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Church wants end to extrajudicial killings in PH

ICHRP Secretariat
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by Dheza Marie Aguilar, ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau/AMSTERDAM -The newly-founded Filipino Parish Council Netherlands (FPCNL) urged the Aquino government to stop the extrajudicial killings of members of the church.
The call was made by Rev. Father Cesar Taguba, chairperson of FPCNL during the memorial mass for murdered Bishop Alberto Ramento held in the Old Catholic Church in Amsterdam.

According to Taguba, at least 30 church workers and leaders had been killed from January 2001 to October 2011, most of them members of the United Methodist Church, Philippine Independent Church and United Church of the Christ in the Philippines.

He said one of the victims is Bishop Ramento, former Obispo Maximo of Iglesia Filipina Independiente and staunch critic of former President and now Pampanga 2nd District Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Ramento was stabbed to death in his rectory in Tarlac on September 2, 2006. The police ruled the incident as robbery with homicide.

The most recent victim of these killings against religious groups is Italian priest Fr. Fausto Tentorio in North Cotobato.

“Investigate yung mga kaso, there are lots of documentation naman and it can stand in court. Let’s make use of our legal system to bring about justice and put a stop to this whole question of impurity,” said Taguba citing the report of United Nations’ human rights lawyer Philip Alston.

Taguba said that most of the killings were politically motivated because of the church involvement in the campaign for labor rights and anti-poverty drive.

“The worst is still to come. Sadly akala namin mahihinto na yung killings at the end of Arroyo government, pero, it seemed na yung patakaran which caused the death of many (church members) is still intact,“ said Taguba in an interview with Balitang Europe.

In June 2011, UCCP filed charges against Arroyo at the Quezon City Regional Trial Court for the alleged extra judicial killings during her administration. Taguba hopes that this will pave the way for justice for the killed church members.

In his book Catholicity in Times of Globalization, Rev. Father Dr. Peter Ben Smit of the Old Catholic Church Amsterdam discussed Ramento’s case and the challenges that church workers face in the modern Catholic world. Smit worked with Iglesia Filipina Independiente (Philippine Independence Church) in Pampanga and personally witnessed several death threats to his colleagues.

“There is clearly a danger to those church members who do not have protection and are not afraid to speak out. From what I’ve seen and heard of, for example the children of priests are being sent text messages, we will kill your father or your father is dead. These caused a lot of stress to the children. Men and women receive direct death threats by text message, by email or by having bullets sent to their homes in an envelope, you will be next.”

Smit also said that if the government wants to maintain the support of its citizens, they should investigate and prosecute the perpetrators in a transparent way.#

AFP’s insistence on SCAA to protect mining corporations negates Oplan Bayanihan’s “people-centered” slogan

ICHRP Secretariat
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The Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) refusal to stop using Special Civilian Armed Auxilliary (SCAA) to protect the interests of mining corporations demonstrates the AFP’s connivance with corporations that plunder the country’s mineral resources,” said Jigs Clamor, Deputy Secretary General of Karapatan, reacting to the statement of Colonel Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos, AFP public affairs chief that SCAA “would enhance security in the area and would prevent a similar incident to happen.” Col. Burgos was referring to the NPA attack in the mining sites in Claveria, Surigao del Norte.

Pres. Noynoy Aquino endorsed the use of SCAA, a move that indicates that he reneged on his campaign promise that he will dismantle paramilitary forces and private armed groups.

Col. Burgos’ claims that “human rights protection” is part of the government militiaman training. Yet, on June 30, 2011, SCAA members were implicated in the killing of the 40-year old Lumad leader Arpe “Datu Lapugotan” Belayong and Sulte San-ogan, 21, both residents of Esperanza, Agusan del Sur. The mountain area of Esperanza is marked for mining operations.

Fr. Fausto Tentorio, an Italian priest of the PIME congregation, who was killed by still unidentified men last last October 17, worked for decades among the indigenous peoples in the Cotabato area, especially in Arakan Valley. He was known for advocating indigenous people’s land rights against the incursions of big business especially by mining corporations. Fr. Tentorio was already a target by a paramilitary group called Bagani since 2003 when he almost lost his life. Arakan Valley is also target of mining operations.

