Upholding the sanctity of life

(The Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Commission-Association of the Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines or JPICC-AMRSP issued this statement on June 10, the 19th anniversary of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program.)

The sanctity of life is a universal and gospel value that every human being is asked to embrace as affirmation of (our) love for the Creator God and other created beings. Time and again though, we see its desecration by the many “faces of death” in our country.

The Lord said (to Cain): ‘What have you done? Listen, your brother’s blood cries out to me from the soil. Therefore, you shall be banned from the soil that opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood. If you till the soil, it shall not give you its produce. You shall become a restless wanderer on the earth!’ (Genesis 4: 10-12)

We have yet to settle and confront the evils of extra-judicial killings in the country. Yet nothing has been done about the continuous bloodshed happening in the rural areas, especially the on-going saga of the struggling farmers of Hacienda Velez Malaga.

The violent deaths committed against the Task Force Mapalad farmers Alejandro Garcesa, 70, and Ely Tupas, 52, including the wounded Jude Capitania, 32, Jobert Malayas, 25, Rene Florendia, 27, Alan Hagocoy, 26, Norberto Diamante, 47, and Andre Barcoma, 17 are “clear as day” manifestations of the loss of value for sacredness of life.

The Church clearly teaches that:

Whatever is opposed to life itself, what-ever violates the integrity of the human person... They poison human society, and they do more harm to those who practice them than to those who suffer from the injury. Moreover, they are a supreme dishonor to the Creator. (Gaudium et Spes, 27)

Even with a Supreme Court Ruling in favor of the farmers and their historic installation last March 22, 2007 with no less than the presence of Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary Nasser Pangandaman, the side of "the least among us” has remained battered.

The actions of a few capitalist and profit-oriented Filipinos in society acting without thought and without respect for the rule of law have caused the continuous oppression of many Filipino farmers. They have been legitimately and morally granted their piece of land if only to free them from a miserable and poverty-stricken condition. However, they remain not enjoying the victorious fruit of their struggle.

The Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Commission-Association of the Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines (JPICC-AMRSP) strongly denounces the series of violence committed against farmers just as we also condemn the seeming inaction of some members of the peacekeeping-mandated 6th Regional Mobile Group (RMG) headed by Senior Supt. Pedro Merced based in La Castellana, Negros Occidental.

We therefore call upon our Philippine institutions to seek just and peaceful solutions to bring an end to such trends of desecration of life in the country! In particular, we call upon the authorities of the DAR to abide by the rule of law and hasten the implementation of the provisions of a post-installation process like the demarcation of the boundaries of the declared 53 hectares.

We also encourage our fellow religious priests, brothers and sisters to pray and act for the speedy resolution of the long-delayed justice of our sister and brother farmers in Hacienda Velez Malaga. We especially call upon those who are in Negros or within the area(s) to be part of the campaigns to overcome the experiences of fear and death.

We urge all Filipinos, Christians and believers to join in upholding a culture of peace based on justice and respect for the integrity of creation!


Contact Persons: Ms. Charito Jocson Pinalas, Executive Secretary (02) 436-2561; Sr. Angelina Villanueva, RC, JPIC Coordinator, Congregation of Our Lady of the Retreat in the Cenacle