OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER PEACEBUILDER | 2 of the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform CONTENTS 11 We believe and we heard the complaints of the tribal people, the IPs in the area, that they were not involved in the process of FPIC and the government was not transparent in obtaining this FPIC. On our part, we pledge to continue what we have done in the past 60 years to align ourselves in the struggles of our lumad sisters and brothers. The massive destruction of the ecosytems has made the ecological people especially the indigenous peoples as the poorest of the poor. 08 15 Peace Builder is a quarterly newsletter of the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform with editorial offices at: 2nd floor NCCP Building 879 Epifanio de Los Santos Avenue cor. EDSA and Quezon Avenue Facebook: Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform Email: [email protected] website: https.phpeaceplatform.org Contact No: 0927-6303392 The Rt. Rev. Rex B. Reyes, Jr Editor in Chief Bishop Emeritus Deogracias S. Iniguez, Jr. Bishop Noel A. Pantoja Sr. Mary John Mananzan, OSB Editorial Consultants Mervin Sol H. Toquero Pastor Carlton James Palm Cesar Villanueva Grace Cantal-Albasin Editorial Assistants Ofelia A. Cantor Circulation Manager Archbishop Emeritus Antonio J. Ledesma SJ, DD Associate Editor -Abp. Jose Cabantan -Orlan Ravanera -Fr. Jerom Millan 03 05 07 08 10 11 12 13 16 18 20 21 22 23 24 15 Adverse Repercussions to Peace of Resolution Number 17 LUMAD STORIES IN BUKIDNON ‘’AGAW LUPA, AGAW BUHAY’’ IPRA: Successes and Failures EDITORIAL STATEMENT STATEMENT Church celebrates the Earth, Lumad Poverty and ecological crisis: One complex reality BUKTAMACO: An IPRA case study Solidarity Statement on the occasion of the May 2 FBO-Ph says lifting of mining ban worsens disaster woes STATEMENT Free Pastor Benjie Gomez Tampakan mining project threatens lumad communities, culture Socio-economic reforms key to solving roots of unpeace Church group denounces NCIP resolutions to ban use of the word lumad Youth from various churches gather for peace STATEMENT PEPP and the Youth The Peace That We Want STATEMENT We will Serve the Lord and We Choose Peace!

OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER of the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform PEACEBUI LDER | 3 LOVE AND CARE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT ISPEACE One of the primary requisites for peace is that people enjoy a safe and healthy environment. Thus, peace advocates should be advocates for environmental protection as well. Earth Day, which was first held on April 22, 1970, is both a cause for celebration and a desperate cry for care and protection. Especially in the context of the Philippines, we cannot help but be in awe at the richness of our country and marvel at the beauty of God’s creation. However, we are also instantly saddened to know that despite this richness, our environment is also one of the world’s “biodiversity hotspots” where our rich and diverse species are threatened if not endangered. We are also one of the countries that are most vulnerable to climate change. The COVID-19 pandemic has also underscored how we must care and protect God’s creation. The leadership of President Rodrigo Duterte is seemingly blind to this ecological crisis. It promotes irreversible extractive industries like cash-crop economy, massive land-use conversion and intensified mining, thereby further destroying the environment. This has resulted to submersion of communities and villages, siltation of water resources, air pollution and further vulnerability to climate change. The West Philippine Sea and its rich resources are being claimed by China with our government’s acquiescence. Additionally, there are still moves in Congress to change our Charter so that foreign big businesses can further access our natural resources for profit. The environment and the welfare of the Filipino people is being sacrificed at the altar of Mammon. The recent onslaught of typhoons Rolly and Ulysses during the last quarter of 2020 are testaments to the negative impacts of our distressed environment. To make matters worse, the environmentally destructive programs and projects are almost always accompanied by military operations thus causing grave human rights violations and displacement of thousands of farmers and indigenous peoples. Those who oppose these programs and projects are constantly threatened and red-tagged, while some are killed. Instead of ensuring the welfare of the people, especially those affected by the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic and climate change due to a distressed environment like the survivors of the aforementioned typhoons, the government prioritizes the war on drugs and its war against alleged “communist terrorists” providing billions of pesos to the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC). How do we confront the ecological crisis and the attendant issues it brings? Situated amid a society ravaged by foreign exploiters and their local counterparts, and equipped with the realization that the alarming rate of environmental destruction can not be barred without systemic changes, we should have concerted efforts for environmental protection. That is why the issuance of Laudato Si by Pope Francis and its urgent message for the care of creation should resonate well among Filipinos especially among Christians. For the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform (PEPP), ecumenical response is the answer to avert the crisis. Ecumenical in the sense that churches, faith-based groups and all sectors that are affected by the ravaged state of the environment, should act. Ecology and ecumenism come from similar origins, ecology comes from the Greek EDITORIAL

OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER PEACEBUILDER | 4 of the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform That the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God (Romans 8:21). LOVE AND CARE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT IS PEACE... EDITORIAL words “oikos” and “logos” which mean “house” and “knowledge” respectively, while ecumenism is derived from “oikoumene” coming from the Greek word “oikein” which means to inhabit. Creation is important in the understanding and living of biblical faith especially in the struggle for peace and justice. From Genesis to Revelation, the unity of creation, including humanity, is a continuing theme. Throughout human history, God’s creative work, judgment and redemptive acts are revealed as well as in the renewal and transformation of creation and the hope for the new heaven and the new earth. St. Francis of Assisi, whose prayer “Lord, Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace”, was a good example of an environmental ministry. This is also in line with the view of indigenous peoples that the sanctity of life is interwoven with the spirituality of creation of which the concept of “Land is Life” is very strong. To care for creation is to become good stewards of it. The concept of creation permeates in the whole Bible and salvation can be understood as the act of redemption of humanity and the whole creation. In the Philippines, this view implies that the issue of ecology and environment is not separate from the perspective of the over-all struggles for peace based on justice. People’s actions for the protection of the environment should be viewed in the context of the country’s history and the struggles of the Filipino people for a just and lasting peace. And what can churches do to further avert this disconcerting situation? Churches can provide support and encouragement for the ecological movement. Churches - by following a spiritual, scientific and social framework for ecological protection - can impart ways in the reorientation and practices in relation to the environment in their constituencies and communities they serve and they can help open other prospects for enhancing the lives and livelihood of people. Let us work hand in hand against the ravagers of the earth, so that the ecological crisis is averted and

OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER of the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform PEACEBUI LDER | 5 E A RT H DAY 2 0 2 1 Church celebrates the Earth, Lumad DEFENDING the earth has become more costlier in this generation. Many lives have been shed to protect the environment ravaged in the name of greed and power. Church leaders and workers, environmental advocates, and lay people gathered on April 22, 2021 to bring awareness of the plight of Mother Earth and its closest defenders, the indigenous peoples, who in the island of Mindanao are known as the Lumad. The Most Right Reverend Felixberto Calang of the Diocese of Bulua situated the webinar participants on the rationale of the event. He said beyond commemorating Earth Day, they were gathered to learn the great lessons form the struggles of those who depend upon Mother Earth especially the Lumad. ‘’Let this celebration, therefore, educate us by listening to the stories from the ground and challenge us to take actions,’’ said Bishop Calang. The bishop said the theme, ‘’Listening to the Cry of the Earth, listening to the Cry of the Lumad” is timely, relevant, interesting, and challenging as this is the backdrop of our celebration today.” Archbishop Emeritus Antonio J. Ledesma, SJ, welcomed the participants and reiterated the crucial role of the Church in the peace process in accompanying the victims of unpeace, conflict and violence, in which the event provided the venue to hear the cry of lumad communities and also listen to the cry of the earth “of which all of us are part of,” said Abp. Ledesma. The first resource person to give his talk was Fr. Reynaldo Raluto of the Diocese of Malaybalay City whose currently assigned at St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in Cagayan de Oro City where he serves as the institution’s academic dean. He spoke about Laudto Si’ and theological ecological care. Fr. Jerome Millan, director of Social Action Center of the Diocese of Marbel, delved on the controversial issues surrounding the Tampakan mining project. The project straddles in four provinces where gold and copper are its commodity known as the largest developed deposits in the world covering about 9,605 hectares. Fr. Millan centered his talk on the legal issues of the project such as the financial and technical assistance agreement, the environmental compliance certificate (ECC), the free prior informed consent (FPIC), and the embarment code of South Cotabato. What came next was a vital talk that about the indigenous peoples (IPs) rights and resources. Lawyer Antonio Gabriel La Viña, an advocate of environment and law professor in the country, tackled the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA). He said IPRA is framed around rights and resources. ‘’You grant rights, you recognized rights. Inherent rights already of indigenous peoples, their legal rights, because you want them to have control of their resources. Without rights, the resources are a curse to indigenous peoples, without their rights over it, that is assured,’’ La Viña said. FR. REYNALDO RALUTO FR. JEROME MILLAN “Our fate is intimately connected to the fate of the earth, our common home. To take care of Mother Earth is to take care of our sustainable future.” ‘’We believe and we heard the complaints of the tribal people, the IPs in the area, that they were not involved in the process of FPIC and the government was not transparent in obtaining this FPIC. But again, sad to say, the NCIP has issued the certificate of precondition (CP) just recently to SMI.’’

OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER PEACEBUILDER | 6 of the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform A representative of Bishop Modesto Villasanta Sammy Dollano shared the plight of the lumad in in the municipality of Lianga in Surigao del Sur. Dollano said that Lianga is the oldest town in the province created in 1919 with a land area of 25,000 hectares and 80% are timberland. In these areas in Diatagon, Christine, and San Isidro and nearby barangays live the Manobo tribe. He added that those Manobo living in Gurangan who practice sustainable farming and protect the forest have made the area still lush providing them food more than they need. “Those who live in Gurangan are true earth keepers. They take care of their environment that even after the logging concessions ended, they remain a community coexisting with its surrounding. They practice organic farming. They produce what they consume and consume their produce, a basic tenet of self-reliance.’’ He said most of the lumad leaders there have been dispersed because they have been suspected of having connections with the New People’s Army (NPA), worst accused as NPAs. ‘’But the truth is, they are just in the mountains who tend to the environment where they live and practice their customary laws and traditions their predecessors handed down to them. They are intact and peacefully co-exist. They only cut trees they need,’’ he said. Former chairman of the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) Orlando Ravanera shared stories of the lumad in Bukidnon. He cited forest, land, and water as key issues confronting the indigenous peoples in the country. “ They [IPs] once are the masters in the land that no one owned because private ownership is not their language. Based on the strong belief that no one can own land which outlasts them. They asked, ‘How can you own something that will outlast you? You cannot own the land, the land will own you?’’ Ravanera said the ancestors of the IPs passed on to them the use of the land in the spirit of “res communis, no one owns but everyone uses because just like forests, water and air, land is a means to life and must not be used for so much money-raking by a few.” The executive director of Xavier Science Foundation, Roel Ravanera, walked the participants through the ‘’Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) in Mt. Kalatungan Range which is a collaborative undertaking to reforest denuded lands. Lawyer Burt Estrada of Bukidnon Tagoloanon Mamulahay Ha Kabukalagan Agriculture Cooperative (BUKTAMACO) shared the journey of the Bukidnon Tagoloanon tribe which is the primodial people of Bukidnon especially in Malaybalay City. Atty. Estrada said that one of the reasons why IP communities are still beset with poverty and the prevention and development of the environment especially river basins is the lack of economic activities in ancestral domains which have been granted to IP communities. Bishop Ligaya Flores-San Francisco of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) in Northwest Mindanao Jurisdiction moderated the open forum that came up with the call to action which Bishop Calang read before the event ended. ■ Church celebrates the Earth, Lumad... The seminarians of St. John Vianney Theological Seminary render songs during the webinar. Ministerial students from Central Mindanao Area Conference of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines perform in the intermission. BISHOP LIGAYA FLORES-SAN FRANCISCO

OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER of the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform PEACEBUI LDER | 7 Poverty and ecological crisis: One complex reality ONE of the talks in the Earth Day 2021 webinar hosted by the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform (PEPP) in Mindanao tackled on the Church’s role in the care of the environment. Fr. Reynaldo Raluto of the Diocese of Malaybalay City who is currently assigned at St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in Cagayan de Oro City where he serves as the institution’s academic dean discussed Laudato Si’ and caring for the environment in the biblical context. He began his presentation by showing the “Earth Rise” photograph which Apollo 8 Mission astronauts took on the Christmas Eve of 1968. He said the “Earth Rise” promoted a worldwide ecological consciousness as he quoted Al Gore that the photograph gave birth to the “modern environmental movement” to include the annual Earth Day celebration. He also cited the Brazilian theologian Leonardo Boff who said “the Earth and humankind,” as seen from space, ‘’make up a single entity.’’ Fr. Raluto quoting Boff said, ‘’this reveals that we are Earth and our fate is inseparably connected to the fate of the Earth and the cosmos of which the Earth is a part.” Laudato Si’ The priest educator presumed that this ecological perspective was operating in the mind of Pope Francis when he wrote Laudato Si’ in 2015. He took off discussing on Laudato Si’s appropriation integral ecology by translating first the meaning of the phrase which is ‘’Signore or Praise be to You my Lord.’’ The phrase, he said, is attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, the ‘’patron saint of all who study and work in the area of ecology.’’ He said that Pope Francis considers the saint an ‘’example par excellence of care and holistic ecology and who gave special attention to the poorest and the abandoned.’’ He explained that in Laudato Si’ Pope Francis treats together the urgent concerns of poverty and ecological crisis as one complex reality. ‘’He (Pope Francis) teaches that our option for the poor must include an option for the Earth. Since the Earth herself is among the most abandoned and maltreated of our poor. On the other hand, Pope Francis insists our option for the Earth must also include the preferential option for the poorest of our brothers and sisters who are the most vulnerable people of the planet whose ability to defend their interests is limited,’’ said Fr. Raluto. Poorest creatures He furthered that today the poorest creatures of this planet can be seen in the suffering faces of our indigenous peoples who are forced ‘’to abandon their homelands to make room for agricultural and mining projects.’’ For him, Laudato Si’s holistic option to care for the poor and for the Earth is summed up in the notion of integral ecology based on the ecological principle that ‘’everything is interconnected.’’ In Laudato Si’, he said, the notion of integral ecology brings together the environmental, economic, social, cultural, and everyday life ecologies including the ethical principles of the common good, human rights, intergenerational justice, and the intrinsic value of nature. Care for the Earth Fr. Raluto proceeded to the second part of his talk which is the ecological theology of care. He said, the word care appears at least 41 times in Laudato Si which implies that Laudato Si’ prefers the notion of care rather than stewardship which appears only twice in the said encyclical. He cited Boff who was reportedly involved in the process of writing this encyclical that care which is “cura” in Latin may be used into interrelated senses. ‘’The first sense is the attitude of devotion, of commitment, of paying attention to the other. The second sense is that of preoccupation and concern because the person who has care feels involved and emotionally linked to the other.’’ Elsewhere, he said, Boff claims that ‘’care is not only an attitude and a fundamental virtue among others, but it belongs to the real essence of human being’’ and that ‘’the ethics of care is the most universal of all.’’ Fr. Raluto said that the Filipino culture tends to care for the others especially when they are members of the family or if they are relatives. Filipinos are known for their family-centered culture and this ambivalent culture can be used positively in relating with the earth especially by extending the sense of family to non-human creatures. He mentioned the analogy of wound as he said, ‘’Our living body has the capacity to heal itself if the wound is just minor. But if the wound is really deep and big, the living body can no longer heal itself. The body needs the intervention of healers. I suppose that the wound and sickness of the planet is already beyond its self-regulating capacity to heal.’’ In closing, Fr. Raluto posed the challenge that Mother Earth is in urgent need of care and healing intervention. ‘’Our fate is intimately connected to the fate of the Earth, our common home. To take care of Mother Earth is to take care of our sustainable future,’’ he said. ■ St. Francis of Assisi describes the Earth as our Sister and Mother “who nourishes and governs us, and produces different fruits with colored flowers and herbs.”

OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER PEACEBUILDER | 8 of the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform L U M A D S T O R I E S I N B U K I D N O N ‘’AGAW LUPA, AGAW BUHAY’’ FORMER chairman of the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) Orlando Ravanera shared stories of the lumad in Bukidnon. He cited forest, land, and water as key issues confronting the indigenous peoples (IPs) in the country. “They [IPs] once are the masters in the land that no one owned because private ownership is not their language. Based on the strong belief that no one can own land which outlasts them. They asked, ‘How can you own something that will outlast you? You cannot own the land, the land will own you?’’ Ravanera said the ancestors of the IPs passed on to them the use of the land in the spirit of ‘’res communis,’’ no one owns but everyone uses because just like forests, water and air, land is a means to life and must not be used for so much money-raking by a few. He furthered that for thousands of years, the indigenous peoples have lived abundantly in a land oozing with ecological resources in the spirit of sharing and service to one another. He mentioned, as an example, the indigenous peoples in Mountain Province who collectively transformed the land into the rice terraces, now has become the 8th wonders of the world. One with nature He said the IPs trust the inherent processes of nature making them one with nature. “Knowing when to plant by just looking at the stars, look up to the big dipper and when the cup-like formation of the stars appear that as if it is tilted that water will flow is a sign that there will be rain. Indeed, they are one with nature. They had no pharmacy, but no problem. They know what they have to take to cure whatever ailment they have. They wanted to eat fruits or meat, no problem.’’ Logging came, he said, and for the last century the Philippines supplied the timber needs of the world resulting to massive deforestation in the country. He added that as the country lost its forests, some 15 of the 25 major rivers are now either dried up or silted while 10 of the 13 major base are biologically dead. “The massive destruction of the ecosytems has made the ecological people especially the indigenous peoples as the poorest of the poor. When they would stand for the cause of the environment, they will be killed. Just like what happened in the case of Datu Sandigan Fausto Orasan, the chieftain of the Higaonon tribe in Cagayan de Oro. In September of 2014, he was killed. For what? For protecting the environment against illegal logging and illegal mining.’’ He also mentioned the new face of colonizers and called it the corporate globalization that has brought its version of a flawed lifestyle founded on the material pursuit of instant wealth and power where everything has never been the same again. A reality the lumad woke up to - private ownership and the start of land titling. He also enumerated on the killings of the lumad who resist land-grabbing from multinational companies and powerful landlords. This screen-grabbed photo is taken from Mr. Orlan Ravanera’s presentation. ORLAN RAVANERA

OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER of the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform PEACEBUI LDER | 9 This screen-grabbed photo is taken from Mr. Roel Ravanera’s presentation. ROEL RAVANERA Robust movement to save environment Time is running out, he said, and a robust movement against climate change and against the oppression of the indigenous peoples must be implemented as he cited some initiatives on advancing transformational education to empower and propose the margins into the mainstream of the development in line with Tesda’s tech-voc program whose advocacy is to empower the IPs through relevant and practical quality of education. He also admired the Climate Change Commission for its passionate advocacy to undertake massive planting of giant bamboos in the hundred of hectares in Mindanao in cooperation with the cooperatives. “Bamboo has a very strong water holding capacity to prevent flooding and as carbon sink. Bamboo planting with the indigenous peoples will surely be a liberating force against poverty,’’ he said. Payment for ecosystem services A collaborative undertaking to reforest Mt. Kalatungan Range in Bukidnon is through the project “Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES).” The executive director of Xavier Science Foundation, Roel Ravanera, said the PES could strengthen Mt. Kalatungan’s watersheds to ensure sustainable water supply and mitigate the occurrence of flashfloods. PES is a financing scheme on pricing intangible environmental products and services adopted into a funding mechanism to generate economic return and sustain the ecosystem services. Ravanera described the current state of the country’s vegetation as wanting and inadequate as the remaining vegetative cover is less than 24% of the forest covers in the 1900s and to recover with everyone’s help is imperative to protect the humans from further devastating disasters resulting from flood, landslides and loss of watersheds as source of water. He blamed the national government which failed to give much importance on preserving the forests and has focused too much on economic development without minding those communities that confront the consequences of such development. He said the indigenous knowledge of the lumads and their sustainable practices contribute substantially to the sustainability of our planet. “It is not an exaggeration to say that they shape our future. IPs hold tenure over 20% of world’s land surface and support 80% of global biodiversity. With climate change, good governance of these resources is deemed crucial. The United Nations seeks to conserve these resources realizing the interconnectedness of humans to the ecosystem, ” said Ravanera. Ravanera said the one of the major causes identified is the degradation of watersheds due to unsustainable practices and persistent land tenure issues. That after a careful study, the adoption of landscape wide approach was recommended which would require collaboration among the different sectors and institutions in the Mt. Kalatungan landscape. Thus came Milalittra, a lumad organization, which acted as the seller allotting 1,648 hectares to reforest critical watersheds in its domain using the rainforestation approach. The buyers are those who would benefit from the scheme and include cooperatives, civil society organizations, business groups, government agencies, and even individuals. Xavier Science Foundation acts as the intermediary between the buyers and the sellers. PES Kalatungan was launched in 2014 with the support of government agencies, local government units, and civil society organizations under the guidance of Cagayan de Oro River Basin Management Council. Its pilot implementation was launched in the four barangays in the Miarayon area. As of November 2019, 130 hectares were planted with a survival rate of 84%. “It could have achieved more but we were constrained with a number of challenges including securing buyers to support the financial aspect of the initiative as well ensuring the integrity and commitment of the IP organization.’’ Ravenera closed his talk quoting Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’ encyclical: “New forms of cooperation and community organization can be encouraged in order to defend the interests of small producers and preserve local ecosystems from destruction.’’ ■

OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER PEACEBUILDER | 10 of the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform continued on page 17 IPRA: Successes and Failures S IGNIFICANT to the Earth Day webinar was the talk on the successes and failures of the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act (IPRA). Lawyer Antonio Gabriel La Viña, also a staunch advocate of the environment and human rights, said that commemorating the Earth Day was also celebrating the indigenous peoples (IPs). When the law was finalized, Atty. La Viña was in the room since he was the undersecretary of the environment at that time. He and his colleagues at the Legal Rights Acts and Resources Center (LRC-KSK) drafted the first version of IPRA in the late 80s to 1990. He said IPRA is always framed around rights and resources. “You grant rights, you recognized rights. Inherent to the indigenous peoples are their legal rights because you want them to have control of their resources. Without rights, the resources are a curse to indigenous peoples, without their rights over it, that is assured.’’ Terms He said terms are important. ‘’We have seen actually how we used terms like indigenous peoples, minorities, tribal Filipinos, indigenous cultural communities. These are all very important. Terms, that we can all use. But what we cannot allow is when the government chooses terms that can and cannot be used,’’ said Atty. La Viña. He cited that the recent incident on the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) ordering the ban on the use of the word lumad has no historical basis as it only erases the history of the struggle of countless lumad peoples of Mindanao in the last 30 years. He criticized that the attempt to prohibit the use of the term lumad only manifested how backward the government has become. Land tenure According to Atty. La Viña, land tenure is key to securing resources and for assertion of rights; where there is insecurity of tenure, the challenges are stronger and more difficult. To him, this is not the government granting title to the lumad nor the government allowing them to do these things. This recognition of the inherent rights of the IPs, he said, could be traced back all the way to the Spanish time, all the way certainly to the American period with Cariño versus the insular government as the important legal anchor.’ He said the legal concept of free, prior informed consent (FPIC) is a significant concept that’s now well accepted not only in the Philippines, but it’s now accepted by many multilateral institutions, and many countries. “It’s found its way in the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). The biggest, the most important international legal document that is now universally accepted. And then the creation the NCIP,’’ he added. He said that NCIP must prioritize capacity building of the IPs and that it should do the right thing to implement the norms that have been agreed upon since this is crucial as threats on the IPs are numerous. Development aggression The threat of development aggression, Atty. La Viña said, has mutated wherein new variants can be more challenging and the need to adapt is important with regard to how these threats have mutated amid the COVID-19 pandemic and climate injustice. There is the political threat which the anti-terror law brings. “And we’ve seen how the government tries to crush lumad schools. For me, the lumad schools are the most important beacon of hope. In Mindanao, there are hundreds of schools, I cannot imagine, how the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP), how volunteers, how lumad volunteers, how people’s organizations strove very hard to build these schools and now they have been red-tagged and they have been crushed.’’ There is the economic threats, the old ones - mining. “The president just lifted the ban on new mining agreements and that means you’ll know there’ll be a deluge of agreements and new threats from mining probably coming from Chinese investors. Some say that this is because of the elections. It’s a to be a fund raising tool for the elections. Certainly, infrastructure, the building of infrastructure, we are seeing that in Kaliwa dam, in Clark, in Pulangui. These can be real threats,’’ he said. Climate change The environmental lawyer said the pandemic has affected IPs all over the country and its physical impact cannot be overemphasized and then this climate emergency. He said climate change will be a very big challenge in the next 10 to 20 years as the indigenous peoples, the lumad peoples, the Igorots, the Aetas, the Dumagats, are in the forefront of climate change, of storms, I continue to use the word lumad and must continue to use the word lumad. I am very sad that the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples had agreed to this. I thought of the many top leaders, the top officials of NCIP. I cannot imagine why they agreed to this travesty of setting aside the word lumad just because of red-tagging by some personalities in the government. ATTY. ANTONIO GABRIEL LA VIÑA

OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER of the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform PEACEBUI LDER | 11 B U K T A M A C O : An IPRA case study LAWYER Burt Estrada shared the journey of the Bukidnon Tagoloanon tribe which is the primordial people of Bukidnon especially in Malaybalay City. Atty. Estrada said that one of the reasons why indigenous peoples (IPs) communities are still beset with poverty and the prevention and development of the environment especially river basins is the lack of economic activities in ancestral domains which have been granted to IP communities. “There is not much economic activity that is going on within the ancestral domain. This is also something that I have observed in most of the ancestral domains I have visited. Its vast areas of land but there is not much economic activity’’ he said. The recognition of the ownership over the ancestral domain still did not allow the indigenous communities to develop the ancestral domain because the tribe, although already an organized group of people, organized even before the central government, he said, “is not juridical person if we look at the present legal system.’’ It prompted Atty. Estrada to study the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) and see what else needs to be done in order for the mandate of the Constitution that ensures the protection and provision of equal opportunities to uplift the economic and socio-cultural wellbeing of the IPs to happen. Atty. Estrada found out that after the CADT and the formulation of the ancestral domain sustainable development and protection plan or ADSDPP, there is a need to confirm the indigenous political structure for governance - the leadership and the processes and the consensus building and the conflict resolution mechanisms of the customary laws - to be validated and confirmed by the State. ATTY. BURT ESTRADA In 2017, the Bukidnon Tagoloanon tribe received its confirmation of its political structure that led to finding investors to come up economic activities to sustain the members of the community, development their ancestral domain and self-determination. Acquiring such confirmation helped the tribe connect with programs befitting their land at the same time work on the reforestation to protect their headwaters and watersheds. The greening program of the government is not sustainable for the community. Finally, they found a business model that addresses the protection of the environment and livelihood of the tribe. As they have already a juridical personality they formed a cooperative, the Bukidnon Tagoloanon Mamulahay Ha Kabukalagan Agriculture Cooperative or Buktamaco. It allowed them to apply loan while the provincial government of Bukidnon gave them a P30 million worth grant in-kind for its cacao plantation which was preparing for its first harvest last April since it has started three years ago. “The cooperative provides accesses, gets the opportunities and then serves the members. It also does the planning and the implementation. The members implement, so we are a service provider. Because of this, so far, we have seen that through the establishment of the interfacing capability, the marginalized sector can receive the intended benefits under our social legislation like the IPRA law. And this will provide those opportunities that will not just uplift the economic life of indigenous people, it will help in the preservation of the indigenous culture and also it will help in the preservation and the development of our environment,’’ he said. ■ This screen-grabbed photo belongs to Atty. Burt Estrada. This screen-grabbed photo belongs to Atty. Burt Estrada.

OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER PEACEBUILDER | 12 of the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform Tampakan mining project threatens lumad communities, culture WITH the ban on new mining permits lifted in April this year by President Rodrigo Duterte, threats on the disintegration of lumad communities and culture loom. Fr. Jerome Millan, director of social action center of the Diocese of Marbel, delved on the controversial issues surrounding the Tampakan mining project during his talk on Earth Day webinar on April 22, 2021. The project, straddled in four provinces, has gold and copper as its commodities which is known as the largest developed deposits in the world covering about 9,605 hectares. Sagittarius Mining Inc. (SMI) manages the project. Fr. Millan said the average copper that they can get from this mining site per year is 375,000 tons while the 360,000 ounces of gold has a capital of $5 million in US dollars. Fr. Millan centered his talk on the legal issues of the project such as the financial and technical assistance agreement, the environmental compliance certificate (ECC), the free prior informed consent (FPIC) and the embarment code of South Cotabato. Tampakan mining, Fr. Millan said, was supposed to end its 25 year-FTAA deal with the government, but it has extended the project to another 12 years which will be terminated on March 22, 2032. Its ECC has also been reinstated in 2019 without going through the process since it was canceled in 2017 during the term of the late DENR secretary Gina Lopez. The FPIC has also been anomalous according to Fr. Millan. “We believe and we heard the complaints Priest appeals for more conversations involving everyone to address the looming catastrophic environmental havoc in the area once it is left without intervention. of the tribal people, the IPs in the area, that they were not involved in the process of FPIC and the government was not transparent in obtaining this FPIC. But again, sad to say, the NCIP has issued the certificate of precondition (CP) just recently to SMI,’’ Fr. Millan told the webinar participants. Fr. Millan said the South Cotabato embarment code bans the open-pit mining operation in the province, but the SMI has been attempting to have this lifted. Cultural disintegration He is also dismayed with the felt cultural disintegration in the areas around the project affecting the IPs citing how the leadership pattern of the IP communities has been distorted because NCIP itself has started to install chieftains without involving the ‘’vungpulong’’ traditional leadership process resulting to NCIP to mandate a chieftain in the area bypassing ‘’vungpulong.’’ “Part of this cultural disintegration is their subsistence pattern as they are now into cash-based economy or the surplus economy that leads to division of families because the focus has been on money,’’ Fr. Millan said. The mining project, he said, will displace the IP communities around the mining areas once operation gain ground and it will desecrate the sacred grounds once the open-pit mining is enforced. “The peace and order has started to be disrupted with the red-tagging and human rights violations against IP leaders who are critical of the project,’’ he said. Fr. Millan said the worst that could happen is the environmental destruction of the forest and the water. Fr. Millan appealed for more conversations involving everyone to address the looming catastrophic environmental havoc in the area once it is left without intervention. ■ RAPED MOUNTAIN. What used to be a mountain area for the indigenous tribal community has been stripped off with its forest and top soil cover in Carrascal town, Surigao del Norte, as mining operations continue to grow in the province. PHOTO BY ERWIN MASCARIÑAS

OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER of the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform PEACEBUI LDER | 13 Socio-economic reforms key to solving roots of unpeace The church believes that until the root causes of the unpeace blanketing the nation are addressed, peace would remain elusive. Bishop Felixberto Calang of Iglesia Filipina Independiente, Diocese of Bulua, said the basic rules of armed conflict in our country today is not necessary all about ideology rather it is the absence or lack of reforms that lead the people to live in scarcity. He added that the gruesome poverty in Mindanao has to do with the distribution of the vast tract of lands to foreign companies and local businesses putting the farmers, the lumad and workers alike in the periphery. As the 2022 elections draw near, he said, the workshop necessitates its participants to draft significant calls for social and economic reforms as the peace agenda of Mindanao. CHURCH leaders in Mindanao gathered online to discuss the implications of socio-economic reform agenda to peasants and workers on June 7, 2021 which the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform members in the island spearheaded. Bishop Felixberto Calang, IFI, Diocese of Bulua “To appeal to those who aim for public office and the electorate as they reflect upon the upcoming 2022 national and local elections. Church people always believe that the only way to move forward is to converse with each other and agree to unite even in our diversities. In this peace workshop, we aim to address therefore our three-fold objectives,’’ said Bishop Calang. Rev. Deacon Jefferson Palasan of IFI Baikingon in Cagayan de Oro defined peace in biblical context where peace has deep meanings with much more humanity and compassion and just. He said the church must be the channel for peace and every baptized must be peacemaker. “Being a peacemaker is a demand to the Lord to each baptized individual. So, being a peacemaker means to uphold the rights of every individual, without subjectivism, advance social justice and preservation of human dignity and the rest of God’s creations. As a church, it is always a challenge for us to become one in advancing the peace in our society. The just and lasting peace, where peace is based on social justice and not just merely in the absence of war or conflict,” he said. Pastor Carlton “Cobbie” Palm, executive director of Justice and Peace Center of Silliman University Divinity School discussed the Comprehensive Agreement on Social Economic Reforms (CASER) document to better understand the economic reform agenda that the Government of Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and National Democratic Front (NDF) negotiated before President Rodrigo Duterte terminated the peace talks in 2017. He said it was significant to discuss CASER since there is an ongoing movement against the Charter Change and Foreign ownership of land as stipulated in House Resolution No.2 called ‘’Economic Chacha. The participants post their calls during the webinar

OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER PEACEBUILDER | 14 of the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform Substantive Agenda He said the framework for the peace talks between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) was forged at The Hague in Netherlands and called the document signed by both panels The Hague Joint Declaration. The document contains four substantive agenda: Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law or CARHRIHL, the Comprehensive Agreement on Socio-Economic Reforms agenda or CASER, the political and constitutional reforms and the ending of hostilities and disposition of forces. CARHRIHL creates safe spaces and conducive atmosphere for the peace talks where the NDF consultants have passes to talk in the open without being arrested or worse get killed. CASER that looks into the root causes of the social and economic problems in the Philippines. This has started since 1998 and has remained unsigned. If this was signed, the political and constitutional reforms should follow to cement CARHRIHL and CASER so that these are implemented regardless of elected leaders as the Constitution guarantees the perpetuation of the agreements. Without the constitutional guarantee, the agreements, Pastor Palm said, can be washed out anytime if the sitting president dislikes the agreements. However, CASER hit a snag and made worst with Duterte terminating the peace talks in 2017. “We were close to the signing and proceed to constitutional reforms when Duterte terminated the talks. We’re inch closer to a huge step. At the start of Duterte’s term, things looked bright as both panels achieved a lot, actually, there were four rounds of talks. Two were in Norway in August and October 2017, one in Italy in January 2017, and one in The Netherlands in April 2017. It was on the fifth round that Duterte recalled the GRP back home on May 26, 2017,” he said. He said the Declaration of Principles Part 1 of CASER containing general terms was approved while Part 2 consisting of basis, scope, outcomes, or objectives which are not contentious but only beautiful concepts also got approved immediately. “Had the peace talks not collapsed, these items were going to the Joint Statement and at some point be signed and put to constitutional revision to become law. The flow of the peace process was just beautiful and I am very sad that we were cut. It is apt that we continue to call for the resumption of peace talks because important things have already been agreed upon.” Cathy Estavillo of Amihan Women (National Federation of Peasant Women) and also the spokesperson of Bantay Bigas (Rice Watch) said the peasants who comprised 75 percent of the population have longed for peace as they have been caught in the middle of the armed struggle. For the peasants, she said, ‘’peace exists when food is abundant and accessible anytime when needed; they have lands to till and enrich; they get to the farm without fear; they have their own houses; all their children go to school, affordable support services; and most important of all to be able to express their opinions without fear unlike now when we are always perturbed.’’ She said CARHRIHL was signed during the stint of former President Joseph Estrada and for a long time the peasants waited and then Duterte came who they hoped that his administration would seriously work on with peace and resolve the root causes of the armed struggle, only to realize these were a joke. Pastor Cobbie Palm, executive director of Justice and Peace Center, Silliman University, Divinity School “The heart of the peace negotiations is CASER that is deem to resolve the armed conflict in the country because in it are the land issues and free distribution of the land to the tiller which the peasants together with the women have been calling for. It has been tragic that the peace talks were terminated,” she said. Bishop Ligaya Flores - San Fernando said the realities of abuses and exploitation among peasants and workers are seen in their worst as it is blaring in the experiences also of the lumad and the inequality of giving our Mindanao lands to foreign firms. The bishop said the biblical context of peace deepens the understanding of the quest of the farmers and peasants for equitable land distribution and dignified jobs and decent wages for the workers because these are rooted in social justice. She said the call for the resumption of peace talks is necessary considering the milestones the talks had achieved. These milestones are leading to the quest for social justice toward just peace. “It is important for the church leaders to understand what the peace talks had achieved,” she said. ■

OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER of the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform PEACEBUI LDER | 15 Church group denounces NCIP resolutions to ban use of the word lumad ARCHBISHOP Jose Cabantan of the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro condemned the attempt of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) to ban the use of the word “lumad” as the word according to this commission does not exist and only a creation of the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing the New Peoples’ Army (CPP-NPA). On behalf of Episcopal Commission for Indigenous People- Mindanao (ECIPMin) and those who constitute the indigenous peoples apostolate of Mindanao dioceses, Archbishop Cabantan denounced the resolutions that the NCIP approved to expunge the use of the word lumad. “In the strongest possible terms, we, the members of the ECIP-MIN, protest against the resolutions passed by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) denouncing the use of the term lumad to refer to the indigenous cultural communities (ICCs) and indigenous peoples (IPs) particularly of Mindanao and enjoining the public to address the IPs or ICCs with their respective affiliation or ethno-linguistic group,’’ said Archbishop Cabantan during the Earth Day webinar on April 22, 2021 that the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform in Mindanao region hosted. The Episcopal Commission said the red-scare campaign of the government has now targeted even words directly associating the word lumad to the CPP-NPA-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF). “As if this word is coined by the communist rebels and consequently banning it from popular usage is a total disservice to the history of the struggles of indigenous peoples. This is farthest from the historical truth, and thus the NCIP Resolution only reveals the commission members’ ignorance as to how the lumads struggle unfolded in Mindanao in the last 60 years,” said part of the statement that the archbishop read. The ECIP-MIN challenged those behind the move to ban the use of the word lumad to gather all published and unpublished books, articles, journals, documentation from various sources for them to know how lumad as a word referring to Mindanao’s IPs entered popular use instead of relying to one testimony of a discredited lumad leader who apparently was the only source of NCIP. The ECIP-MIN statement said no less than the government’s National Museum through its Ethnology Division published Lumad Mindanao, a publication detailing the historical and ethnographic realities of Mindanao’s IPs. The ECI-MIN statement cited Bishop Francisco Claver of the Diocese of Malaybalay as one of the convenors of the numerous gatherings and meetings with the IPs in Mindanao. ‘’As most of these meetings were conducted in Cebuano Bisaya being understood as spoken by most of the participants and word like “nitibo” (native), cultural minorities, and tribal people were being rejected as pejorative and it was cumbersome to mention all the names of all ethno-linguistic groups. A word like lumad began to be used to refer to them.’’ The ECIP in its statement set the record straight that it was the churches in Mindanao-Sulu through its network of the church people who engaged in solidarity work with lumad communities that gave rise to the popular usage of the word lumad. ‘’It arose without ideological agenda, let alone that of the communist movement. It did arise out of a united peoples’ concern to defend the rights of the lumad from the perspective of a Christian faith that is concern with the least of our brothers and sisters victimized by both repressive state and business firms interested in usurping lumad’s ancestral domains for profit purposes.’’ The ECIP-MIN requested the NCIP to concentrate in fulfilling its tasks to support the struggles of the IPs for a better life, live in justice and peace, free from coercion, harassment and victimization from various forces. ‘’On our part, we pledge to continue what we have done in the past 60 years to align ourselves in the struggles of our lumad sisters and brothers. By doing so, we are merely following the exhortation of our Holy Father Pope Francis who have reminded us through his encyclical letter, Laudato Si’ and talked at various fora that indigenous peoples are a cry of hope. continued on page 17

OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER PEACEBUILDER | 16 of the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform CHURCH youth leaders around the country gathered in a twoday webinar dubbed as the 1st National Ecumenical Youth Gathering for Peace (NEYGP) on May 22 to 23, 2021. Pastor Hazel Sulatan of the Union of Theological Seminary (UTS) moderated the event. Rev. Car Leen Nomorosa, Youth Desk and EEN of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) laid down the objectives of the event citing the bigger aim of the gathering and affirming the existing initiatives of the young people in the discussions of peace talks. “The youth have been continually called to be instruments of protecting human lives and human rights while finding the effective conflict resolution methods. This gathering is a venue to deepen and sharpen in understanding peace and hear the young people’s view of peace and the challenges that come with it. Above all, to involve the youth in this immense advocacy,” said Pastor Nomorosa. She said the gathering was also a safe space for the youth and the elders as they shared perspectives on peace and exchanged ideas on forwarding the advocacy in this times of darkness in the country. The keynote speaker, Pastor Carlton James Palm, the international person for PEPP, talked on why the need for peace talks. Pastor Cobbie said peace talks address the root causes of conflicts, uphold equity in a space for all sides to share and be heard, produce binding agreements and laws based on fairness to all stakeholders and human dignity to all. “Historically, when peace talks are suspended, there is an increase in violence, collateral damage of civilians, increase of arrests, and losses of livelihood. Lastly, peace talks stops the control of poison and lies. It dehumanizes people with the hasty red-tagging and Youth from various churches gather for peace oppression,” he said. Dr. Raymond Joshua Lopez San Pedro of the Council for Health and Development (CHD), Congresswoman Sarah Jane Ybañez Elago, the representative of Kabataan Partylist, and Mr. Coco Alviar led the conversation of the effects of COVID-19 in the situation of unpeace. The situation of the healthcare system, economics, and education system in the country is bound to be inherited by the future generations as harder times await for the youth especially for the medical workers, out of school youth and the unemployed. The conversation posed the challenged for the youth to elevate standards of leadership in the government through voting in the nearing 2022 elections. The guests also reminded the participants to take a break and celebrate small victories. Kabataan Partylist Rep. Sarah told the youth, “Huwag solohin, may kasama ka! (Don’t keep it to yourself, you’ve got company!).’’ On the second day, the Rt. Rev. Rex Reyes began his talk with a moment of silence to remember the young people who perished before their parents because of the choices they made to liberate the country and the Filipinos. Bishop Reyes proceeded to tackling the key role of the young people in bringing about and nurturing social transformation. “This whole concept of social transformation is a principle that refuses to die. It will never die simply because it is essentially part of the history of Pentecost. That the peace process is what PEPP terms as the least expensive and least deadly way to end the war,” he said. He criticized the sale and purchase of arms or military hardware that is an industry itself. He shared that lasting peace belonged to the realm of the possible. “When I heard of peace movements that focus on the primacy of life. They were not diminishing in numbers, they were growing and its sprung from the ranks of the young people - the workers, the teachers, the church people, indigenous peoples and what we would continued on page 17

OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER of the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform PEACEBUI LDER | 17 Youth from various churches gather for peace... Church group denounces NCIP resolutions to ban use of the word lumad... They know what it is to listen to the earth, to see the earth, to touch the earth. He reminds us that we human beings have a shared responsibility to care for our common home,’’ said Archbishop Cabantan. Origin of the word Lumad Bro. Karl Gaspar, CSsR, explained the evolution of the word lumad that has become synonymous with the indigenous peoples in Mindanao. That it took many discussions, meetings, and conferences before the term lumad became a collective name of the many IP tribes in Mindanao. Bro. Karl said one of the major ministries that the local church in Mindanao got very interested in was Cultural Minorities in the Philippines. call today the marginalized sectors, persons with disability, migrants, urban poor, fisherfolk, farmers, LGBTQIA and so on and so off,” said Bishop Reyes. Aron Halfen of Norwegian Ecumenical Peace Platform (NEPP) and Caritas Norway shared his solidarity message admiring the works of the youth in the Philippines for just and sustainable peace and reminded the young people to keep on doing the good things they do and achieve the targets they set to attain. Ma. Kay Catherine Almario, vice-chairperson of NCCP Youth, responded on behalf of the youth quoting biblical verses proving that peace can never be achieved with guns. Instead, the youth long for money to be spent for education than armaments. We long for peace that aims for human rights and social justice. That the youth accepts the challenge to learn and prepare for the peace movement. Youth from various organizations made their calls from Kalipunan ng mga Kristiyanong Kabataan sa Pilipinas who tackled on advocating further for peace amid the challenges and likened the youth to Jesus Christ who began their struggle in their youth and achieve life with dignity as they continue with their studies. Ofel Cantor, the program secretary of PEPP, thanked the participants and challenged the youth to continue to study the society while they immersed with the poor, the marginalized and the vulnerable. ■ of storms, of change in weather patterns that will affect food security, that will affect agriculture, that will affect their water supply and one cannot underestimate how big that impact will be. All of this leading to that loss of identity, extinction. “In fact, in some tribes, for example in the Amazon, that’s a real big issue. Even in the Philippines, the groups that are less resilient, less coherent, those who have not consolidated their ancestral domains, as I said earlier, they are going to be the ones most threatened.’’ There should be short and long term responses to all these threats that should come with political and legal actions as he cited education both formal and informal, rightsbased education, and skills-based in agriculture, health, and environment as the longterm ones. “And that is why it is such a travesty what the government has been doing… What a disservice to the future. And we have to work hard and unite around those lumad schools and around the schools of indigenous peoples, so that they’re able to position themselves better for what lies ahead.’’ He ended his talk saying that IPRA has been good, but also not perfect as it certainly has lots of problems, yet, he said, it can be renewed by going back to basics such as accelerate land tenure, and defend indigenous peoples leaders, their teachers and especially the children. He also said IPRA can be used to defend ancestral domains and unite indigenous peoples. “These are what should be done to have a united front, united collaboration. We have to take care of the lumad, so that we can actually truly celebrate Earth Day where rights and resources are not in conflict, but in fact complement each other.’’ ■ In fact, he said, Bishop Bienvinido Tudtud, who was one of the bishops interested in the plight of the indigenous peoples, was not happy with the word cultural minority; and he proposed that the term be used is tribal Filipinos. Bro. Karl admitted it is difficult now to determine the exact date and who were the first to use the word lumad. But he thought this should have been under the Mindanao-Sulu Pastoral Conference during the conferences when they were discussing indigenous peoples. But the word lumad became more formalized in the setting up of Mindanao-Sulu Conference on Justice and Development (MSCJD). Among those who helped set this up was Bishop Francisco Claver, the Jesuit bishop of Malaybalay. But MSCJD was an ecumenical effort. This was the partnership between the Catholic church under the MSPC as well as the National Council of Churches in the Philippines-United Church of Christ in the Philippines (NCCP-UCCP). It became so popular in the late 70s that church groups and then later on media people, cultural groups, and eventually the academe began to use the term lumad, Bro. Karl said. The word lumad, he said, became part of the vocabulary of social movements in Mindanao. ‘’So, to our surprise sometime in March, there was this news that came out both in mass media and social media that the NCIP had an En Banc meeting where they decided the ban on the use of the word lumad because it is too associated with the CPPNPA. As if they were really insinuating that the word lumad was coined by the CPPNPA in the course of their revolutionary struggle which heartily is not correct, is not true,’’ said Bro. Karl. ■ IPRA: SUCCESSES AND FAILURES...

OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER PEACEBUILDER | 18 of the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform The Peace That We Want PEPP and the Youth (The Most Right Reverend Rex RB Reyes, Jr., co-convenor, PEPP delivered this talk to the 1st National Ecumenical Youth Gathering for Peace (NEYGP) virtual conference on May 23, 2021.) I ACKNOWLEDGED with gratitude this opportunity to have a conversation with the young people for and on behalf of the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform (PEPP). Perhaps, the other subtitle of this conversation would be “Peace Process as the Apostolate of PEPP.” Does that mean that the end of the peace process is the peace that PEPP wants? Certainly, Not. But, the PEPP believes that the peace process is a major step toward ending the 50-year old war. If we want to push it further, the peace process is what the PEPP terms as the least expensive and least deadly way to end the war. By this time there should be no debate among ourselves that war or the sale and purchase of arms or military hardware is an industry by itself. Why do you think that many countries are calling for an arms embargo to the military junta in Myanmar? The call for the sale of arms to our country is not new for us Filipinos. It was one I heard the first time, when I was young like you. The plainest reason is because more civilians are getting killed rather than combatants. That is not to say we will not renounce war because combatants are getting killed, however. James was accurate when he made a social analysis that we can read in James 4:1-3: “What causes war, and what causes fightings among you? Is it not your passions that are at war in your members? You desire and do not have; so you kill. And you covet and cannot obtain; so you fight and wage war. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and you do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend on your passions.” PEPP sticks to the call for the resumption of the peace talks because it subscribes to the comprehensiveness of the four-point agenda. It is a revisionist position to say that the Peace Talks is an agenda of the communists. Its history (peace talks), at least leading to the signing of The Hague Declaration in September 1, 1992 until the process was called off speaks of documents agreed by both protagonists. The peace process in this country did not just fall off from somewhere. It evolved from the desire to “resolve the armed conflict” and had a “common goal… of a just and lasting peace.” (Items 1 and 2 of the recommendations of The Hague Declaration. “Just and lasting peace” is what we want. It is the language of all who love peace and deplore violence in all its forms. To have just peace or justice as the state of being just, is a word we first meet in the Old Testament, spoken of by the prophets and sang by the Psalmist. It is a nature of God to be just. This sense of being just is summed up in ten fundamental ethics, four of which have something to do with our relationship with God (you shall have no other God but me; you shall not make for yourself a graven image and

OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER of the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform PEACEBUI LDER | 19 bow down to them and worship them; taking the Lord’s name in vain, keeping the Sabbath day) and the remaining six in relation to each other and the created world (honor your father and mother, do not kill, do not commit adultery, do not steal, against false witness, and not coveting what is your neighbor’s.) (Deut. 5:6-21). Yet, Jesus Christ further reduced these into two: Matthew 22:37-40 - the principle of love. Given this definition can it be said today that the younger generation have a new perspective of the ever-increasing broadening and never-ending definition of love? Or is it that which has been there at the beginning and which continue to shape us in new and more profound ways? It must be the latter and it is not a mere principle. Jesus is the face of that love. If such be the case then, it too is our face, unless you do not want this. If you do, act or behave accordingly, as God’s image. (Today is the Feast of Pentecost or the time, Jesus breathed on his disciples and said “Receive the Holy Spirit. It gets more complicated but interesting because the Holy Spirit is associated with wind, breath and freedom. Still it must be the face of Christ.) Justice must then be a state of full humanity or life abundant - John 10:10 - without those that seek to destroy, steal and kill. The other term is lasting peace. Is this possible? Is it mere ideal? In my youth, tribal wars erupted many times in many parts of the region where I come from. There was a time when a young man from one tribe nurtured by a priest of another tribe, killed the priest because their tribes went to war with each other. As a seminarian one time, our younger lower classes had to accompany a fellow seminarian to and from the college as tribal wars spilled into the cities. And as a young person engaged in studies of why our region was like that it was a constant source of despair that peace may never come to our region. But there came a much bigger problem which we all faced - the scenario that major portions of the lower areas would be inundated with water - destroying villages, sacred grounds and agricultural land - because of a dam and that our trees would be cut down by someone from outside claiming the forests were his and mining prospects were beginning to take more inroads. It did not take long for us to realize that beyond our tribal concerns were much bigger concerns that were anti-life or anti-people. Meanwhile, the students came home from the cities with new thoughts of politics, economics, society and better understanding of our culture and traditions. And we heard of anti-war movements against the Vietnam War and so on. No sooner had we began internalizing this then Martial Law was declared. I was in second year high school - an Igorot boy barely proud of his roots and marking his second year in the city. I began to realize that lasting peace belongs to the realm of the possible. But, it took a lot of work as the effects of a capitalist system and as we began to understand it had tremendous impact. Sure, we had to struggle with the fact that many people were able to go to school because their parents worked in the mines of the mountains of Benguet. Sure, we were glad that churches grew and developed in these mining communities. But certainly, we do not need more mines to be opened now as we saw its long term irreversible effects. I began to realize that lasting peace belonged to the realm of the possible when I heard of peace movements that focused on the primacy of life. They were not diminishing in number. It sprang from the ranks of the young people, the workers, the teachers, church people, indigenous people and what we would call today the marginalized sectors -PWDs, migrants, urban poor, fisherfolks, farmers, LGBTQ and so on. A just and lasting peace belong to the realm of the possible and is possible simply because Jesus said so: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give you.” (John 14.27) Last week I was interviewed over a television newscast and the newscaster asked me if there was any more hope for the resumption of the peace process given the prevailing situation. My response was that, it was precisely because of situations such as what we have now that we cannot let go of the campaign for the resumption of the peace talks. The issues are deep-seated and complex, hate abound, killings take place, the populace divided by fake news, and conspiracy theories, people are suffering and longing for peace - all ingredients necessary to keep the peace talks going.

OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER PEACEBUILDER | 20 of the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform The Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform (PEPP) expresses its deep sorrow over the deaths of Nolven Absalon, the 40-year-old Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Masbate Electric Cooperative Employees Union and his 21-year-old cousin, Keith, a football player of the Far Eastern University. We offer our prayers and heartfelt sympathies to their families, friends and colleagues. May God be with them and provide them with comfort in their time of grief. Various leaders, personalities and groups have condemned the actions of the New People’s Army (NPA) which led to this tragedy. While the tragic incident is truly condemnable, it is also a timely reminder for us to pause and reflect. The deaths of Nolven and Keith fully underscores the cost of the armed conflict in the country between the government and the NPA along with Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)/National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP). This armed conflict, which has deep social, economic and political roots, has spanned more than five decades and led to the loss of thousands of lives, destruction of property and misery and hardship. As such, what happened in Masbate puts into fore the complexity of the armed conflict in our country and the many nuances to the different aspects of the issue. There are calls for justice from the family and the public. There are mechanisms in place that can hopefully provide justice like the Comprehensive Agreement for Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) and related agreements and we hope that it is not disregarded by both parties even though the peace negotiations are suspended. What is clear though is that the armed conflict will continue to generate violence on the ground and will definitely result in more loss of lives from both sides and among civilians. What is very fearsome is the call of some sectors to relentlessly pursue the NPA militarily in Masbate and throughout the country. There are already reports that the military allegedly killed three Masbate farmers accused as NPA. Such an all-out military offensive can turn that island into a howling wilderness and create more pain and suffering throughout the country. The drive to annihilate the CPP/ NPA/NDF to resolve the armed conflict without addressing the roots – poverty, landlessness, inequitable access to resources – can just result in more violations to human rights and international and humanitarian law. As church leaders, we will serve the Lord (cf. Joshua 24:15) and we choose peace and we choose life! We call on all Filipinos to not let the deaths of Nolven and Keith fan the flames of war but rather let their deaths implore us to further sow the seeds of peace that we badly need in our country. Thus, we call on the government and CPP/ NPA/NDF to return to the negotiating table to address the roots of the armed conflict and respect all previous agreements. The PEPP wholeheartedly believes that the most viable option to stop the violence on the ground and to resolve the conflict is through a negotiated peace settlement between the warring parties. We call on all peace advocates to work hand-in-hand in encouraging and accompanying both parties to once more engage in principled negotiations for a just and lasting peace. Even as we wish that peace could be achieved with just a snap of a finger, we know that such a process is long and arduous but it can be accomplished in our lifetime, if it is approached deliberately. Therefore, let us not lose hope “…because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.” (Luke 1: 78-79, NIV) Issued and signed on this 12th day of June 2021. Sgd. Archbishop Emeritus Antonio J. Ledesma, SJ Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro Co-chairperson, PEPP Sgd. Bishop Rex B. Reyes, Jr. Episcopal Diocese of Central Philippines Co-chairperson, PEPP Sgd. Rev. Dr. Aldrin M. Penamora Executive Director Commission on Justice Peace & Reconciliation Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches Sgd. Bishop Reuel Norman O. Marigza General Secretary National Council of Churches in the Philippines Sgd. Sr. Mary John D. Mananzan, OSB Office of Women & Gender Commission AMRSP-Women Sgd. Bishop Emeritus Deogracias S. Iniguez, Jr. PEPP Head of the Secretariat Co-chairperson, EBF We will Serve the Lord and We Choose Peace! PASTORAL STATEMENT A statement on the tragedy in Masbate

OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER of the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform PEACEBUI LDER | 21 The Justice and Peace Center of the Divinity School of Silliman University strongly condemns the arrest of Pastor Benjie Gomez. Information pertaining to his arrest indicate that he is being held for a previous case filed against him that was already dismissed, proving his innocence some years ago. The explanation offered is that due to a clerical oversight the case was not removed from the records. This appears to be a desperate attempt to silence a courageous and prophetic voice of the church who has been a strong defender of the Indigenous People’s rights in the Zamboanga Peninsula. Pastor Benjie was officiating in worship on Sunday, June 6, at the UCCP Mutia Church in Zamboanga del Norte, where he is the Administrative Pastor. The arresting officers began to arrive at the church during the worship service. As the worship service ended, he was arrested and taken into custody and is being held at the Leon Postigo Police Station. The arrest at the church in the presence of the congregation for an invalid case is a gross defamation of his good character as a Pastor. It is traumatic to church members leaving many members scarred by fear. The scene reflects a conscious and calculated effort to weaponize the law and establish authority to abuse and misuse power to repress a community defending its right to land and life. Pastor Benjie is a graduate of the Silliman University Divinity School and received his Master of Divinity with the class of 2019. During his time as a student, he was respected by both students and faculty as he already had some years of Pastoral experience. He was affectionately called Kuya Benjie by his batchmates and carried the honor of Kuya Benjie with dignity and integrity. He brought with him a passion for serving the marginalized and oppressed peoples of Mindanao and was clear that he was equipping himself to better serve and lead in the community. The Justice and Peace Center of the Divinity School of Silliman University calls for the immediate release of Pastor Benjie Gomez. The case that has been rehashed and is being used against him is already dismissed indicating that this is part of a larger plan to silence the prophetic voices in the church. The Justice and Peace Center of the Divinity School of Silliman University cannot stand by while Church Workers are being threatened and calls upon all alumni and friends to demand the release of Pastor Benjie Gomez and an end to the harassing and silencing of the Church. REFERENCE: Carlton “Cobbie” Palm Director, Justice and Peace Center Divinity School Silliman University Free Pastor Benjie Gomez STATEMENT “They who justify the wicked and condemn the righteous are both alike an abomination to the Lord” Proverbs 17:15

OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER PEACEBUILDER | 22 of the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform The Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform (PEPP) sounds its alarm over the inclusion of peace consultants of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) in the Resolution Number 17 (2021) by the Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC). The said resolution designated the peace consultants as alleged Central Committee members of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and the New People’s Army (NPA) pursuant to the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020. This will have far reaching and adverse repercussions on the Government of the Republic of the Philippines-National Democratic Front of the Philippines (GRP-NDFP) Peace Negotiations which the PEPP has faithfully supported and advocated for. The list includes Rey Claro Casambre of the Philippine Peace Center among other consultants that were part of the GRP-NDFP Peace Negotiations. Mr. Casambre is a publicly known peace advocate and participant in the GRP-NDFP peace talks. His expertise in relation to the peace process has contributed to the ministry and advocacy of PEPP as a resource person for our various activities. We wholeheartedly believe in the sincerity of both the GRP and NDFP peace panels in their efforts to reach a negotiated peace settlement. However, we are saddened that the termination of the formal peace talks led to the imprisonment of Mr. Casambre and his co-consultants — who participated in the talks in good faith – while others like Randy Malayao and Randall Echanis were even killed. Besides, according to the Public Interest Law Center (PILC), their clients, including Mr. Casambre, “already disclaimed to the court and the public ties to terrorist organizations and involvement in any terrorist activities[1]”. Thus, we express our utter dismay over Resolution Number 17 (2021) and we reiterate our stand against the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 that it will not serve to end the conflicts of our land. The breakdown of the GRP-NDFP peace negotiations along with the implementation of the Anti-Terrorism Law have contributed significantly to an increase in human rights violations and the worsening climate of impunity in the country. As Christian leaders, our opposition to the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 “is based on our enduring call for broader peace. A peace that is not just silencing of the voices of dissent and the incarceration and destruction of lives that are defined as terrorists. But a peace that addresses the root causes of dissent and seeks resolution by negotiation”[2]. It is our unwavering belief that principled dialogue across the negotiating table is still the most viable way, and less costly in terms of lives and resources, to attain a just and lasting peace. We call on the Filipino people to steadfastly pray and work for the resumption of the formal peace talks between the GRP and the NDFP. This call is based on our enduring faith in Jesus Christ, who is our love, our hope and our peace. “For to this end we toil and struggle, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.” (1 TIMOTHY 4:10, NRSV) Issued and Signed on this day 15th day of May, 2021. Sgd. Abp. Emeritus Antonio J. Ledesma, SJ, Co-chairperson, PEPP Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro Sgd. Bishop Rex B. Reyes, Jr. Co-chairperson, PEPP Ecumenical Bishops Forum Sgd. Bishop Reuel Norman O. Marigza General Secretary, NCCP Sgd. Rev. Dr. Aldrin Penamora Executive Director, PARC-PCEC Sgd. Sr. Mary John D. Manazan, OSB OWGC – AMRSP Sgd. Bishop Emeritus Deogracias S. Iniguez, Jr. Head of the Secretariat [1] Please visit the Facebook page of the Public Interest Law Center (https://www.facebook.com/pilcphilippines/) for a copy of their statement. [2] “Our Opposition to the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 is Our Peace”, Issued by PEPP on June 4, 2020 Adverse Repercussions to Peace of Resolution Number 17 PASTORAL STATEMENT (2021) by the Anti-Terrorism Council

OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER of the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform PEACEBUI LDER | 23 On April 28 and 29, 2021 the Asia Pacific Forum (APF) met in its annual meeting. The APF brings together many North American churches and agencies who engage in mission and ministry with ecumenical partners throughout Asia and the Pacific region. APF members have long relationships with churches and ecumenical organizations in the Philippines, and in particular the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) as the ecumenical body representing Philippine partner churches. During the meeting we received updates and discussed the human rights situation in the Philippines and the urgent need to respond, particularly in the context of recent events. We received with great alarm the reports of ongoing threats to and the red-tagging of Bishop Hamuel Tequis of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines and other church leaders including Bishop Reuel Marigza, the General Secretary of NCCP. We are deeply concerned about the raids and the freezing of the accounts of the Haran Center in Davao City and the implications of this on its important work. We are inspired by the courage of the churches, church organizations and other civil society organizations in the Philippines and their continued work for just peace, at great risk, in this context of human rights violations and violence. During our meeting, we also learned from church partners in the Philippines about the Ecumenical Sunday for Lament that is being organized by the Philippines Ecumenical Peace Council on Sunday May 2, 2021. As churches and ecumenical organizations from Canada, the USA, and Australia,we express our deep solidarity and collective prayers on this important Ecumenical Sunday of Lament and add our voices in the call for the end to State-sponsored violence and harassment and the resumption of negotiations for just peace in the Philippines: ASIA PACIFIC FORUM Solidarity Statement on the occasion of the May 2 Ecumenical Sunday for Lament in the Philippines STATEMENT Respect and Protect God’s Gift of Life and Reject the Prevailing Culture of Violence and Death! Let us all Pray and Work for a Just and Lasting Peace. It is time for churches, from different denominations, to speak up and declare God’s love for all. Let us uphold the sanctity of life and condemn the culture of violence and death that has enveloped our country. APF Member Churches and Ecumenical Bodies in North America and Partners: American Baptist Churches USA • Anglican Church of Canada • Evangelical Lutheran Church in America • Foundation for Theological Education in South East Asia • Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the USA and Canada and United Church of Christ, USA • KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives • Presbyterian Church in Canada • Presbyterian Church (USA) • Reformed Church in America • The Episcopal Church • The United Church of Canada • The United Methodist Church (General Board of Church and Society and General Board of Global Ministries) • Uniting World Australia

OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER PEACEBUILDER | 24 of the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform POISONED MANGROVES. Orange silt from the nickel mines covers the waterway of the mangrove area in the town of Carrascal, Surigao del Sur. PHOTO BY ERWIN MASCARIÑAS FBO-Ph says lifting of mining ban worsens disaster woes THE PHILIPPINE Faith-based Forum (FBO-PH) expressed alarm after President Rodrigo Duterte lifted the ban on issuing licenses for mining operations through Executive Order 130 in April this year. Representatives of various faith-based and environmental organizations and other groups and individuals issued a statement criticizing Duterte’s move that could lead to entry of 291 mining companies should their applications are approved. FBO-Ph said the move was ill-suited since the country’s vulnerability to disasters caused by climate change continue to worsen. Duterte justified the lifting of the mining moratorium by guaranteeing it could spur economic growth that could support projects and programs of the government to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The group said that large-scale mining may contribute to the economy due to perceive increase in excise taxes, however, it would only provide short-term benefits that wouldn’t be commensurate to the long-term destruction and losses in the ecosystem that could result to a bleaker future of the country. The group also criticized the mining companies as notorious for violating safety standards for their workers and the havoc it brings to the communities and the environment. “The Filipinos have been victims of the destructive effects of large-scale mining to our forests, rivers, lakes, seas, air and on our biodiversity. The once-fertile lands have been transformed into wastelands while the people dependent on the productive capacity of the land would be driven out into marginal livelihood and precarious existence,” the group said. FBO-Ph said human rights violations against the indigenous peoples (IPs), peasants, fisherfolk, women, children and environmental defenders are rampant where mining companies operate. Often, the group said, these companies carry out rights violations perpetrated by their security forces. The group said mining activities have brought serious health hazards in the communities around mining areas, not only that, labor exploitation among mine workers is also massive. “Which is ironic given that scientists have pointed out that environmental destruction and climate change are major causes why diseases like COVID-19 are now in our midst.” The group argued that opening up our country to further mining activities will only exacerbate people’s vulnerability to COVID-19 and other diseases and called on Mr. Duterte to reconsider his decision to lift the ban on new mining permits. ■