Resist Tyranny, Defend Our Democratic Rights As A People

‘Do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves.’ -Philippians 2.3

The Iglesia Filipina Independiente is expressing her strongest opposition to amend the 1987 Philippine Constitution through a Constituent Assembly. The move to transform the House of Representatives into a Constituent Assembly to effect the changing of the laws of the land lays bare the deprivation of true statesmanship and the absence of political ethics among those who claim to represent our people. It is a glaring display of opportunism among members of Congress who are seeking to prolong and perpetuate their hold on to power. Their self-serving initiative draws questions regarding their moral competence to make the right decision for the country.

Clearly, what now transpires before our eyes testifies to the obdurate desire of Ms. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her political allies to abolish the present presidential system and put up a unicameral parliament without observing the principles of democracy, which is a fundamental right that is guaranteed by the Constitution. It is a frightening indication of tyrannical rule. This is morally wrong. We must not allow tyranny to usurp our democratic rights.

The Iglesia Filipina Independiente reiterates, in the strongest possible terms, her opposition to Charter Change through a Constituent Assembly. The unprecedented problems we are facing today as a nation cannot be simply attributed to the perceived defects in the Constitution as Malacañang wants us to believe.

They are the outcome of irresponsible governance by leaders whom the people perceive to be with questionable authority, credibility and integrity, as well as the centuries old structures that promote and protect the country’s tiny elite at the expense of the huge majority.

The conversion of Congress into a Constituent Assembly by congressmen themselves exhibits a blatant disrespect of the Constitution and disregard to the legitimate interest of our people. It tramples upon our inherent rights as a people to participate in a political process that charts the fate of our nation.

We therefore assert our stand -- a resounding NO TO CHARTER CHANGE THROUGH A CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY - while we commit our continuing support to our people’s aspiration to establish a truly democratic government where their interests are truly heard and served.

Pro Deo et Patria,

† MOST REVD GODOFREDO J. DAVID
Obispo Maximo

7th December 2006
City of Manila

When Prophets are Silenced

‘No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s own life for one’s friends.’ - John 15. 13

We, Bishops of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente, join our hearts in prayers as we humbly offer to the God of Justice, Truth and Peace, the life of our brother, Alberto B. Ramento.

The Church mourns the violent death of her son, a man of God who selflessly dedicated his life loving his neighbor and serving the people. However, the greatest testimony to the life of Bishop Ramento is found in his death.

Known as the ‘Bishop of the Poor Peasants and Workers’, Bishop Ramento embodied the spirituality of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente, a spirituality that celebrates the patriotic and democratic aspirations of the Filipino people and testifies to her faith and hope in Christ.

We are convinced that his murder was the consequence of his principled engagement with the Filipino people’s struggle for the fullness of life. The Church is strongly convinced that his brutal death is part of the worsening cases of extra-judicial killings in the country. We condemn this act of terror perpetrated against a man of the cloth murdered within the sanctuary of his own Church. We condemn militarization and make a stand against this attack on church people.

We lament over the grievous attempts to mislead the people into believing that Bishop Ramento’s murder is but a case of ‘simple robbery with homicide.’ We express our concern over the Philippine National Police (PNP) making a hasty conclusion of the case and have the impression that the police is being coerced to protect the powerful people who are behind Bishop Ramento’s death.

Not long ago, the AFP maliciously named the Iglesia Filipina Independiente 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’.

Hence, we have strong reasons to believe that what befell our brother bishop, as well as the countless unresolved political killings, the blatant attacks on democratic rights and civil liberties, as well as the continuing harassment of our other bishops and priests, is not without the knowledge of the GMA government and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). We reiterate our call for the GMA government to stop the extra-judicial killings and bring to an end these atrocities committed against the people.

We strongly call for the creation of an independent multi-sectoral investigating body to probe into the situation of human rights violations in the Philippines, including the case of Bishop Ramento’s brutal murder with the purpose of bringing the perpetrators into justice.

We also call on the faithful and the people to denounce the escalation of political repression and extra-judicial killings in the country, to remain vigilant against state terrorism, and to defend our democratic rights as citizens of the country.

We pray for strength to withstand these acts of aggressions and assaults committed against our bishops and priests. We continue to entrust ourselves to the Spirit to help us hold on to our hope in Jesus Christ and steadfastly proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom even before the face of death.

