They band together against the life of the righteous,

and condemn the innocent to death.

But the Lord has become my stronghold,

and my God the rock of my refuge.

He will repay them for their iniquity

and wipe them out for their wickedness;

the Lord our God will wipe them out.

Psalm 94:21-23

The World Council of Churches condemns the massacre earlier this month of 14 farmers by police officers in Canlaon City and Manjuyod and Santa Catalina towns in Negros Oriental in the Philippines. The churches worldwide are in solidarity with the families and communities of the victims. WCC renews the call issued by its Central Committee in June 2018 for the Government of the Philippines to end the culture of impunity and to ensure full investigation and accountability for all such killings. We pray for the comfort and healing of the bereaved, and that faith communities and the wider society will rally and support the affected families and communities.

The latest violence occurred in three separate incidents in Negros Island, in the center of the nation’s sugar industry and home to some of the country’s wealthiest landowners as well as some of its poorest farm workers.  The relatives, civil society organizations and the church strongly refute the false allegations that the farmers were members or supporters of the New People’s Army. Two of the victims were local administrative officials and one of those slain was a lay leader of a mission station of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Carlos.

The killings follow a deeply troubling pattern of labelling poor and marginalized farmers who stand up for their legitimate land rights as extremists, and killing them.’ said Dr Manoj Kurian, Coordinator of the WCC-Ecumenical advocacy Alliance.

As part of the wider oppression of organizations and concerned individuals who stand up for human rights, the government also vilifies and harasses grass-root religious organizations such as Rural Missionaries of the Philippines – Northern Mindanao Sub-Region (RMP), as supporters of extremist groups.

The RMP, an alliance of Catholic religious congregations in Mindanao, was established in 1969 as a Church response to the plight of people in remote and inaccessible regions by accompanying communities to address issues of peace, education, and good governance in the far-flung rural areas. The RMP is also a participating member of the WCC-Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance.

‘Land grabbing by major corporations, for the extractive industry and agricultural companies with the support of the government and marginalisation and impoverishment of rural communities is the root of the troubles’ said Athena Peralta, WCC Programme Executive for Economic and Ecological Justice.

Over and above the suppression of local voices, the human rights defenders and the grass-root organisations who accompany the neglected communities are also targeted.

Rev Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, WCC General Secretary said ‘People thirst and hunger for peace and justice. May we, together, as churches, communities, organisations and governments respect life, freedom, and the dignity of each person.  We join the National Council of Churches in the Philippines in condemning the killings and the call for an open investigations. May justice and peace become a reality in the Philippines”.

Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit,
general secretary
World Council of Churches