Palm Sunday message * Pastor Berlin's Cup
Palm Sunday, March 16, 2008 --- Pastor Berlin Guerrero celebrated
ecumenical service at the Cavite Provincial Jail then exchanged
stories and updates with visiting friends from New Zealand
who at the time of his disappearance helped generate
international pressure for Pres. Arroyo to order Philippine
authorities to surface Pastor Berlin. At that time Pres. Arroyo was
attending an inter-faith dialogue in New Zealand and the news of
another abduction exposed the gravity of the country's human rights
crisis to the international community.

Before we left, Pastor Berlin gave us a cup with a message...

This is Pastor Berlin's cup.
This token is given in sincere appreciation of your sharing with him
the sufferings he and his family is going through, which this cup
symbolizes.

As a co-worker in Christ, he shares with you the life-changing
decision you made to follow and serve Christ by serving His flock in
whatever situation you may find yourself. Thus this cup symbolizes our
sharing in Christ's ministry, suffering, death and resurrection.

This cup is made out of old newspapers, cut and rolled into thin
tubes, linked together to form a longer straw for weaving. Plastic
varnish is used to make the product stronger and harder leaving it
with a dark shiny finish.

Created by human hands, it is never perfect in the same way that we
all are. Its mouth is open wide towards heaven - a gesture of asking
for the Holy Spirit to fill us up to overflowing a be a blessing to
many.

Finally, this cup is a symbol of celebration of life and all the
victory that awaits us...
... of life over the evil forces of death
...of abundant life over monopoly and greed
...of freedom over domination, oppression and persecution
...of Christ's peace over the trauma of terror and violence
...of God's reign, here and now and in the coming days.

Now this is no longer Pastor Berlin's cup.

This is YOUR cup.

With deep gratitude...

Pastor Berlin v. Guerrero
United Church of Christ in the Philippines
Cavite Provincial Jail
Trece Martirez City

***

VOICES FROM PRISON: UCCP Pastor Berlin Guerrero and other political
detainees Fast and Pray for Justice

ARREST GREEDY PRESIDENT, NOT HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS!



March 14, 2008 --- We joined the family of Pastor Berlin Guerrero and
other human rights victims in a Solidarity Fasting and Prayer
Gathering to appeal for the immediate release of Pastor Berlin,
Tagaytay 5 and all unjustly detained human rights activists. Even in
prison, Pastor Berlin and other political detainees send strong
message that they are one with all Filipinos in communal actions that
will hopefully liberate the Filipino people from the bondage of
systemic corruption and render justice to all victims of
state-sponsored human rights violations.

Though physically unable to join the March 14 youth-led multi-sectoral
rally at the Liwasang Bonifacio today, UCCP Pastor Berlin Guerrero and
other political detainees are joining us in spirit. In fact they have
made a strong political statement against corruption and injustice
under the Arroyo government through fasting until Easter Sunday.
Long before NBN-ZTE star witness Jun Lozada came out with explosive
revelations on corruption involving the Arroyos, what happened to
Pastor Berlin and hundreds of victims of unjustified arrests, torture,
enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings were more than
enough proof of the Arroyo government's propensity to silence its
critics at all cost. Jun Lozada's ordeal in the hands of his abductors
widely exposed a glimpse of what was suffered by many others who have
long been denouncing government corruption and human rights abuses.

Church groups together with the family of Pastor Berlin and other
victims of human rights violations in Southern Tagalog marched from
the Philippine Christian University (PCU) to the Supreme Court to pray
and appeal for immediate dismissal of fabricated charges against
Pastor Berlin.


On May 27, 2007, Pastor Berlin was abducted in front of his family. He
was heavily tortured for several hours then slapped with murder and
rebellion charges after national and international pressure compelled
state agents to surface him. For almost 10 months now, Pastor Berlin
was deprived of his freedom just as hundreds of human rights activists
and anti-corruption advocates have been persecuted under the Arroyo
watch. #


Promotion of Church People's Response (PCPR)