Negros Occidental bishop to Duterte: Present concrete solutions in SONA
BACOLOD CITY – A Catholic bishop in Negros Occidental has an appeal to President Rodrigo Duterte when he makes his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday: Do not turn a blind eye on the “dire state of our people.”
“We are tired of hearing unwarranted jokes and threats in his speeches; we call on the President to listen to the cries of the people, present concrete solutions in his SONA, and serve in the interest of the public,” said Bishop Gerardo Alminaza of San Carlos City diocese in a statement released on Saturday, two days before the scheduled SONA of Mr. Duterte.
He pointed out that the spate of death continued, not only due to what he claimed were “state-endorsed killings” but also due to hunger, loss of livelihood and environmental degradation.
Alminaza also called on the faithful to speak out on what was happening in the country.
“Let us unite and defend our rights. Let us unite in caring for life and protecting humanity,” he said.
Amid a global health crisis brought on the new coronavirus pandemic, he added, unjust killings across the country continued.
“We, sadly, must admit that it is unlikely for our government to use its power to stop this, because from the very start of the Duterte administration, it is officially endorsed. A significant portion of our people, tricked into believing the promise of ‘change’, congratulated the administration under the President’s rule for allegedly freeing our country from terrorism and crime,” he said.
“The only thing it was able to do, however, is stained its hands with the blood of innocents whose silence it wanted, and of the increasing victims of COVID-19 whom it has chosen to neglect by pursuing instead the Anti- Terrorism Law to legitimize impunity,” Alminaza said.
He pointed out that discipline could never be instilled through violence since it would only result in spilled blood.
The Diocese of San Carlos, he added, remained firm in its pursuit for peace, and urged the local government and the military forces not to resort to red-tagging.
“As pastor of the Church in Negros, I call for peace between our state forces and groups, even those who are dubbed as rebels, who express dissent at the ways of the government. I plead to our government to stop the immoral killings of our people,” Alminaza said.
The war-on-drugs and now the war against terrorism have rippled into war-on-rights, spilling blood among our flock, he added.
The casualties of these “wars” were activists, human rights advocates, environmentalists, farm leaders, policemen, soldiers, lawyers, doctors, government officials, and ordinary citizens—not a single one of whom had been tried or convicted for the crimes they were accused of committing, he added.
The government must respect freedom of expression, should not give unlawful power to state forces to arrest and inflict terror, and must never desecrate the people’s civil and democratic rights, he said.
“Our situation during this pandemic calls for restraint and discerning governance. All efforts must be centered in addressing the COVID-19 crisis with integral medical solutions, and not focused on disguised approaches that are making our people suffer more,” Alminaza said.
Taking a jab at Duterte’s campaign slogan “Change is coming,” the bishop said change had indeed come but only for the worst.