The recent move of the Aquino government to allow mining companies to hire AFP-trained Special Civilian Armed Auxilliary (SCAA) may embolden similar paramilitary groups to attack those who oppose big mining corporations that plunder the country’s resources.

SCAA also served as security force for the DMCI Mining Corporation (DMCIMC) in Zambales, in TVI Mining in Zamboanga del Sur, and even in the sugar plantations in Negros. They were instrumental for a string of human rights violations against those oppose the mining operations in the communities.

Former Pres. Cory Aquino created the CAFGU (Citizens Armed Force Geographical Unit) and SCAA and were maintained as “force multipliers” and as an “embedded security system in all economic endeavors” by the past governments.

With the massive deployment of AFP and paramilitary and private armed groups in communities where there is mining operation, Karapatan warns of the resulting escalation of human rights violations in the communities. The people’s opposition to mining will surely be met with force and repression.

Clamor said, “The government claims that Oplan Bayanihan, its new counter-insurgency program, focuses on peace and development. Yet, this kind of development obviously puts primacy on the protection of the interests of mining corporations despite the environmental destruction and economic dislocation and displacement of the people in the mining areas.”

“This government should stop hiding from catch-phrases like “peace and development”, “people-centered”, “human rights” when obviously it is doing the opposite. If it wants to be true to these slogans, Pres. Aquino should immediately dismantle all paramilitary groups and stop the implementation of Oplan Bayanihan,” concluded Clamor. ###

Source URL:http://www.karapatan.org/http%3A/%252Fkarapatan.org/AFPs-insistence-on-SCAA

Urgent Appeal to our Compatriots Abroad! Justice for Fr. Pops Tentorio!

ICHRP Secretariat
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Urgent Appeal to our Compatriots Abroad! Justice for Fr. Pops Tentorio!

We are writing in earnest to our compatriots and friends abroad, please join us as we grieve for the murder of Fr. Pops Tentorio,PIME, a real apostle of the church, a priest of the landless, the oppressed, the lumads and peasants.

Together let us turn our grief into the strongest demand and movement for Justice for Fr. Pops and all victims of extrajudicial killings!

END IMPUNITY NOW! DISMANTLE OPLAN BAYANIHAN!

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URGENT ACTION ALERT!
October 17, 2011

Italian missionary in Arakan, Southern Philippines Slain!

Justice for Fr. Fausto Tentorio, PIME, 54th victim of extrajudicial killings under the Aquino regime!

Case:Extrajudicial killing
Victim: FR. FAUSTO TENTORIO, PIME
Date of Incident: October 17, 2011,around 730 am
Place of Incident:Mother of Perpetual Help Parish Church, Arakan, North Cotabato

Profile of Victim:

Fr. Fausto “Pops” Tentorio, PIME, 59,was born on January 7, 1952. He is an Italian Missionary of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME).

He was assigned in the Philippines in 1980 before he was assigned in Arakan in 1983.

Since then he has launched literacy and health programs/missions serving the indigenous peoples and farmers in North Cotobato. To date, there are 3,000 lumad and peasant scholars who benefit from his programs.

He heads around 80 daycare centers in in Arakan, Tulunan, Antipas, Makilala, Mlang, in North Cotobato. He also supports 10 Ata-Manobo schools in Talaingod, Davao Del Norte.

He has initiated a Health Program under the Tribal Filipino Program Centerfor Devt. Inc (TFDCI).

Fr. Pops is the Board Member of the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines Southern Mindanao and the Mindanao Interfaith Services Foundation Inc.

In 2003, Fr. Pops had a near – death experience with the vigilante group Alamara – Bagani, a paramilitary group which was created to eliminate progressive members and leaders of progressive organizations.

He was the compatriot of martyred Italian priest Fr. Tullio Favali, PIME who was slain by Edilberto Manero in 1985.

