Episcopal News Service November 9, 2006
Philippine human rights concerns registered with State Department, embassy
Jefferts Schori joins church officials in upholding justice, freedom and peace
By ENS Staff
[ENS] Concerns about the deteriorating human rights situation in the Philippines and the extra-judicial killings which have claimed the lives of journalists, human rights workers and religious activists -- including the recent killing of former Supreme Bishop Alberto Ramento of the Philippine Independent Church -- have been registered, by church officials, with the Philippine Embassy and the State Department in Washington, D.C.
The Rev. Canon Brian Grieves, director of Peace and Justice Ministries, and the Rev. Dr. Fred Vergara, national missioner for Asian American Ministries, represented outgoing Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold, and the new Presiding Bishop, the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, while visiting the Philippine Embassy and the State Department November 2-3.
"We told Ambassador Willy Gaa at the Philippine Embassy that we were there as a courtesy to let him know of the deep concern among U.S. denominations over the deplorable number of extra-judicial killings in the Philippines, and that we are supporting our partner churches there as they prepare to document these human rights violations," said Grieves, who will visit partners in Manila in December to coordinate the church's support of their efforts. "The Episcopal Church is fully engaging this issue."
Gaa, who promised to relate the matter to Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, noted that the Philippine Human Rights Report of the ecumenical churches should also be submitted to the Melo Commission of the Philippine Government, which is in charge of investigating the killings.
Jefferts Schori, underlining the church's mission priority framed by the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), said that "the advancement of human rights and religious freedom is an integral part of human development. The Episcopal Church will be strongly supportive of the efforts of our ecumenical and concordat partners in the Philippines and Asia in work for human rights, justice, freedom and peace."
Grieves noted that the Episcopal Church (TEC), through the offices of Anglican and Global Relations, Episcopal Asian American Ministries and Peace and Justice Ministries, is jointly funding the Philippine Human Rights project in partnership with the United Methodist Church and other denominations. The documentation and writing of this project will be spearheaded by the National Council of Churches in the Philippines.
Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/3577_79567_ENG_HTM.htm
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