ROME (LiCAS News): Bishop Gerardo Alminaza of San Carlos, recently elected president of Caritas Philippines and chairperson of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines Episcopal Commission on Social Action, Justice and Peace, called on faith communities around the world to stand with the most vulnerable in the country, saying Churches must help “plant seeds of justice” amid worsening human rights conditions in the country.
Speaking at Pagtatanim: Sowing Seeds of Faith Solidarity for the Filipino People’s Struggle for Peace, a global interfaith conference held from June 27 to 28 in Rome, Bishop Alminaza underscored the Church’s mission to “accompany those under threat, listing political prisoners, searching for the disappeared, [and] advocating for peace talks, not surrender.”
The gathering brought together more than 70 clergy, faith leaders, and human rights defenders from 13 countries across Asia, Europe, and the Americas.
The conference was convened by the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines [ICHRP], the International Interfaith Network of ICHRP, and the Ecumenical Voice for Human Rights and Peace in the Philippines [EcuVoice], with co-sponsorship from global ecumenical organisations such as the World Council of Churches, KAIROS, and the United Church of Canada.
Over the meeting’s two days, participants heard testimonies from survivors of extrajudicial killings, forced disappearances, and environmental devastation
Organisers said the initiative builds on the legacy of international solidarity rooted in the 1980s when faith communities condemned the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos Sr. at a historic assembly in Stony Point.
Today, with the Philippines under the administration of the dictator’s son and current president, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., the conference sought to mobilise Churches once again amid “an alarming escalation of state violence, widespread violations of international humanitarian law, and increasing militarisation of the Philippines.”
Drawing from the biblical tradition of Jubilee in Leviticus 25, Bishop Alminaza framed peace as restorative justice. “Return land, forgive deaths, and set captives free,” he said.
The Church’s 2025 Jubilee Year, he added, is a moment to “plant seeds of justice,” even in the face of repression.
Over the meeting’s two days, participants heard testimonies from survivors of extrajudicial killings, forced disappearances, and environmental devastation.
As we celebrate the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines. The Chaplaincy to Filipino Migrants organises an on-line talk every Tuesday at 9.00pm. You can join us at:
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In a declaration, they pledged to support political prisoners, accompany victims’ families, oppose foreign military aid used for repression
Discussions highlighted the continuing impact of the drug war of former president, Rodrigo Duterte, drug war and the economic and military policies of Marcos Jr, which speakers said serve foreign interests at the expense of local communities.
Charmane Maranan of the rights group Karapatan described the Philippine situation as one of institutionalised repression.
“Unpeace,” Maranan said, “is the normalisation of violence, the criminalisation of resistance and critical thought,” adding, “It is the language of repression.”
Coni Ledesma, a member of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines peace panel, spoke about the stalled peace process.
“The GRP [government of the Republic of the Philippines] has used every occasion to stop, to terminate, to suspend, to terminate anything so that the process does not move forward,” she said.
In a declaration, they pledged to support political prisoners, accompany victims’ families, oppose foreign military aid used for repression
The event concluded with participants affirming a collective commitment to continue international faith-based solidarity.
In a declaration, they pledged to support political prisoners, accompany victims’ families, oppose foreign military aid used for repression, and “help plant, nurture, and harvest justice in the Philippines by addressing the root causes of unpeace.”
A follow-up public witness action was held on June 29 in Rome, as participants expressed solidarity with the Filipino people’s struggle for peace.
Quoting a report from The Tablet, Bishop Alminaza said that saying his participation in the ICHRP conference was “part of enlarging the space of our tent” and an expression of “faith solidarity” recognising that “everyone is interconnected,” UCAN reported.
“If we don’t do that, I think our faith is questionable,” he said. “If we remain silent, we are complicit.”
Referring to the trial at the International Criminal Court of Rodrigo Duterte on charges of crimes against humanity during his drug war, in which thousands died, the bishop said, “It was once an impossible dream. For years, people got away with this, the corruption, the killings. This is an opportunity to end the culture of impunity.”
Going a step further, Bishop Alminaza also called for the Philippine Senate to advance the impeachment of vice president, Sara Duterte, the former president’s daughter.
“Let the truth come out,” The Tablet quoted him as saying.