Lastly, we pray to God that the death of Alberto, our brother bishop, a martyr for peace, will not be in vain but give courage to the people to continue struggle for justice and peace in the world.

JUSTICE FOR BISHOP ALBERTO B. RAMENTO,

JUSTICE FOR ALL VICTIMS OF EXTRA-JUDICIAL KILLINGS

Pro Deo et Patria,

† MOST REVD GODOFREDO J. DAVID
Obispo Maximo

12th October 2006
City of Manila

A Statement Of The Iglesia Filipina Independiente On The Brutal Killing Of The Most Reverend Alberto B. Ramento, The Ninth IFI Obispo Maximo

“I Know They Are Going To Kill Me Next But Never Will I Abandon My Duty To God And My Ministry To The People”

(A statement of Bishop Alberto B. Ramento to his family)

The Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI) has once again made a precious offering in the continuing task of proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the brutal killing of the Most Reverend Alberto B. Ramento, the 9th Obispo Maximo of the Church.

The good bishop was slain by faceless assassins who broke through the rectory where he was staying at around four o’clock in the morning of October 03, 2006 in the Parish of San Sebastian, Tarlac City. He was awakened in his sleep when the assassins had entered his room and stabbed him seven times to death. We denounced in the strongest possible terms this barbaric and dastardly act against a man of the cloth within the premises of his own church.

Initial police investigation reports point to the incident as a mere case of robbery with homicide. However, the Ramento family, the clergy and the faithful of the Diocese of Tarlac believe that the motive is much deeper than what has come out from the spot investigation. There are glaring indications that Bishop Ramento’s murder was thoroughly planned and politically motivated. We believe that the brutal killing was the inevitable consequence of his principled engagement with the people and their struggle for the fullness of life.

Bishop Ramento, aside from being a well-loved pastor by his clergy and faithful, has earned the reputation as a social prophet, and an icon in the nationalist struggle of the Filipino masses with his uncompromising stand for national sovereignty and patrimony. He was a true advocate of just peace. As a matter of fact, Bishop Ramento is part of the Monitoring Group in the Peace Talks between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front Philippines.

He was a known figure in the ecumenical movement in and outside the country. Bishop Ramento has served as the Chairperson of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines. He was also a Co-Chairperson of the Ecumenical Bishops Forum (EBF) which is composed of bishops from the various Churches in the Philippines.

Bishop Ramento, as the Chairman of the IFI Supreme Council of Bishops (SCB), has strongly condemned the state of political repression and grave situation of human rights violation in the country. He has particularly denounced the unabated extra judicial killings of militant leaders, social activists, lawyers, journalists, church people and innocent civilians under the watch of the current administration. As an outspoken critic of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, he has consistently questioned the legitimacy of her presidency, and urged her to step down from office. In the last pastoral letter he signed as SCB Chairman, Bishop Ramento has urged the faithful “to find courage and confront the darkness that is engulfing the very soul of the nation and continue to thread the path towards the establishment of a just society under a government that genuinely serves the interest and welfare of the Filipinos.”

Honored as the “Bishop of the Poor Peasants and Workers”, Bishop Ramento has earned the love and respect of the farm workers at Hacienda Luisita, a vast sugar plantation in Tarlac, as he rallied support to their cause and advocated for their struggle.

The people behind his death might think that they have silenced him and maimed the prophetic voice of the Church. They are mistaken. His death has become like a candle in a burning incense, sparking more fire, enflaming the hearts of the clergy and faithful of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente to remain faithful to her pro-people and pro-labor heritage. Indeed, we grieved over his death, yet we celebrate his life.

They may have taken his life by opening his body with wounds – but these wounds have become the doorway from which Bishop Ramento’s valiant spirit has been poured out and shared to many.

Truly, the death of Bishop Alberto B. Ramento is a great loss not only for the Iglesia Filipina Independiente but also for the ecumenical movement and peoples’ organizations. The Iglesia Filipina Independiente strongly urges the authorities to immediately conduct a thorough and impartial investigation on the murder of Bishop Ramento and bring the perpetrators of this heinous crime to justice.

