rural missionaries of the philippines


	UCCP pastors, IFI priests, and LGU representatives sign the peace manifesto

Karapatan and Kahugpungan sa mga Mag-uuma sa Bukidnon (KASAMA-Bukidnon-KMP), together with the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP) initiated the creation of Panaw Kalinaw, an alliance of peasant-based people's organizations, academe, youth and students, church people, human rights advocates and local government officials calling for a just and lasting peace in the Province. RMP-Northern Mindanao Regional Coordinator Sr. Mary Francis Anover, RSM, shared a biblico-theologico reflection after Karapatan-NMR Chairperson Atty. Beverly Selim-Musni presented the result of the fact-finding mission in Lipa, Quezon, Bukidnon conducted on March 20-23, 2009. Lipa has been militarized on February after encounters happened between the governmetn troops and the NPA rebels. Attorney Musni in her talk lambasted the militarization not only in the province of Bukidnon but of the entire Northern Mindanao that has resulted to forcible evacuation, harassment and killing of civilians. - From report

Photos courtesy of Rural Missionaries of the Philippines-Northern Mindanao Sub-Region (RMP-NMR)


GROUPS FORM PEACE ALLIANCE IN BUKIDNON 27 April 2009--Karapatan and Kahugpungan sa mga Mag-uuma sa Bukidnon (KASAMA-Bukidnon-KMP), together with the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP) initiated the creation of Panaw Kalinaw, an alliance of peasant-based people's organizations, academe, youth and students, church people, human rights advocates and local government officials calling for a just and lasting peace in the Province. RMP-Northern Mindanao Regional Coordinator Sr. Mary Francis Anover, RSM, shared a biblico-theologico reflection after Karapatan-NMR Chairperson Atty. Beverly Selim-Musni presented the result of the fact-finding mission in Lipa, Quezon, Bukidnon conducted on March 20-23, 2009. Lipa has been militarized on February after encounters happened between the governmetn troops and the NPA rebels. Attorney Musni in her talk lambasted the militarization not only in the province of Bukidnon but of the entire Northern Mindanao that has resulted to forcible evacuation, harassment and killing of civilians. Qouting Isaiah 3:14-15, "What right have you to crush my people, grinding the faces of the poor into the dust," Sister Anover questioned the government's anti-insurgency program that enabled the military to attack the rural poor who are civilians. Panaw Kalinaw or Peace Journey was a name originally coined as a fact-finding activity in Quezon, Bukidnon. The name was later adapted to name the peace alliance in the Province. The same alliance will be established in other areas of the Region on the coming days to address the escalating problem of militarization in the rural areas. Bro. Jun Jardinico, FFC, was elected to be the spokesperson for Panaw Kalinaw-Bukidnon composed by KASAMA-Bukidnon, Ogyon! (Organisasyon sa mga Yanong Obrerong Nagkahiusa), Kasilo (kaugalingong Sistema Igpasasindug tu Lumadnong Ogpaan), Kalumbay Lumad Organization, Karapatan-Bukidnon, RMP-Bukidnon, priests from the Philippine Independent Church, pastors from the United Church of Christs in the Philippines and the Methodist Church, and individuals from the academe, youth and the local government units of the Province.### For reference: Bro. Jun Jardinico, FFC, Panaw Kalinaw Bukidnon Spokesperson (0919-215-4558) Atty. Beverly Selim-Musni, Karapatan-NMR Chair (0908-607-9648) Rural Missionaries of the Philippines-Northern Mindanao Sub-Region (RMP-NMR) Postal Address: Gonzales Res., Purok Lourdes, Tubod 9200 Iligan City, Philippines Tel. No.: (063) 221-7807 Email: rmp_nmr@yahoo.com.ph "our love is not to be just words or mere talk, but something real and active"--1 john 3:18
			A lumad leader lambasting militarization in Bukidnon countrysides

