads, the very people that government agencies have pledge to serve. +

THE COUNCIL OF BISHOPS

28 September 2020

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[1]  http://davaotoday.com/main/human-rights/haran-displaced-manobos-slam-ntf-elcac-for-trumped-up-charges/

 

[2]  https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1327217/zarate-asks-coa-to-audit-multibillion-budget-of-ntf-elcac#ixzz6YtrTbWYk

 UCCP COUNCIL 0F BISHOPS

REAFFIRMING OUR COMMITMENT TO

SERVE THE DOWNTRODDEN AND THE LEAST PRIVILEGED

 

(A Pastoral Statement of the UCCP Council of Bishops on Haran’s Case)

‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me’ (Matthew 25: 40 NKJV) is a constant reminder that keeps the United Church of Christ in the Philippines dynamic and actively engaged in the ministry for the least privileged and disadvantaged sectors of our society. 

 

The recent filing of a criminal case by certain Ata-Manobo individuals against a number of our members, local church leaders and church workers including fellow bishops is a sad reflection of high-handedness and hostile attitude of the powers that be towards the Church. Said filing of case is apparently stirred by the military and Atty. Marlon Bosantog, head of the legal affairs office of National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP).  

 

We take this case as part of a grand design to shame and smear the integrity not only of those accused individuals but of the whole United Church of Christ in the Philippines for its staunch advocacies for the protection of Lumads’ rights and indigenous people and for our active engagement in peace and justice ministries. 

 

Over the past year or so, the UCCP and some of our members and leaders had been among those red tagged by the military. In fact, one of our former Conference Ministers in the Bicol Region had been arrested and detained on the basis of a trumped-up charge filed by the military. In plain sight, therefore, the case filed by Ata-Manobo in Davao City Prosecutor’s Office is just another act of harassment and intimidation.

 

We recall that in a dialogue with no less than the newly proclaimed president then, held in Malacanang in 2016, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, assured us that he will do his best to bring the Lumads back to their own homes. UCCP did not invite nor encourage the Lumads to come to UCCP-Haran. The Lumads actually came to Haran seeking for refuge as a result of militarization in their places. As a church, the UCCP cannot but accommodate them in gesture of support and solidarity.

 

In 2016, then Davao City Vice-Mayor Paolo Duterte personally came to Haran and offered the Lumads free vehicles that would bring them back to their homes, but the Lumads refused the offer. The same was done in 2020 by Gov. Edwin Jubahib of Davao Del Norte but also to no avail. Clearly, the UCCP did not prevent the Lumads from going back to their homes neither did we oblige any of them to remain in Haran. It was solely their decision to remain under the refuge of Haran. 

 

As a Church of Jesus Christ, we remain true to our commitment as declared in February 1990: “the United Church of Christ in the Philippines through its Council of Bishops and the Executive Committee in session on February 21-23, 1990 declares as sanctuaries and zones of peace all its church buildings, parsonages and lands, hospitals and schools, and other church-owned institutions and their premises. As sanctuaries, these places and premises are open to all people, regardless of color and creed, sex and status, and of political and religious affiliation, at all times, in all circumstances of need. We welcome those needing sanctuary to use these places for protection, study, reflection, retreat, prayers and meditation, or simply for rest and quiet.”

 

Let it be made very clear that the UCCP is ready to face the accusers in court to prove the innocence and guiltlessness of our members and church workers who are among the respondents. All the allegations in the case are unfounded and tall tales that are too incredible to be true.

 

As leaders of the Church, we abhor such act of falsehood even as we also call on the accusers and those behind their action to stop besmirching our church, our members and church workers. As the Prophet Isaiah puts it, in Isaiah 5:18: “Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood, and wickedness as with cart rope…”

 

We also call on al UCCP faithful to join us in sober prayers and support for our fellow UCCP members who are drawn into this quagmire of trickery and sham. Let us continue to be ONE in living out our shared calling as God’s ambassadors of peace, justice and love! “With Christ on our side, even the gates of hell will not prevail over us!” (Matthew 16: 18).+

 

UCCP COUNCIL OF BISHOPS

28 September 2020

UCCP Council of Bishops

Statement on Red-tagging of Bishop Hamuel G. Tequis, 

Bishop Reuel Norman O. Marigza, Rev. Irma Balaba, et al.

 

 WHOEVER MAKES A PRACTICE OF SINNING IS OF THE DEVIL . . .

The  COUNCIL OF BISHOPS of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines strongly abhors the most recent spiteful tagging of our fellow Bishop and Council of Bishops member, Bishop Hamuel G. Tequis of UCCP-Southeast Mindanao Jurisdictional Area (SEMJA) as a CPP member as contained in a propaganda poster posted near the building of Sta. Ana Catholic Church in Davao City, seen early morning, August 13, 2020 by concerned witnesses. Copies of the same poster are placed in electrical poles near the same area in Davao City. 

 

In the same vein, recently, Bishop Reuel Norman O. Marigza, UCCP Bishop Emeritus and incumbent general secretary of the National Council of Churches (NCCP) has been maliciously red tagged as communist by the Facebook troll page “Timek ti Cagayan for speaking up against the Anti-Terrorism Law. Similarly, on July 24, Rev. Irma Balaba, UCCP church worker of United Metropolis Conference was tagged as surrendered member of the Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army (CPP-NPA). Without consent, her picture was posted on the Facebook page of the Southern Luzon Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

 

This persecution of the Church does not exempt the laity members such as Karlo Manano, son of Rev. Isaias Manano, Sr. retired pastor of Oriental Mindoro Conference, who was implicated as member of the CPP-NPA. There are several others and some were served warrant of arrest and have been jailed for trump-up criminal charges hurled on them, on which the Church through the Council of Bishops has spoken on their defense in assertion of prophetic witness. 

 

This is obviously a handiwork of those who aim at besmirching the reputation and integrity of peace and justice advocates as well as those in the religious sector who are engaged in the work of peacemaking and human rights. Acts like this warrant our stoutest denunciation as it denigrates our faith conviction and tramples on our fundamental right to express our Christian calling of serving the least of our people.

 

We call on those responsible to STOP HARASSING OUR PROPHETS! STOP SPREADING LIES AGAINST RIGHTS DEFENDERS!

 

Words of caution from the Bible as declared in 1 John 3: 8 ESV,

 

“Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.”

 

UCCP COUNCIL OF BISHOPS

August 13, 2020