Bishops hit rally dispersal

Describing the violent dispersal of an inter-faith procession in Manila last Friday as a virtual attack on religion, bishops who led the prayer rally said yesterday they believed the incident would convince more bishops to band together against the administration.

Meanwhile, television host Oscar Orbos said he and other rally leaders would file complaints in court as well as with the United Nations Commission on Human Rights and the local Commission on Human Rights for what he said was the violation of their right to free assembly.

"Can you imagine — can we attack Malacañang? My God, Bishop Labayen is 82 years old," Orbos told dzBB radio, referring to Bishop Emeritus of Infanta, Quezon Julio Xavier Labayen.

Opposition Sen. Jamby Madrigal said the Philippines is a signatory to a UN human rights convention and is bound to respect the right to peaceful protest.

Novaliches Bishop Antonio Tobias said the government’s calibrated preemptive response or CPR policy "is just gelling the bishops together. Konti na lang at sasabog na (Just a little more and this will explode)."

According to Tobias, among the bishops who have expressed support for their cause, especially after last Friday’s event, are Iloilo Bishop Angel Lagdameo, Cagayan de Oro Bishop Jesus Tuguib, Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navarra, Bishop Prelate of Ipil Antonio Ledesma, Imus Bishop Luis Antonio Tagle and San Pablo Bishop Leo Drona.

Labayen has said that the assembly last Friday was "not a political rally but purely a religious activity," as indicated by the lack of banners and placards.

"What happened last Friday is a reflection of the program (of the government)," he said. "It was like we were back to martial rule (but) even peaceful and non-political assembly is stopped."

Labayen added it seems the government is also trying to crush religious sovereignty.

Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz said the acronym CPR actually means "concrete progressive repression" since "people must first secure a government’s permit before they could gather and speak. And when they do, the country becomes like a police state."

At the same time, members of the Kilusang Makabayang Ekonomiya (KME), which includes Tobias, said the ranks of the "silent majority" are moving in order to know the truth and demand good governance for the country.

At a press conference, the KME also disclosed plans to file administrative and criminal charges against officials and policemen involved in the "water treatment" of participants in Friday’s procession.

To prove that their ranks have not been cowed by last Friday’s incident, the KME is set to hold a Mass in San Beda Church near Malacañang on Oct. 20.

On allegations that the bishops who joined the KME were being used by the opposition to destabilize the government, Tobias said, "We are not being used (because) KME is a non-aligned group."

Labayen said they are not using religion to stage political rallies against the government.

Cookie Diokno, secretary general of the Free Legal Assistant Group (FLAG), said the human rights lawyers’ organization will assist the KME in the determination and filing of appropriate charges against members of the Philippine National Police and possibly government officials behind the use of fire hoses.

Diokno, however, noted the legal impediment in the filing of a human rights case before the international court with the pending ratification of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court by the government.

The executive branch has yet to transmit the Rome Statute to the Senate for ratification even if the statute has already been signed during the previous administration. — With Evelyn Macairan, AP