We ask the prayers of the faithful for Bishop Alberto B. Ramento, a fatherly pastor, a social prophet, an uncompromising nationalist, a peacemaker, and a champion of the peoples’ cause, who now joins his Creator. As we mourn the death of a beloved member of the IFI family, may we find inspiration from his life and death even as we commit to stand firmly for what he believed in and fought for. Let his death find meaning in our continuing resolve to live-out the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ upon which Bishop Ramento dedicated his life.

Pro Deo et Patria,

† THE MOST REVEREND GODOFREDO J. DAVID
11th Obispo Maximo

04th October 2006
City of Manila

Render What Is Right And Just To The Filipino People

An Open Letter of the Executive Commission of the Iglesia Filipina to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo

‘They shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake… ...’ ((Luke 21. 12)

A year ago, the Iglesia Filipina Independiente brought before you, Madam President, our apprehension and indignation over the worsening situation of human rights violations under your watch. We have urged you to look into the spate of political killings of leaders of the legitimate political opposition, militant activists, media practitioners and human rights lawyers, human rights advocates in the country and the intimidation of church people specially bishops, priests and church workers. We have strongly appealed to you to probe the allegations pointing to elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines as the perpetuators of this hounding and merciless butchery.

No words can express our frustration when you treated our appeal with cold shoulders. We have expected you to extend a helping hand to the families of victims of political killings and repression, but we waited in vain. It pierced deep into our very souls to realize that your heart does not hold affection for people who suffer from the violence of injustice. The way you have simply closed your eye to the unabated series of summary executions and abductions in the country is morally lamentable. Your manifest disregard to the rampant violation of civil liberties and the democratic rights of our people is second to none.

‘In her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all who have been slaughtered...’ (Revelation 18. 24)

We watched with pain and indignation the continuing violent persecution of church people that, by now, has resulted to the death of twenty-four priests, pastors and church workers from different Churches even as political slaughter goes unabated and the victims of extra-judicial killings swell up day after day. The international community can only be right when it stressed your apathy to address these grave issues of human rights violations in the country.

Perhaps, the people are right when they say these realities do not bother you at all because it is really you who benefit from the abductions, assassinations and coercion of individuals who are openly critical and opposed to your administration. Maybe, the people are right in believing that the military is behind these political killings to terrorize those who question the legitimacy of your office, bureaucratic corruption and the death of democratic processes under your government.

‘What have you done? Listen; your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground.’ (Genesis 4.10)

Our conscience obliges us to speak to you in truth, Madam President. The blood of those who were innocently killed cries from the ground. The signs of the times are urging us to stand and speak up lest darkness overcomes what is right and just. Do not blame us if we dare say that we have already lost confidence in you to bring to an end the worsening situations of political killings and violent repression of our people, in as much as we believe that it is to the cause of justice and peace and for the good of the nation that you should voluntarily step down from office in the most immediate time. We ask you this sacrifice knowing that you too believe that the Filipino people deserve a president and government that would genuinely promote their welfare and well-being and uphold their interests as citizens of this our beloved land.

Our prayers go with you, Madam President, as we ask you to reflect in the light of our Christian faith and find the courage in your heart to render what is right and just to the Filipino people. Only then can you regain our trust and the respect of our people.

† THE M0ST REVD GODOFREDO J. DAVID
Obispo Maximo

7th September 2006
City of Manila

Stand Firm In Your Faith, Be Courageous, Be Strong

(1 Corinthians 16.13)

We view with grave concern the accusation lodged against six members ofthe Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines that they have conspired with the ‘Left’ and the ‘Right’ to topple down the current dispensation in this country. We abhor the way by which those who are opposed to or critical of the Arroyo regime are either tried by publicity without the benefit of proving their innocence or, much worse, are abducted, tortured, illegally detained or salvaged.

The concerned Bishops are known to us in one way or another. They are highly respected leaders of the Church whose moral integrity are beyond reproach and whose deep compassion for the poor, deprived and oppressed are known far and wide. On many occasions we have crossed our paths and journeyed together in our common pursuit of peace based on justice. The accusations thrown against these men of the cloth by questionable people and magnified in the media by the Arroyo regime have shocked our senses. In this regard, we in the leadership of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente are expressing our outrage against these false accusations in the strongest possible terms.

