MANILA (UCAN): “We have raised this in many instances. We are not the enemy of the government. We have not aided or helped any terrorist group. Our projects go directly to aid the people,” the Rural Missionary Sisters, said on August 30 dismissing allegations that they had allegedly financing terrorist groups and defending their presence in poor and rural communities.
The sisters denied government allegations that they violated the Anti-Terrorism Law by financing the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People’s Army and that their presence in rural provinces was to help the Communist Party recruit members and solicit funds for them.
They said their presence was part of their mission to help the poor and to build peace between them and the government, not to spark warfare.
“As missionaries, we are unapologetic and unwavering in our commitment to working in poor areas, even when these areas are visited by militarisation and armed conflict,” the Rural Missionaries said.
The congregation pointed out that part of their mission was to be “actually” present in marginalised, poor areas to be with Christ who was himself poor.
Those who seek to besmirch our ministry, by saying it supported or financed ‘terrorism,’ should be held to account; their lies will only further the suffering and poverty in marginalised communities,
“Bringing services and accompanying grassroots leaders are effective methods for resolving community issues and sparking change and development that benefit the communities where we serve,” the sisters added.
On August 15, the Justice Department indicted five sisters, together with several other people, in a court in Iligan City in Mindanao, for allegedly financing a terror group [Sunday Examiner, August 21 and 28].
The department alleged that the sisters did not file their counter affidavits to refute the charges against them, but the sisters said they did not receive any documents due to an erroneous address.
They claimed the government has weaponised the law to pin down dissenters by intimidating them with the controversial Anti-Terror Law.
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“The law has been weaponised against us … but we will neither be cowed nor impeded by the renewed attacks,” they said.
The sisters said those who spread lies about their alleged involvement with terrorist groups had made the poor poorer.
“Those who seek to besmirch our ministry, by saying it supported or financed ‘terrorism,’ should be held to account; their lies will only further the suffering and poverty in marginalised communities,” they said.
