Tag Archives: Davao City

[In the Web] Filipino pilgrims commemorate Italian missionary’s death, demand justice

Posted on by dars0357

A supporter of murdered Italian missionary Fausto Tentorio becomes emotional as he lights a candle as other activists hold a banner demanding justice for the priest at the start of a nine-day candlelight protest in front of the Davao City Hall. (photo by Romy Elusfa, InterAksyon.com)

 

DAVAO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / Nov. 27, 2011) – The Justice for Fr. Fausto “Pops” Tentorio Movement led a solidarity mission to mark the 40 days after the killing of the Italian missionary in the town of Arakan in North Cotabato province in the southern Philippines.

Religious and peace groups, including advocates from Davao City joined the pilgrimage to Arakan. Local and international religious communities also participated and expressed support to the pilgrimage participated by some 800 people mostly from North Cotabato.

The Ateneo de Davao Community spearheaded a memorial mass and was followed by an ecumenical program as opening ceremony to this mission dubbed as “Pilgrimage to Arakan: A journey for Peace and Justice.”

The mission also visited Kabalantian village in Arakan to find out the situation of the people there, mostly lumad tribesmen, who were tagged as communist rebels and driven away by the military. The lumads were the beneficiaries of the priest’s various humanitarian programs.

Sister Juleta Encarnacion, of the Missionaries of the Assumption and co-convener of the Justice for Fr. Fausto ‘Pops’ Tentorio Movement, said: “We want a transparent, independent, high profile investigation that will summon the military, the local government and demand accountability to the brutal murder.”

“While it is miserable that after 40 days of Fr. Pops’ death justice remains elusive, we are glad that behind this cause, not only for Fr. Pops, but for the people of Arakan as well, there is an ever growing broad support for this movement,” she said.

Sister Encarnacion was referring to the many signatories from local and international communities supporting the call to End Impunity in Arakan as well as in other parts of the Philippines, and the many individuals and organizations sending letters to the Philippine government demanding swift justice for the slain missionary.

Read more at http://mindanaoexaminer.com/news.php?news_id=20111127044024

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[In the Web] Fr. Fausto Tentorio, a martyr for indigenous peoples

Posted on by dars0357

 

Fr Tentorio in happier times: Photos courtesy of Davao City based human rights group Barug Katungod Mindanao.http://www.balitapinoy.net/journal/736031/Eight_Bullets_Blasted_Life_Out_Of_Human_Rights_Priest

By NARDY SABINO,

General secretary,

Promotion of Church People’s Response

 

 

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it. ”(Luke 13:34)

“We express our deepest grief and indignation over the killing of Fr. Fausto “Pops” Tentorio, an Italian priest and missionary to the Lumad tribes of Arakan Valley, North Cotabato. There are not enough words to express our sorrow. Father Tentorio served the indigenous people in Mindanao since 1978 and was the head of the Tribal Filipinos Apostolate of the Diocese of Kidapawan until his death. He was gunned down in the morning of Oct. 17, 2011 by helmet-wearing, motorcycle-riding gunmen.”

“We mourn with the members of his religious congregation and share with them their grief. Father Tentorio’s ministry was a great testimony of how the Church can always be in the service of those who have been marginalized and made poor by the system.”

“We are greatly disturbed that such crimes continue to be committed with impunity under the current Aquino administration. Father Tenorio’s murder brings to mind the activists, rights defenders and church people killed during the presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. This recent killing alarms us. Father Tentorio is the third of church people killed under present government—after Benjie Bayles, a member of Iglesia Filipina Independiente, and Abe Sungit of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines. All of them were advocates of justice, peace and the integrity of creation. Father Tentorio is the 31st church people and second Roman Catholic killed in such manner since 2001. We have but one call: Justice for Father Tentorio!”

“We demand that the Aquino administration hasten the investigation into his murder and make sure that justice is served. Stop the killing of our prophets!”

 

Read full story at http://opinion.inquirer.net/15623/fr-fausto-tentorio-a-martyr-for-indigenous-peoples

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[Reflection] Brazen Display of Power

Posted on by dars0357

Davao Mayor Sara Duterte punching a sheriff. Photo from newsinfo.inquirer.net

The TV footage last Friday which caught Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte punching a local court sheriff who was then serving a demolition order struck me as something very odd but not unusual.

It was very odd for me to see a local government official who came from a political clan not known to have a soft spot for the well being and interest of their constituents to go out of her way even preventing the execution of a court order to make her appear as if she cares for them.

But it was not unusual to see a local government official to brazenly display her power and in this case even her physical power over a hapless government employee who was just following an order.

While others may find her action laudable for showing a firm resolve to stop the demolition team headed by the poor sheriff from tearing down the shanties of 217 families inside a contested property in Barangay Soliman in Davao’s Agdao district, but the unnecessary use of violence on the part of Mayor Duterte only shows what she is capable of doing with the power she has. Perhaps taking some lessons from her dad, Rodrigo, a long-time Davao City mayor who was allegedly behind the vigilante Davao Death Squad, and now serves as the city’s vice mayor.

As far as I remember, it is not the first time a politician is involved in a violent skirmish. A year ago a mayor from Lanao Del Sur was accused of mauling a businsessman and his son at the Valley Golf Club in Antipolo City. This kind of actuation, I believe, exemplifies the character of our local politicians who act like monarchs with unbridled arrogance and no respect for others by demonstrating their complete authority over their domains.

Mayor Duterte’s claim that she felt insulted by the sheriff’s insistence on serving the notice of eviction when she was asking for a two-hour reprieve provided us a clear motive that she was acting to salvage her wounded pride than to prevent a possible violent confrontation between the demolition team and the informal settlers.

In the first place, if the good mayor is really concerned with the safety of informal settlers living in danger zone, her government should have long provided the people with a decent housing program and not to wait for this mess to happen.

I fully support the public call for a nationwide moratorium on demolition not to make local government officials look good and caring but because it is a recognition of our right to housing and the state’s obligation to fulfill this right by developing and implementing policies which will lead to the realization of a mass housing program for the poor with the guarantee of job provision and delivery of basic social services.

This should be the way how the government officials must use their power because the power they have as our Constitution says, does not emanate from them but from the people.

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