Bishops hold Aquino accountable over torching of Lumad sanctuary
Bishops hold Aquino accountable over torching of Lumad sanctuary
Protestant Church leaders condemn the burning down of Lumad sanctuary in Davao City, Feb. 26. (Photo courtesy of the National Church of Christ in the Philippines)
By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO
Bulatlat.com
MANILA – All seven-strong area bishops of the United Church of Christ of the Philippines gathered today, Feb. 26, to hold President Aquino accountable for the burning down of their mission center in Haran, Davao City, where some 700 Lumad are seeking refuge from militarization in their communities.
UCCP general secretary Bishop Reuel Marigza said all they have heard from the Aquino administration following the burning down of their mission center is a “deafening silence.”
On the eve of the 30th year commemoration of the first EDSA uprising, suspected members of Alamara, a paramilitary group formed and armed by the Armed Forces of the Philippines, set fire a dormitory inside the UCCP’s mission center. The incident left five Lumad injured, including children.
For more than a year, the UCCP’s mission center in Haran has served as sanctuary for some 700 Lumad, who left their community due to heavy militarization.
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