We can only ask ourselves why even bishops are not spared from intrigues and false accusations. Is this a deliberate effort by a regime, whose legitimacy is being questioned on all fronts, to divert public attention from the unsolved abduction and salvaging of people who are critical of the present dispensation? Is it an attempt to diffuse the mounting outrage against purported bribery initiatives coming from the seat of power in this country? Is it a way to deflect the ever-increasing restlessness snowballing across classes and sectors of Philippine society, which, at any time, would erupt across the archipelago? Is it a crime to work for the common good and promote the welfare and well being of human beings created in the image of God and of the integrity of creation?

We can only express our solidarity and all out support to the Most Reverend Antonio Tobias when he say that ‘he has committed no crime and that he would abide by the verdict or judgment of the Filipino people’. We also urge the faithful to pray for our bishops that they may never waiver from their commitment to serve justice and peace to the beleaguered people of our country. May their commitment to the message of the Gospel of Christ continue to be the source of their joy as they are being led to trial. Let us also find inspiration in their courage to confront the darkness that is engulfing the very soul of our nation and with them continue to thread the path towards the establishment of just society under a government that genuinely serves the interest and welfare of the Filipino people.

Pro Deo et Patria,

† THE MOST REVEREND ALBERTO B. RAMENTO, DD
President, Supreme Council of Bishops

23rd July 2006
City of Manila

A Pastoral Letter On Our Most Recent Reading Of The Signs Of The Times

BELOVED PEOPLE OF GOD:

Greetings in the name of the Risen Lord Jesus Christ.

We, your servants, have been gravely appalled by the blinding darkness that has engulfed the society we live. Many have been stirred into confusion and ceaseless debates while the pain of worsening hunger and poverty remains a day-to-day experience for the majority of our people.

It is in this context that we are sharing with you the result of our collective reading of the signs of the times. We fervently hope and pray that we may let the light shine for our people to see, reflect, and eventually decide on what should be done (Luke 12:56-57). This is not a matter of choice for us bishops but a matter of obligation in complete obedience to God. It is in this spirit that we speak to you on the important issues of our day.

On Charter Change and Globalization

We have witnessed that in recent years, previous administrations have repeatedly tried to change the 1987 Philippine Constitution. The most obsessive of such initiative is currently being pursued by the Arroyo administration that is letting no stones unturned to have its way. One could easily conclude that her efforts to change the Constitution embodies a scheme to insulate her administration from questions surrounding legitimacy, graft and corruption, internal division, and violent repression of legitimate political opposition.

The proponents of charter change are blaming the bicameral legislature for the country’s chronic economic and political failures to justify the unicameral alternative as a solution. Its advocates even invoke the common good and the people’s interest, enticing the public with their deceptive promises of national recovery, development and growth. Yet we know that while neo-liberal policies continue to dominate our domestic economy, such a change will solely benefit the tiny ruling elite of landed gentry and big businessmen whose interest is to perpetuate their economic and political stranglehold, and further deprive the vast majority of the Filipino people who clamor for genuine social change. Our Lord Jesus has warned us against these people who will come to mislead us:

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, of figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.” (Matthew 7.15-17)

Any move to change the constitution at this time without observing time-tested democratic and participative processes, and without due respect to the genuine interests of the vast majority of our people can only be rightly construed as self-serving to the political elites and their foreign masters.

We do agree that the 1987 Constitution needs some changes. However, changes in fundamental law of the country must ensure the well being of the Filipino people and the environment and uphold civil liberties and national sovereignty over property and profit. Yet we know that the main agenda of charter change is to virtually amend domestic laws to conform to the exploitative demand of the World Trade Organization by removing the remaining hindrances to the destructive schemes of liberalization, deregulation, and privatization; and unprotect human rights, the peoples’ welfare, environment, and the country’s national sovereignty. We must therefore be vigilant and strongly oppose the Arroyo administration’s scheme to change the Constitution.

