PCPR

Promotion of Church Peoples Response

Korea Coordinating Committee

Let us steadfastly live out our faith Join us and together we shall serve the people

A Statement in Memorial of Fr. Fausto Tentorio, PIME

November 1, 2011

We urge the Aquino government to stop extra-judicial killings, give justice to victims, resume peace talks and carry out social justice in the Philippines
The Promotion of Church Peoples Response (PCPR), Korea Coordinating Committee urged the Aquino government to stop extra-judicial killings in the Philippines. We strongly denounce the continuance of extra-judicial killings and the culture of impunity under the present government of President Benigno S. Aquino III, a carryover from Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The recent and past victims of the extrajudicial killings have not been served justice and their families have longed for the time when the killers are put to the bar of justice and are penalized for the crimes they have committed. The recent victim of this state initiated counter-insurgency strategy is Ramon Batoy, 35, was killed a merely three days after Fr. Fausto Tentorio was killed in Arakan Valley. The soldiers also fired at Batoys house, his wife Gina, who is six months old pregnant, and their two children were able to escape. He was killed by soldiers of the 57th Infantry Battalion (IB) in Sitio Upper Lumbo, Barangay Kabalantian, Arakan Valley, North Cotabato last Oct. 20. Prior to this was the killing of the Italian priest Fr. Fausto Pops Tentorio, PIME, a missionary who worked among the Manobo and other indigenous tribes in Arakan Valley, North Cotabato. Fr. Fausto Tentorio was serving the indigenous people in Mindanao since 1978 and was the head of the Tribal Filipinos Apostolate of the Diocese of Kidapawan. He was gunned down by a motorcycle riding gunman inside the compound of his convent in Arakan Valley, North Cotabato last October 17. We hold accountable the Aquino government for the murder of Ramon Batoy and Fr. Tentorio. This is the 54th and 55th cases in the spate of extra-judicial killings under the present government. The gunman may have killed Fr. Tentorio, a person of faith, but hasnt killed the faith on which his love, commitment and service to Gods people are founded. On this memorial days for the saints, we remember Fr. Fausto Tentorio, who is one of the committed servants of God, both living and martyred who dared to promote sustainable agriculture and community-oriented development capacity-building programs among the marginalized and oppressed people in the Philippines. He has been one with the Manobo and Lumad communities and a prophetic voice that criticized the military operations in Arakan Valley. With his vision of abundant and peaceful life for them, he exemplified Christs courage to challenge the oppressive powers that use coercion and the power of guns to rule the indigenous peoples. Fr. Fausto Tentorio was the second church person killed under present government. His death proceeded the killing of Rabenio Sungit of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines, who was a staunch advocate and supporter of justice, peace and integrity of creation. Fr. Tentorio is the 32 nd church people and second Roman Catholic victim of extra-judicial killings since 2001. The resurgence of extra-judicial killings puts the Aquino government in the list of militarist and dictatorial powers in the Philippines. More and more people, churches, missionary societies and ecumenical organizations have marked the Aquino government as a militarist and repressive regime and they will not remain

passive, but will strongly denounce the evils of extra-judicial killings and the unjust political, economic and cultural systems in the Philippines. The ground in which the bodies of the slain victims laid to rest, is the same ground that has raised the sons and daughters of the indigenous people or the Lumads who have long been suffering of poverty and oppression in the hands of the ruling class in the Philippines and the corporations that have deprived them of Gods abundant life. The insatiable corporate greed for natural resources that feed the luxurious life of the rich corporations, the ruling class, and the connivance of the state security forces and local vigilante groups constitute the repressive regime that feeds on the blood of its victims and the marginalized peoples. We believe that Oplan Bayanihan, the counterinsurgency program under the Aquino government is deceptively clothed as a welfare program, but in reality a military strategy that carries out extrajudicial killings. We know that the history of armed resistance is rooted in the unjust and oppressive political, economic and cultural systems. We urge the government to resume peace talks with the National Democratic Front (NDF) to iron out tenable solutions to social problems in the country. The government does not have all the solutions to social problems that plague the country and even lacks the vision for abundant life for the majority of the Filipino people. We urge President Benigno Aquino III to: Stop Oplan Bayanihan now. Give justice to all victims of extra-judicial killings. Halt the culture of impunity. Prosecute and punish Philippine security forces involved in command responsibility for the killers of the victims of extra-judicial killings. Resume peace talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) Implement sustainable livelihood for indigenous peoples or the Lumads. End the reign of greed in the Philippines. Implement social justice programs and protect human rights of the people. Listen very carefully and do what God says, Justice, and only justice, you shall follow, that you may live and inherit the land which the Lord your God gives youDeuteronomy 16: 20.

For the PCPR Korea Coordinating Committee:

REV. FRANK HERNANDO Convener

Contact information: email: frankhernando@gmail.com Telephone: +82-10-2931-5770