Nexus of Queens


Published by the Queens Federation of Churches

Churches Share Concerns about Human Rights Situation in Philippines

March 22, 2012

"The situation of human rights violations remains worrisome in the Philippines. It ranges from vilification, harassment, torture, evacuation due to military operations and other inhumane treatment of political prisoners," Marie Hilao-Enriquez told the general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit and other WCC staff during an encounter in Manila, Philippines on 21 March.

Hilao-Enriquez is chairperson of Karapatan, a human rights activist group working in cooperation with the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP). She spoke about human rights violations with the WCC staff members who are currently in Manila to participate in a WCC Commission on World Mission and Evangelism (CWME) event.

Hilao-Enriquez mentioned the continuing efforts by churches and civil society groups that are urging Philippines President Benigno Aquino and his administration to address the abuse of human rights in the country.

"Despite the challenges we face, we still keep our faith in the people.

It is youth, women and Indigenous Peoples who raise the voices for their rights in the face of conditions detrimental to their lives and livelihoods," added Hilao-Enriquez.

The WCC general secretary praised the spirit of the churches working for peace and justice in the Philippines, both in his discussion with Hilao-Enriquez and earlier in the day with Filipino church leaders at a NCCP event.

Tveit introduced the theme "God of life, lead us to justice and peace" while speaking to the church leaders in Manila on Wednesday morning. This is the official theme of the WCC 10th Assembly to be held at Busan, Korea in 2013.

Referring to the biblical basis of the gospel of Matthew, Tveit said that "the God of life is a Creator leading us to justice, righteousness, truth, grace and the peace of the resurrected Christ."

He stressed the significance of Asian churches and the realities of their struggles in the ecumenical movement, inviting them to reflect on the WCC Assembly theme and contribute from their perspectives commentaries on how to achieve justice and peace given their challenging contexts.

Fr Rex Reyes, general secretary of the NCCP, recognized the past interventions by the WCC in communicating to the government concerning the situation of human rights violations in the country.

"Dealing with the human rights issues is not a new phenomenon for churches in the Philippines. We appreciate the support we had from the WCC Living Letters visit in 2010, due to which we were able to highlight the concerns of the communities who suffered from the abuse of human rights," said Reyes.

The WCC general secretary also met with victims of human rights violations at the NCCP office. They shared their personal testimonies with the attendees of the meeting. He also offered prayers for these victims and expressed solidarity on behalf of the churches.