On Political Repression and Persecution of Church People

We also share the pain and rage of our people and raise our voices even as we bow our heads in prayer over the brutal killing of our soft-spoken and courageous priest Rev. Fr. William Tadena and the ambush and wounding of Rev. Fr. Allan Caparro and wife Aileen about a year ago which remain unsolved until this day. Our clergy and church workers continue to suffer unabated and intensified harassment from state agents as in the cases of Fr. Wendy Sediego of the Diocese of Negros Oriental and Siquijor, Fr. Marco Sulayao of the Diocese of Iloilo, Fr. Renato Respicio of the Diocese of Nueva Ecija and Fr. Terry Revollido of the Diocese of Western Pangasinan. The persecution of church people manifests the degree of desperation by the Arroyo government to suppress the people’s desire for fundamental social changes that promote decent and humane lives for all.

We also feel the anguish and shed tears with the families and friends of hundreds of unarmed human rights advocates, ournalists, development workers, and political oppositionists nationwide who have been murdered by cold-blooded and well armed men in fatigue uniforms. We hold our hands together over the continuing death threats and harassments to a number of our bishops, priests, lay workers, and the people who bravely took the side of life against the instruments of death.

Those whose hands are filled with blood may be thinking that by persecution they may be able to maim the peoples’ struggle for truth, freedom, and justice. They should be informed that despite the violent persecution of Christians in the early Church, the preaching of the Gospel persevered and spread throughout the world. While in prison, St. Paul wrote:

“Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. As a result, it becomes clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.” (Philippians 1:12-14)

We will always be with the people in deploring in the strongest means the use of violence against the unarmed and the defenseless. We likewise abhor the use of violence for the purpose of gain or profit and done in any form depriving our people of resources and resulting to hunger and poverty, may it be in the guise of anti-terrorism, benevolence and development. Let us strongly denounce the intensifying violent political repression in the country, remain vigilant against tyranny and terrorism of the state and the military, and resist military infringement of civilian authority.

On Peoples’ Confusion and Public Opinion

In a confusing environment, everyone should come to acknowledge that there exist in the world today and since time immemorial, forces of exploitation and oppression, ‘for our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms’ (Ephesians 6:12). These dark powers are in a dominant position against the now resisting oppressed and exploited peoples of the world.

The mass media and the modern information technology are the most decisive arena of conflict today and no longer in the battlefields. It is where the oppressed peoples are trying to reveal to the world the truth about the evils of globalization and the unjust wars of aggression against smaller nations in the guise of war on terrorism. However, the tale-spinners of oppression easily cover the truth as their influence over channels of information has been well entrenched. Given this reality, public opinion via mass media and information technology has become highly subjective and does not necessarily hold the truth.

It is not surprising therefore that many people criticize us your bishops for raising ‘unpopular opinions’ and that we are becoming ‘too political’ in our actions. Yet our decisions are based on field-level realities and in the light of the Gospel. We are also aware that whatever we say, if our words speak of the truth, we will always be criticized. Jesus also experienced the same way:

“For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘he is a demon’. The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘here is a glutton and drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners. But wisdom is proved right by her actions.” (Matthew. 11: 18)

It is action that can prove the preciseness of wisdom. Furthermore, Jesus also told us that to know a tree, one should see its fruits (Matthew 7:17). When in 1994 we rejected the Ramos administration’s NIChood 2000 that spoke of the Philippines becoming a newly industrialized country in year 2000 upon its entry into the World Trade Organization, the people hardly believed us. Ten years after, what is happening is the opposite: the economy has been treading the path of deindustrialization as manifested by the consistently dwindling share from the industrial sector in the country’s gross national product (GNP). History has proven us right because we carefully look at actions, at performance and track records as proofs of wisdom. The proponents of globalization are proven wrong by their fruits: the worsening unemployment, the almost frozen workers’ wages and benefits, and many more. Time and again, words may come to us from the right, left, and the so-called moderates in our society. But let us not be deceived by mere advertisements, by brands or labels, nor by the reengineered public opinion, but by the sincerity of their actions and the quality of their products.

Our Call

With the important issues and concerns briefly shared above, please allow us your servants to also share with you the following calls to action.

Let us be one with the people in opposing the Arroyo government’s efforts to change the 1987 Constitution, obviously aimed at perpetuating her questionable presidency and impress her foreign masters by conforming our charter to imperialist globalization.

Continue to seek the truth and justice surrounding the presidency of Ms. Arroyo and support investigations on the alleged election fraud and related graft and corruption.

