Worldwide Christian Group Alarmed by Continuing Rights Violations in Philippines

Worldwide Christian Group Alarmed by Continuing Rights Violations in Philippines

“We saw and heard the heart-breaking stories of victims of human rights abuses and their family members. We saw and felt the pain of those who have lost loved ones by extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detentions, torture and enforced disappearance,” the nine-member delegation of the World Council of Churches said in a statement. 

By RONALYN V. OLEA
Bulatlat.com

MANILA — An international delegation of church leaders from the World Council of Churches (WCC) came to the country Dec. 1 and witnessed the continuing human rights violations under the Aquino administration.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) is a worldwide fellowship of 349 churches, denominations and church fellowships in more than 110 countries and territories representing 560 million Christians. It is based in Geneva, Switzerland and has a Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations.

The visit is part of the WCC’s “Living Letters” where representatives from other countries make an organized visit to a given host country for a particular compelling reason. They were hosted by the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP).

Listen to the Rev. Dan Sandu of the Romanian Orthodox Church read the statement by the World Council of Churches about the human-rights violations in the Philippines.

“We saw and heard the heart-breaking stories of victims of human rights abuses and their family members. We saw and felt the pain of those who have lost loved ones by extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detentions, torture and enforced disappearance,” the nine-member delegation said in a statement.

A team visited the Morong 43 and had a dialogue with Secretary Leila de Lima of the Department of Justice while another team visited the workers of Hacienda Luisita. Before that, the delegates also talked with families of victims of human rights violations under both the Arroyo and Aquino presidencies.

The delegation of the World Council of Churches during a press conference on Saturday. (Photo by Ronalyn V. Olea / bulatlat.com)

The Morong 43 are the 43 health workers arrested on Feb. 6 in Morong, Rizal by about 300 combined elements of the police and military. Thirty-eight are now detained at Camp Bagong Diwa while five have remained under military custody. They started their hunger strike, Dec. 3 to pressure the government for their release.

“I have not seen any change,” Tony Waworuntu, former staff of the Christian Conference of Asia and a member of the delegation, said in a press conference, Dec. 4. Waworuntu first visited the Philippines in 2005 as part of the WCC delegation..... MORE

Source:  Bulatlat.com

URL: http://bulatlat.com/main/2010/12/04/delegation-from-world-council-of-churches-concerned-about-continuing-rights-violations/