Seeking Peace with Justice in the Philippines

The church maintains full communion partnership with the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP), nurtured through Global Ministries and the various relationships created between Conference, Regions and local churches with UCCP bodies. Human rights abuses by Philippines government and military against civilians and civil society groups, including the church, remains a priority concern for our advocacy work.

We also work with the National Council of Churches in the Philippines and advocacy partners like the human rights organization Karapatan in the Philippines to raise awareness and speak out on the human rights abuses suffered by the UCCP and its members and communities.

Stop the Killings in the Philippines

Recent years have seen an extraordinary number of political activists and human rights defenders extra-judicially killed in the Philippines. The current situation in the Philippines is entirely unacceptable and requires urgent intervention by the government if the killings are to stop.

In spite of massive protest locally and internationally, the government of the Philippines has not taken any significant steps to stop the extrajudicial killings. Either the government is unwilling or it is not capable of stopping such killings. It is time to resist this massive violation of human right to life, which now takes place with the government’s direct or tacit consent. We urge everyone to take part in active protests to stop these killings and to return to the democratic way of life, as in the constitution of the Republic of the Philippines. Currently, the country’s constitution, as well as the international obligations that the state of the Philippines has agreed to, remain flouted by such killings.

Advocacy Actions

The UCC General Synod 26 (2007) Resolution of Witness, A Call for Solidarity with the Persecuted in the Philippines, and an End to Extra-Judicial Killings and other Human Rights Violations, calls for solidarity with the Philippines, including advocating with more responsible U.S. policy toward the Philippines. Realizing the links between U.S. funds and the violence and repression in the Philippines, the resolution calls on the churches “to advocate that military appropriations be conditional upon demonstrated promotion of human rights.”

In support of the resolution Global Ministries provides education and updates, engages in advocacy visits, leads workshops and support initiatives and campaigns regarding Philippines advocacy concerns. Global Ministries has submitted written testimony to Congress to address US military support for the Philippines and met with representatives of the Government of the Philippines to discuss extrajudicial killings and other human rights abuses against the UCCP.