Defend human rights and seek justice on the killing and harassments of church people, media and lawyer advocates, human rights advocates, and the legitimate political opposition.

Be in constant prayer and solidarity with each other and with other groups in the continuing pilgrimage and struggle for peace leading to the full realization of the Kingdom of God.

Thank you sisters and brothers for your patience and interest in listening to our views and renewed calls to action. We shall always be with you in your individual journeys of faith and in our common pilgrimage towards the fulfillment of God’s reign.

Respectfully yours in behalf of the Supreme Council of Bishops,

† THE MOST REVEREND ALBERTO B. RAMENTO, DD
President, Supreme Council of Bishops

† THE MOST REVEREND GODOFREDO J. DAVID
Obispo Maximo

8th May 2006

Obispado Maximo, City of Manila

Let Us Vanquish The Darkness With Our Light

‘The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it’ (John 1.5)

The people of this beleaguered nation now find themselves in a nightmarish situation as calm and civility have been sold in exchange for brute power and barbarity. This comes about as President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has unjustly placed the country under a state of national emergency, a euphemism for martial law, through Proclamation 1017 over a presumed military mutiny aimed against her government. President Arroyo’s proclamation has plunged the country into dictatorial rule and has instantaneously malformed the military and police organizations into instruments of state repression. Grave infringements on civil liberties and the people’s democratic rights were committed against the unsuspecting populace through a vicious string of warrantless arrests and manhunt of the president’s critics.

Certainly, a dark night of terror has befallen the country. President Arroyo has turned her back from her constitutional oath and moral duty to protect the citizenry and discriminatorily put the Filipino people under siege. What we see is the aggressive emergence of a military state in response to the people’s growing dissent over President Arroyo’s unrealized promises to institute good governance and meaningful socio-economic and socio-political reforms and to the mounting call for her to step down from the presidency.

The present circumstances cannot but deserve the indignation of the Filipino people. What our nation needs today is a way out of the ever-worsening economic and political maladies, and not another authoritarian rule. A people engulfed by the blinding darkness of the night can only but rightly light their torches and lift them high up to vanquish the frightening onslaught of a dead darkness. In the same spirit, the Filipino people have all the right to fight back to defend themselves and the freedom that they have victoriously regained and earned for themselves when threatened by the violence of tyranny. Martial rule cannot quash the courageous spirit and strength of a heroic people to bring about a Philippine nation that is truly sovereign and a government for the Filipinos that is truly democratic.

The Iglesia Filipina Independiente denounces in the strongest possible terms President Arroyo’s act of placing the country under a state of national emergency. It lacks constitutional and moral grounds for it gravely contradicts the people’s aspiration for the building of a peaceful, just and humane Philippine society. The most that it can provide is a false sense of security and stability to her government as much as it only leads to state fascism and graver violations of human, civil and democratic rights of the Filipino people. We therefore strongly call on President Arroyo to withdraw Proclamation 1017 in the soonest possible time and respect the inherent right of our people to live in freedom. We also reiterate our appeal for her to take the patriotic duty to step down from the presidency to spare our country from the agony of further dissent and division and to give way for the establishment of a democratic government that can truly unite and represent our people. The Filipino people deserve a president and a government that will truly uphold their aspiration, promote and protect their wellbeing, and bring about a country that is genuinely independent and democratic.

We also urge the faithful and the rest of the Filipino people to stand firmly and courageously resist martial rule. Enshrined in our very soul as a nation is our inherent right to freedom, and it is our solemn duty as a people to protect and preserve this legacy. Let us persevere in our journey towards just peace, democracy and sovereignty as a people and a nation. The Spirit is bidding us; ‘Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made (you) free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.’ (Galatians 5.1)

Pro Deo et Patria.

† RT REVD EPHRAIM S. FAJUTAGANA
General Secretary

26th February 2006
Obispado Maximo, City of Manila

Oppose Charter Change, Pursue Genuine Social Reforms

‘The wicked are filled with cursing and deceit and oppression… they murder the innocent… and seize the poor and drag them off their net.’ (Psalm 10. 7-9)

The psalmist laments over the way the mighty trample upon the weak beneath their feet. He condemns the violent ways and deceptive designs they wrought to feed their greed for power and wealth, which drag the poor to deeper destitution. In the midst of oppression and exploitation, the psalmist assures the poor that God will bring them relief and do them justice, as God will certainly stretched out his hands to topple the tyrants and rebuke their wicked ways.

