Tend the flock of God in your midst, [overseeing] not by constraint but willingly, as God would have it, not for shameful profit but eagerly. Do not lord it over those assigned to you, but be examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd is revealed, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
– 1 Peter 5:2-4
Our Christian faith impels us to protect, defend, and care for the least of our brothers and sisters. Our Carmelite Constitution tells us: “We cannot turn a deaf ear to the cry of the oppressed who pleads for justice” (112), so we continue to hear and listen to the cries of the poor for food, decent housing, work, and security; to the bereaved families of EJK victims calling out for justice and an end to impunity; to threatened media personnel who speak-out the truth at the risk of their own safety; to the outcries from members of civil society who have been red-tagged, harassed, arrested, and detained, as well as other expressions of fear and uncertainty for the last, the lost, and the least among our countrymen.
Socio-economic concerns and political issues have slowly eaten up our soul as a people and as a nation. Every day, we are forced to endure the aggravation of innumerable headlines and personal narratives that center around the systematic corruption in various levels of leadership, the steady loss of our hard-won sovereignty over the West Philippine Sea as China continues to forcibly push for the control of Scarborough Shoal, the unmitigated destruction of our natural environment due to the adverse effects of mining, quarrying, and deforestation, as well as the alarming rise in incidents of human rights violations, to name a few.
Indeed, in these dark and challenging times, made even more difficult by the crippling impacts of the global health crisis that is the COVID-19 pandemic, we cannot turn a deaf ear to the wailings of the oppressed. Our conscience urges us to stand for what is right and to gather the courage to raise our voices against iniquitous policies and practices that seek to undermine our inherent rights and freedoms, that threaten our security and peace, and are bound to be abused in the hands of an authoritarian government.
We are appalled that in the midst of a global pandemic that continues to menace the health and livelihood of our citizens, the government has chosen to swiftly and incongruously push for a new Anti-Terrorism Law (now House Bill 6875 and Senate Bill 1083). We have listened to and studied many professional opinions and explanations issued by concerned legal experts and human rights defenders regarding the implications of the said Bill. They are one in affirming that should it be passed into law, this new measure would gravely jeopardize our constitutional rights.
This new Anti-Terror Bill would legitimize the abuse and violation of our constitutional rights, as in the case of allowing warrantless arrests, as well as being held in detention for 24 days on mere suspicion that one is a terrorist, among others. Our democratic right to due process will be circumvented. Our other rights and freedoms shall be further imperiled, as in the case of our freedom of expression, right to association, right to assembly, right to redress grievances, right to life, to name a few.
No benefit can ever come from a law that only seeks to add more anxiety, pain, and grief to our marginalized brothers and sisters — mainly because it desires to silence the voices of those working with the poor and with those who lend their voice to the voiceless and hope to the hopeless. Let us not allow this to happen.
Just as the Prophet Elijah slew hundreds of false prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel because they poisoned the minds and hearts of God’s people with lies and earthly pleasures, let us take steps — with boldness and conviction — to exterminate this evil that aims to demonize the dissent, weaponize the law, and legitimize the violation and abuse of human rights.
As members of one the most ancient religious orders in the Church, bearing the legacy of a prophetic tradition that dates back to over 800 years, the Order of Carmelites in the Philippines strongly opposes this anti-people and anti-freedom Bill which is now in the hands of the President — who marked it as urgent — awaiting his signature.
We urge President Duterte to reconsider his position and resolve to promulgate this Bill and instead veto this proposal in order to uphold and preserve our most valued rights and freedoms as citizens of a democratic nation, the very people he had sworn to serve and protect.
We also ask each and every peace-loving Filipino to register their voice and be counted in opposing the proposed Anti-Terrorism Law.
We do not need another oppressive and inhumane law. What we need are measures guided by justice, peace, and compassion – laws that seek to bring kaginhawahan to our brothers and sisters who have long been suffering from the pains of poverty and injustice.
Let true freedom and peace reign in our country. Let the love of God through the sacrifice of His only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, take root in our hearts and in the hearts of our government leaders.
Mr. President, please tend to God’s flock, don’t lord over them.
Oppose the Anti-Terrorism Bill! Junk the Anti-Terrorism Bill, now!
ORDER OF CARMELITES
Province of Blessed Titus Brandsma of the Philippines
On the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, 19 June 2020
New Manila, Quezon City, Philippines