British Columbia Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines
Statement

STATEMENT ON THE RECENT MILITARY RAID ON THE CONVENT OF THE SISTERS OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD

November 17 , 2006

It is with disbelief and righteous anger that we read the news about the illegal intrusion of the military into the convent of the Contemplative Sisters of the Religious of the Good Shepherd (RGS) in Butuan City on the night of October 31.  In the guise of looking for Jorge Madlos, a top NDF leader in Mindanao, Supt. Wilfredo Reyes and his men arrogantly barged into the convent of women religious whose work in the church as well as in society revolves around prayer and contemplation.

With no search warrant, these military men in full battle gear forced themselves into the rooms of the sisters and all over the convent and terrified the congregation. The raid clearly betrays the arrogance and the apparent lack of “intelligence” of the military. Their later attempt at an apology also makes it publicly clear that the military regards this as a simple matter that can be appeased with an offering of canned goods, fruits and bread to the sisters!

We support the Sisters of the Good Shepherd in their protest against this violation of their civil liberties and religious rights and stand behind their filing of a formal complaint before the Commission on Human Rights. We are inspired by the courage of the sisters in standing up for their rights.

In the context of the continuing repression and the rise in political killings, it is only too clear that the raid at the convent follows the pattern of persecution by the government and its military against church people. The sisters have not forgotten a similar raid of the Missionary Sisters of Mary (MSM) convent in Agusan del Norte in 2004, the filing of rebellion charges against St. Mary John Dumaog of the RGS in Agusan del Sur and the killing of RGS lay worker Mateo Morales last Jan. 24, 2006.

The Arroyo government and its military will not spare anyone who makes a stand for justice and human rights, not even church people who take up the preferential option for the poor. Not when this “terrorist” government has already attacked human rights activists, lawyers, journalists, students, women, progressive politicians and local officials, and indigenous activists. This is the kind of desperate government that ambushed a medical doctor, Dr. Claver, and his family in broad daylight! To date, the death toll since this President stepped into power in 2001 is 770, and of that number, 23 church people, including a bishop, have already been killed. More continue to be harassed, to be intimidated and receive death threats.

The human rights record of the Marcos dictatorship pales beside that of the Arroyo government. This insane violence has not escaped the joint foreign chambers of commerce in the Philippines when they recently, and surprisingly, expressed their concern about the political killings. This is the latest in the many statements and reports from churches, human rights groups, fact-finding missions and international human rights institutions like Amnesty International that call for a stop to the political killings and hold the Arroyo government responsible and accountable for this human rights disaster in the Philippines.

The BC Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines calls on the Canadian government to review its foreign policy on the Philippines in the light of the continuing human rights violations, especially the political killings, and to call on the Philippine government to STOP this carnage.

We support the people’s organizations as they continue to resist these attacks and extend our solidarity to their struggle.

Stop the Political Killings in the Philippines!