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
