Walk for life: Anti-death penalty groups march from Mindanao to Manila

Catholic lay faithful and civil society groups have begun a march from Mindanao to Manila to urge senators to vote against the bill seeking to restore the death penalty for heinous crimes.

The “Lakbay Buhay Laban sa Death Penalty” began on Thursday in Cagayan de Oro and aims to reach the Senate in Pasay City by May 24.

Fr. Edwin Gariguez of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines said they want legislators to know that not only the Catholic laypeople but civil society groups are against the death penalty.

“It is disturbing that in one stroke, it was railroaded in Congress. They hold the solons by the neck to make them vote for it and even threaten not to grant favors to those against it,” he said.

READ: Democracy ‘killed’ in railroading of death penalty, say solons

Gariguez, the executive secretary of the CBCP’s National Secretariat for Social Action, made the remarks at a press conference on Friday to launch the 21-day march from Mindanao to Manila.

Also present were running priest Fr. Robert Reyes, Raul Socrates Banzuela of the Pambansang Kilusan ng mga Samahang Magsasaka (PAKISAMA), and Elizabeth Yang of the Kilusan ng Kababaihang Pilipino (PILIPINA).

The march to Manila will pass through 14 cities all over the country, with lay organizations in different dioceses encouraged to support the participants as they pass through their dioceses.

The highlight of the pilgrimage is a gathering at the Rizal Park on May 19, which is expected to attract 30,000 anti-death penalty advocates including students from Catholic universities.

It will end at the Senate in Pasay City on May 24, which is the feast day of Mary, Help of Christians.

“We expect the mobilization in Rizal Park to be the biggest. It will be a combination of Church social movements, etc,” said Banzuela.

The 14 participants will be representing sectors such as the youth, workers, farmers, fishermen, persons with disabilities, and women.

The march will pass through Cebu City, Tacloban City, Borongan, Catarman, Sorsogon, Legazpi City, Naga City, Gumaca, Lucena City, San Pablo City, Lipa City, Imus City; Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City, northern Metro Manila, University of Santo Tomas and the Rizal Park in Manila.

The pilgrims will conduct public educational fora during stopovers to raise public awareness on how the revival of the death penalty will lead to a culture of death in the Philippines.

“Many have gone silent already. Even the Church has been deemed as having been silenced. With this pilgrimage, we will creep out of our caves and walk towards the light,” Reyes said.

It may be recalled that the Senate has yet to resume its hearing on the death penalty bill, which had one hearing so far.

In March, the House of Representatives approved on final reading House Bill 4727 which imposes the death penalty for drug-related offenses. It has been transmitted to the Senate for deliberations.

“It is time for us to leave the cave of our reluctance, intimidated. Come out… If we do not come out, we will be swallowed by darkness,” Reyes said.

The activist priest added: “May I ask all my brother priests and bishops, do not hide in your caves. Let us march together from Cagayan de Oro to Manila.”

Gariguez said they expect Manila archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle to issue his own statement on the march since it will end in his archdiocese.

For his part, CBCP president and Lingayen-Dagupan archbishop Socrates Villegas welcomed the initiative of the laity to manifest their opposition to the death penalty bill.

“This is a commendable lay initiative most deserving of support from all who want to make a clear unequivocal stand for life,” he said in a one-page commendation.

The CBCP’s Episcopal Commission for the Laity is among the organizers of the march.

The prelate also urged bishops and archbishops of the areas where the caravan will pass through to show support and hospitality to the participants of the march.

These are the archdioceses of Cebu, Palo, Caceres, and Lipa, and the dioceses of Legazpi and Lucena.

“Our lay faithful are becoming more and more socially-engaged. It is our duty as pastors to encourage them, to bless them, and invite more lay faithful to assist them in the mission of social transformation,” Villegas added.