The power of spiritual commitment not violence can bring change
(republishing, copying, no restrictions)
By: Father Shay Cullen
The deportation and blacklisting of Columban
Father Frank Nally, 52, at the Manila Airport last January 5 was
unnecessary. Father Frank is no threat to the Philippine people, or
their national security or the government but is a threat to the forces
of darkness and corruption that exploit and oppress the rights of the
poor and indigenous people.
He is a friend and supporter of Filipinos and a
defender of their rights and dignity. He is an advocate for justice and
peace calling for an end to assassinations and evil. The only people to
gain from preventing him from entering the Philippines where he served
as a dedicated missionary for eight years are those who sleep with the
devil. Consider how pedophiles and child rapists are protected by
powerful officials and even when ordered to be deported by the
Commissioner on Immigration they still can stay to abuse children.
The immigration officials were only acting on
orders from powerful people at the top. Those that prosper by allowing
the international and local mining corporations to pollute and pillage
the land of the indigenous people. It only takes a few greedy people to
cause so much injustice and poverty. Bringing these realities to public
light and advocating positive alternatives to save the people and their
environment is part of the mission of Father Frank Nally we must all
support these life giving efforts.
Father Frank was here to prepare for the launch
of an important report on these problems and to promote what is good and
right. Good and ethical mining practices are those that respect the
rights of the indigenous people to their ancestral lands and a
participation in responsible mining that will benefit the majority of
poor people and protect the environment. The people, not the politicians
ought to get a fair share of the wealth generated. But when the people
are robbed, driven off the land and exploited by large scale mining
operations backed up by police and military then this has to be exposed,
criticized and stopped and good practices planned and implemented with
the people's participation.
The special report will be launched on January
25th at University of Sto. Tomas (UST) in Manila and in the Jubilee Room
at the House of Commons in London the same day.
The research contained in the report was done at
the request and with the support of the Catholic Bishops Conference of
the Philippines (CBCP). Thousands have died in recent years from the
environmental destruction caused by mining disasters, logging and toxic
pollution. The forest degradation reduces to poverty a once self-reliant
and proud people. Rare animal species are also one step from extinction
as a result and more carbon dioxide is pouring into the atmosphere.
The massive money from mining propels the
politician's re-election and the cycle repeats itself. Some say there is
no hope and the good Filipinos are condemned by the curse of this
corrupt political self-perpetuating system. That is not necessarily
true. Even corrupt and sinful systems can be redeemed. When enough
people are empowered and committed to non-violent people power, imbued
with moral authority and a spiritual commitment to truth and justice,
then they can overcome evil regimes even if they kill torture and maim.
Blood baths, massacres, wars, invasions and insurrections are not the
way to a just society.
Even though the Philippine constitution
explicitly forbids outright foreign ownership of land and property a
1995 law granted foreign and local mining companies ownership of the
land and the mineral wealth beneath it. This was passed by a congress
made up of the ruling elite to benefit themselves and the multinational
mining corporations. After public outrage and a massive people power
campaign, the supreme court ruled that the law was unconstitutional.
But then in 2005 inexplicably the Supreme Court reversed itself and said
the 1995 law was constitutional after all. In 2006 at a private mining
investors meeting in London between Philippine political leaders and
business tycoons, the politicians boasted how they had pressured the
Supreme Court to reverse its own ruling. ´We did it, they triumphantly
said, we did itˇ. The discussion at that private meeting was recorded
and later leaked on the internet. The upcoming report will help reveal
the truth and give positive recommendations that politicians would be
wise to adopt. [End]
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