Brief Account of Incident:

On October 17, 2011, Fr. Fausto Tentorio, PIME was shot dead in the compound of the Mother of Perpetual Help parish church in Arakan, North Cotabato at around 7:30 a.m., by two unidentified men wearing helmets.Fr. Tentorio sustained 10 gunshot wounds from 9 mm weapon. Doctors tried to revive him upon arrival at the Antipas Medical Specialist but to no avail. His wake lies at theMother of Perpetual Help Parish in Arakan, North Cotobato

Possible Motive:

Fr. Pops is the 56^th Victim of EXTRAJUDICIAL KILLINGS under the Aquino regime. He is the 1^st Roman Catholic Church leader slain under the Peace and Development Team of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Fr. Pops, since his near death encounter with the Alamara in 2003, had been getting death threats. Since then, Fr. Pops had been targeted under Oplan Bantay Laya’s design of eliminating alleged supporters of progressive groups. He was a staunch indigenous people (IP) and peasant advocate who supported the Genuine Agrarian Reform Bill (GARB) or House Bill 374. He was also an anti-largescale and foreign mining advocate

Most of all, Fr. Pops had lived the church’s credo:

“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” (Proverbs 31:8-9)

WHAT CAN YOU DO:

1. Join the Fact Finding Mission on October 18, 2011.
2. Join the “Justice for Fr. Fausto Tentorio Movement”.
3. Offer masses and prayers for Fr. Pops.
4. Join or launch prayer vigils and candle lighting drumbeating the call for justice and for the end of impunity under the P-Noy
regime.
5. Write the Aquino government,the Armed Forces of the Philippines(AFP),and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to demand justice for Fr. Pops and all victims of EJKs, and demand the dismantling of
Aquino-AFP’s Peace & Development Teams under Oplan Bayanihan.

STOP THE KILLINGS OF CHURCH PEOPLE & OTHER PEOPLE’S LEADERS UNDER OPLAN BAYANIHAN!

Please email: pcpr_dc@yahoo.com or call +632- 273-2669 for inquiries and feedbacks.

Advocates for Human Rights in the Philippines-AHRP,US based network calls for justice for Fr. Fausto Tentorio

ICHRP Secretariat
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Press Statement, Chicago, Illinois, USA – In the early morning of  October 17 while on his way to a clergy meeting, Fr. Fausto Tentorio, an Italian Roman Catholic missionary serving the Philippines for 32 years was killed by an unidentified assassin. The gunman shot him several times on his chest and head.

Fr. Tentorio was the parish priest of the Mother of Perpetual Help Parish in Arakan Town, North Cotabato, Mindanao. He was the Director of the Diocesan Program for Indigenous People and a very active member of the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines.

Bishop Valentin Lorejo IFI, former chairperson of KARAPATAN Northern Mindanao, a human rights alliance in the Philippines and currently the Pastor of IFI Good Shepherd Congregation in Chicago believes that Fr. Tentorio’s advocacy for the rights of the indigenous people may have caused him his life.

Bishop Eliezer Pascua also from Chicago and former Secretary General of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines added that “Fr. Pops” as Fr. Tentorio was fondly called by his parishioners was a staunched defender of the rights of the indigenous people to preserve their ancestral land and as such may have earned the ire of big business and foreign mining companies in Mindanao.

The killing of Fr. Tentorio is very alarming said Fr. Steve de Leon SVD, Pastor of the Star of the Sea Catholic Church in Virginia Beach, Virginia and Spiritual Adviser of   Migrant Heritage Commission in Washington DC. He added that the killing of the Italian priest is part of the ongoing extra judicial killing of human rights advocates and activists in the Philippines.

Meanwhile Fr. Primitivo Racimo IFI, scholar and historian of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente and currently the Pastor of St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church in Chicago affirmed Fr. de Leon’s concern and said that the killing of Fr. Tentorio is the 54th incident of extra judicial killing under the administration of President Benigno Aquino III. He also noted that there are more than 900 victims of extra judicial killings in the Philippines since the year 2001.

Furthermore Fr. Benjamin Alforque MSC, Resident Priest of St. Catherine of  Alexandria Catholic Church in the Diocese of San Bernardino, California and Chairman of the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns-NAFCON and co-Chairperson of the National Ecumenical Forum for Filipino Concerns-NEFFC declared that genuine and lasting peace will never be attained in Mindanao nor the whole of the Philippines as long as respect for human rights and human dignity is absent and as long as disenfranchisement of indigenous communities, landlessness, joblessness, and state terrorism continue.

