Manila, Philippines June 8, 2011

"Drop the Trumped-up Charges Against Pastor Edwin Egar and the Rest of the ST 7 2"

The National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) is extremely alarmed over the revival of charges against the Southern Tagalog 72 or ST 72. The ST 72 is the collective name for church people, la wyers, human rights workers and leaders of peoples organizations who were charged by the military with fabric ated cases of multiple murders and frustrated multiple murders. This is the third time that charges were filed agai nst the 72. The two previous cases were dismissed. This new case is clearly a form of harassment. It further reflects th e gnawing thought that when it comes to human rights, there seems to be no difference between the old and new dispensati ons.

What makes this very alarming for the NCCP is that two church people are on the list: Pastor Mel Abesamis of the United Methodist Church (UMC) and Pastor Edwin Egar of the United Church of Chri st in the Philippines (UCCP). The UMC and UCCP are member churches of the NCCP. Moreover, this issue strikes home because Pastor Egar is responsible for the Advocacy and Campaign component of the NCCPs Human Rights Pro gram Defending the Defenders, aimed at strengthening human rights defenders and bettering the situat ion of victims and families of human rights violations, which is also funded by the European Union under the Eu ropean Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR). He had previous stints with NCCP, as Human Rights Prog ram Regional Coordinator for South Luzon from 2003-2004 and later on was a volunteer staff of our Relief and Rehabi litation services.

In February 11, 2009, Pastor Egar was abducted by armed men in Macalamcam, Rosar io, Batangas. It was only through the quick response of his church as well as friends in the human rights communit y that he was released a few hours later. Since then he and his family had to relocate. When the cases against him were dismissed, the NCCP took him in again as staff member to help him rebuild his life and enable him to continue in his ministry for peace and human rights. This new case against him and the 71 others, one of who has since died, is reliving a nightmare.

We condemn in the strongest terms this latest attempt to harass human rights def enders and leaders of peoples

organizations critical of government policies and the continuing climate of impu nity. Would that the government focus on ensuring that justice be accorded to victims of human rights violations by pr osecuting violators and not going after those who are working for human rights like Pastor Egar. In the name of justice, we urge that these charges be withdrawn immediately. END

For more information, please contact: REV. FR. REX REYES, JR., NCCP General Secretary Ms. Biyaya Quizon, NCCP Media Liaison Officer

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