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Thursday, February 22, 2007
Church delegates assure US probe on killings
By Lizanilla J. Amarga
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY -- The United States Senate and House of Representatives will be conducting separate hearings on extrajudicial killings in the Philippines, said delegates of the California-Nevada United Methodist Church (UMC), USA.
The foreign delegates vowed to "stand in solidarity" with the victims of human rights violations not only before their Council of Bishops but also before their US Congress and in the international global community.
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The California-Nevada Annual Conference UMC, USA last June was participated by 12,000 members who voted unanimously for a resolution to investigate the political killings in the Philippines.
Three groups of California-Nevada UMC, USA delegates were sent to the country for nine days from February 16-24.
The group assigned here includes General Board of Church and Society, UMC chairperson Bishop Beverly Jean Shamana and her husband Walter Woods, Rev. Arturo D. Capuli, Rev. Ruth Ocera-Cortez.
Also, Board of Church and Society California-Nevada Annual Convention UMC, USA chairperson Rev. Pamela Fine and Shasta District, California-Nevada Annual Convention UMC, USA lay Marlyn Silva-Netto.
The foreign delegates held a press conference Wednesday. Bishop Shamana said it is not only because of their convention's resolution but also due to the "Christian mandate (that) compels them to be with those who are disposed, forgotten, oppressed and repressed."
She said their group members have documented the accounts of the victims of political killings and other human rights violations and their family members.
"We listened and our hearts were just torn out of us," she said citing cases of how children shared with them the loss they felt for the loss of their relatives.
There are now 833 victims of extrajudicial killings with Misamis Oriental Farmers Association (Mofa) chairman Dalmacio Gandinao of Salay, Misamis Oriental as the latest victim. There are supposedly over 220 victims of forced abductions.
The bishop said they also spoke to farmers who used to own the land they are now toiling but are now dispossessed and are merely workers of the same land burdened with "loans they can never pay."
Bishop Shamana said they will even bring these human rights violation stories before the United States Senate and House of Representatives.
She said they will be presenting these "horrendous accounts and horrendous pictures" they gathered on this human rights violations.
"We will not forget. We will sit down with our National Government leaders and with Congress. There will be Senate hearings about this Philippine situation," she said.
Capuli reiterated that their group is committed to bringing these extrajudicial killings, abductions and other human rights violation to the attention of the US, particularly as the killings now include members of the church, legal profession, media and other progressive groups. (Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Iloilo. (February 22, 2007 issue)
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