Filipinos and Filipino-Americans in the United States joined hands in condemning the killing and demand that President Aquino ensures a speedy investigation and prosecution of the culprit, among them were the following:

Very Reverend Dennis Legaspi VF, Pastor of St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic Church, Diocese of San Bernardino, California; Sr. Elizabeth Pedernal of the Missionary Sisters of St. Charles Borromeo-Scalabrini in Melrose Park, Illinois;  Ms. Naida Castro of the Filipino Catholic Ministry of the Diocese of San Bernardino, California; Prof. Ligaya Lindio-McGovern PhD of the Department of Sociology, History and Political Science of the Indiana University- Kokomo in Indiana; Fr. Justino Estoque,  Pastor of the Holy Family Catholic Church in Dulac, Louisiana; Fr. Sancho Garrote, Resident Priest of St. Brendan Catholic Church in Bronx, New York; and Reverend Dennis Duhaylungsod, clergy of the Northern California and Nevada Conference of the United Church of Christ in the US to mention a few.

To conclude Rocco Allegretti and Nerissa Allegretti acting secretariat of the Advocates for Human Rights in the Philippines (AHRP) and co-coordinators of the US nucleus of the Lay Scalabrinian Missionary Movement enjoins all peace loving and concern citizens to pray for: the family of Fr. Fausto Tentorio; his congregation, the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions or the Pontificum Institutum pro Missionibus Exteris (PIME); his Bishop, the Most Reverend Romulo Tolentino de la Cruz; the lay and clergy of the Diocese of Kidapawan, the indigenous people of Mindanao and the Filipino people that they may remain firm and steadfast in these trying times. #

For Reference:
Nerissa N. Allegretti, lay_scalabrinian_missionaries_us@yahoo.com

Rural missionaries condemn killing of Italian priest in Mindanao

ICHRP Secretariat
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Rural missionaries condemn killing of Italian priest in Mindanao

Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.” (John 10: 1-2)

Fr. Fausto Tentorio, PIME, third Italian priest martyred in the Philippines (photo from GMANews Online)

We are saddened of the news that came to our attention today, October  17, 2011  that a shepherd of the people   Fr. Fausto Tentorio, PIME  was murdered in his convent in   Arakan Valley Cotabato . He was killed by  assailants who entered  the  convent  and shot him on the head and chest  with three (3) bullets instantly killing him. It is very clear that the priest’s murder was  pre-meditated  as there was already a threat on his life  by the Bagani  paramilitary group under the jurisdiction of the 73rd IB, eight (8) years ago due  to his  love for the Lumads,  particularly in  organizing them  to have their voice heard the, TINANANON- KULAMANON LUMADNONG PANAGHIUSA (TIKULPA).

We, the  Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP) condemn in the strongest possible terms the killing of Fr. Fausto Tentorio, PIME  an RMP member   and a foreign  missionary  priest of    Cotabato  Southern Mindanao. His  killing  is a clear disrespect for his right to life  and liberty. It is an injustice to his mission to proclaim and live out  the gospel. As  an RMP member,  he was very active in  his  support, encouragement, and in pushing forward initiatives working for the promotion of the human rights of the poor farmers  and indigenous  people in Arakan Valley. He took up the defense of the poor and the oppressed against every form of social injustice. What happened to him is a clear manifestation of silencing his prophetic voice in defending the rights of the rural poor in the countryside. We denounce the extra-judicial killings that is still happening  and we demand justice for Fr.  Fausto Tentorio.  We believe that we can only have authentic and lasting peace if we have respect for human dignity, justice and freedom.

RMP  does not tolerate any form of repression especially through extrajudicial killings. The right to life is a gift  from God for everybody; no one has the right to take it. The wheel of justice is the proper venue for resolution of any  case. We therefore call on the proper authorities to conduct a thorough and speedy investigation on the killing of  Fr. Fausto  Tentorio and bring into the bar of justice the ones responsible.  He was  a  good shepherd  to God’s flock  and could have  journeyed long to help the   rural poor. We extend forth our sincerest and deepest sympathy to the  PIME  family of   Fr. Fausto  Tentorio.

Reference:

Sr.M. Francis  Anover,RSM
National Coordinator
Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP)
Tel # 930 6950
Email: ab.ruralmissions2010@gmail.com

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RURAL MISSIONARIES OF THE PHILIPPINES-Northern Mindanao Sub-Region (RMP-NMR)
P.O. Box 41324, 9200 Iligan City, PHILIPPINES
T/F: +63 223 5179  E: rmpnmr@gmail.com  W: www.rmp-nmr.org

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