Some Visayan responses to killings

From Thursday, August 23, until revoked, Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma has enjoined all to pray, after Communion, the Oratio Imperata asking God to end killings here in Cebu and the rest of the country.

Here are some excerpts of the Oratio Imperata:

“Heavenly Father, “the source of life and foundation of peace, we your children mourn, worry, and are anxious because of the successive murders of our brothers and sisters.

“We beg you, awaken the minds of those who don’t even care, disturb the conscience of those who author the killings, touch the hearts of those who support the murders, and comfort those who mourn.

“Give us the strength to fight evil with good, and to reject crooked ways. Protect us from the lies of the devil, and free our country from the power of Satan. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.”

With Archbishop Palma, we hope that God will hear this prayer for killings to stop, for our people to be emboldened to renounce, not ignore or condone, the killings. With Archbishop Palma and all others, we pray that the Oratio Imperata will result in justice for the victims of the killings as well.

On another front in Cebu, Nasukhu (Nagpakabanang Sugbuanon alang sa Kinabuhi ug Hustisya) composed of partners from solidarity movements, social development organizations, human rights defenders, and concerned individuals marched to the Police Regional Office-7 headquarters last August 21 to present a manifesto to express concern on the spate of killings in Cebu, to call for accountability of law enforcement agencies and local governments re EJKs, and, to demand for swift and effective delivery of justice for EJK victims and their families.

Elsewhere, starting this September 1, the celebration of the World Day of Prayer for Creation and the start of the Season of Creation, the Diocese of San Carlos, Negros Occidental will launch the campaign “Growing 25,000 Trees for Life and Justice” until September 1, 2019. The initiative encourages “participating organizations to plant and grow Philippine endangered trees, as well as Philippine fruit trees.” For more information about this, please refer to cbcpnews.net.

Bishop Gerardo Alminaza of San Carlos, head convenor of the initiative, said that “we Christians are urgently called to witness to our faith by taking bold action to preserve the gift of life.”

Brother Tagoy Jakosalem, OAR, co-convenor, emphasized that the tree-growing activity responds to “the integral ecology challenge of Pope Francis in Laudato Si and contextualizes “our integral response to the current violent approach on the war on drugs, integrating our call for justice both on behalf of nature and of people (especially the victims of extrajudicial killings-EJKs).”

This CBCP published report notes that “from July 1, 2016 to June 11, 2018 – the Philippine National Police have recorded 23,518 Homicide Cases Under Investigation (HCUI), equivalent to an average of 33 people killed a day. From July 1, 2016 to May 15, 2018, police have tallied 4,279 suspects killed in anti-illegal drug operations, or an average of 6 a day.

Of all the homicide cases still under probe, 11.34% were found to be drug-related, 45.55% non-drug related, and 43.17% calling for a better scrutiny of motives. Based on the said data, there are already 27,797 persons killed in our country in less than two years and the number is still increasing.”

Filipinos should unite together, as one nation against the killings. Fervent, continuing prayers need to be done simultaneously, together, daily, at a given time until God hears our prayers for killings to stop, for justice and peace to prevail.