We steadfastly cling to this promise of relief and hope for God’s justice in the midst of the ever worsening and devastating crisis that plagues the nation and continue to impoverish our people.

The Philippines is a country beset with crisis. Year in and year out, our nation has been besieged with all kinds of debilitating crisis that have greatly affected our economic, political, social and moral life as a people. The national soul and our sense of pride as a nation state are being consistently eroded to the point where the social fabric that welds the Filipino as a people is at its critical point of breaking down. The moans and cries of a desperate citizenry, shouts for help and deliverance are heard everywhere - in the countryside, in the parliament of the street, even in the halls and corridors of power – of this our battered land.

Our national life is in disarray. There is a breakdown in governance and in our democratic processes and institutions. The national leaders are divided along party lines and personal interests. From all indications, the common good is no longer the primary agendum of politicians and political leaders both in high and low echelons of power in government. Those who have been elected and charged with the primordial task of promoting the common welfare and well being of the Filipino people have turned their back against the citizenry fleecing the people with more taxes while facing, with subservient attitude, the authors and executors of imperialist globalization. Meanwhile, graft and corruption has turned from bad to worse. The consequence of this mockery and betrayal of public trust is a people perpetually chained to a life of poverty and death.

The present dispensation under Ms. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is offering Charter Change as the solution to the political, economic, social and moral crisis engulfing the Philippines. As in ages past, the powers-that-be in this our troubled land do not think twice in raising an accusing finger elsewhere but to themselves. Like Pontius Pilate of old, the incumbent leadership want to wash their hands by pointing to the system of government as the culprit in bringing about this national malady debilitating our beloved country.

The 1987 Constitution is the product of the collective wisdom, good will and intentions of men and women whose integrity and credibility are beyond reproach. It contains all the essential provisions that would enable the country in its march toward national development and progress. What is sorely lacking is the political will to pursue to the letter the provisions and stipulations of the 1987 Constitution. A change in the constitution or in the system of governance for that matter is no guarantee for the country to extricate itself from the quagmire of poverty and underdevelopment. What is needed is a complete change of heart and a strong political will to pursue the common good, one that puts prime import the welfare and well being of the Filipino people.

Any move to change the constitution at this time without observing time-tested democratic and participative processes, and without due respect to the genuine interests of the vast majority of our people is construed to be self-serving to the political elites and their foreign masters. Whose interest will Charter Change or a change in the system of government promote among these contending interests:

• The vast majority of the Filipino people who clamor for genuine change and a life in its fullness through genuine land reform and nationalist industrialization?
• The tiny minority of political elites, landed gentry and big businessmen whose interest is to hold on to economic and political power and lord it over the majority?
• The agents of imperialist globalization whose interest is to have an unbridled access to the nation’s resources including 100% ownership of land, utilities, mass media; an overseas base of foreign military troops, and a storage facilities of nuclear weapons, and other warheads and instruments?

Clearly, Charter Change only shows Ms. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s disrespect towards the Constitution and her brazen disregard to the people’s legitimate interest. It contradicts the aspiration of the Filipino people for economic productivity and growth through genuine land reform and nationalist industrialization and the establishment of a genuine democratic government in the Philippines. Charter Change, therefore, must be opposed.

The Iglesia Filipina Independiente reiterates, in the strongest possible terms, her opposition to Charter Change for it is not the answer to the present economic, political, social and moral crisis. The grave problems we face today cannot be simply attributed to the ‘flaws’ in the Constitution as the government wants us to believe. They are the outcome of irresponsible governance by leaders whom the people perceive to be with questionable authority, credibility and integrity, and centuries old structures and systems that promote/protect the country’s tiny elite at the expense of the huge majority. Our faith urges us to make a stand – and that is a resounding NO TO CHARTER CHANGE while we commit our continuing support to the Filipino people’s struggle to install a truly democratic government where their interests are truly heard and served. Let us all help in building a nation where people live with dignity and integrity.

Pro Deo et Patria,

† RT REVD EPHRAIM S. FAJUTAGANA
General Secretary

20th February 2006
Obispado Maximo, City of Manila