			An IFI priest giving solidarity message

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RMP-NMR Coordinator Sr. Mary Francis Anover, RSM, sharing a biblico-theologico reflection	A methodist pastor signing the peace manifesto		Br. Jun Jardinico, FFC, Panaw Kalinaw-Bukidnon spokesperson

		Manifesto of Solidarity with the People Journeying Towards Peace Valencia City, Bukidnon 27 April 2009 We come together in this co-journey called Panaw Alang sa Kalinaw - a people's journey towards just and lasting peace amdist strife and plunder of land. We come together in solidarity with the people, bearing witness to their sufferings, of being torn apart by militarization, evacuations, the deprivation of land, and worse the deprivation of justice, and life. The militarization of the rural areas in Northern Mindanao such as in Bukidnon point to the vicious efforts of the State to expand large-scale mining and agribusiness plantations, and other forms of "development" agression. This shows that militarization is the twin of this so-called "development". This is a "development" that comes at the expense of trampling the rights of the peasants and indigenous peoples, and the plunder of the land has destroyed the ancestral land and the ecosystem. This indeed points to the state's propensity to use its iron fist against its peoples. As with its policy of Oplan Bantay Laya 2, the brute strength of the Armed Forces is trained on its people, particularly on sectors and leaders who stand for their rights. Thus far, state violence through Bantay Laya has claimed more than 900 lives of peasants, lumads, church people, activists and media. This is the violence that cries for justice. As the Arroyo government becomes the present-day Pilate that washes its blood-stained hands on the murder of innocents, we cry out for justice and accountability on the state violence. As a collective of concerned peoples, moved by these Signs of the Times, we are implored to act for the people fighting for life, land, dignity and justice. We are moved to fight as well with courage against the evil of tyranny and plunder We, the Panaw Alang sa Kalinaw is the collective voice of concerned people in solidarity with the poor to call for the end of militarization, justice for the victims of militarization and other violations to human rights, and the return and rehabilitation of internally displaced communities. The Panaw Alang sa Kalinaw is the journey with the people, the solidarity with the people to achieve just and lasting peace. Our concrete expressions of our solidarity are: · to provide humanitarian response and services to displaced communities · to support and advocate for the rights of the people amidst the culture of violence and impunity. · to support the call to defend the land against development aggression · to appeal to the government to uphold its accountability on the impunity Let us come in solidarity. For land, life and justice. Signed: Bro. Jun Jardinico, FFC Rev. Arturo valdez, UCCP-BAC Vice Mayor Rodito Rapisura, Kitaotao Bukidnon Vicky I. Aquino, Diocese of Malaybalay Florentino Macote, Buffalo-Tamaraw-Limus Farmers’Association Rev. Goel Bagundol, UCCP-BAC Jun Benemerito, KASAMA-Bukidnon Edgardo Cordiales, Ogyon! Ferbando Padera, Pigyayungaan Jomorito Guaynon, Kalumbay Lumad Organization Sherwin M. Cupida, Anakbayan-Bukidnon Mary Anne Noble, DXDB Rev. Domaima Cabada, UCCP Concepcion Yagoy, Health-Bukidnon Rev. Fidel Porquillo, UMC-Valencia Sharon Cabal, UMC-Malaybalay Rodejanif T. Porquillo, UMC-Malaybalay Flordeliza Valle, RMP-Bukidnon Sr. Mary Francis Anover, RSM, RMP-NMR Rural Missionaries of the Philippines-Northern Mindanao Sub-Region (RMP-NMR) Postal Address: Gonzales Res., Purok Lourdes, Tubod 9200 Iligan City, Philippines Tel. No.: (063) 221-7807 Email: rmp_nmr@yahoo.com.ph "our love is not to be just words or mere talk, but something real and active"--1 john 3:18


/Karapatan's Atty. Beverly Selim-Musni presenting the Quezon, Bukidnon Fact-finding report

Kitaotao, Bukidnon Vice Mayor giving his solidarity message

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