FORMER and incumbent legislators, Roman Catholic and Protestant leaders, human-rights advocates and concerned citizens are calling on the public to join a “National Day of Prayer and Action for Peace and Human Rights” on Monday.
In Manila, a big interfaith prayer-rally will be held at the Andres Bonifacio Shrine beside the Manila City Hall from 3:30 to 6 p.m.
Simultaneous actions will be held in other parts of the country.
The rally leaders, among them former Sens. Rene Saguisag and Wigberto Tañada, members of the Makabayan Bloc in Congress, as well as Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo and Fr. Rex Reyes Jr., National Council of Churches of the Philippines secretary-general, said in a Unity Statement:
“On June 12, Independence Day, we concerned Filipinos from various faiths, sectors and political affiliations, will come together in a day of prayer and action to renew the call for peace and respect for human rights amid the rising tide of terrorism, martial rule and impunity that threatens to rip the nation apart.
“We extend our solidarity to the victims of the Marawi siege. We condemn the deliberate acts of terror by the ISIS-inspired Maute and Abu Sayyaf groups. We call on all people to come to the aid of thousands of internally displaced persons in Lanao del Sur and nearby areas.
“Likewise, we gather to show our opposition to martial law in Mindanao and possibly other parts of the country. We call for an end to the aerial bombardment of Marawi and other conflict areas.
“As the Marcos dictatorship showed, martial law is not the answer to the complex problems of Mindanao. A regime that trades Filipinos’s human rights for vague, ever-moving law-and-order goals can only add fuel to armed rebellions and set back efforts to address the roots of the conflict. Martial law will further embolden law enforcers and state-sponsored vigilante and paramilitary groups to commit even more extrajudicial killings and curtail civil and political rights.
“We shall continue to pursue various paths to peace based on justice and the full respect for human rights. It is our hope and prayer that President Duterte and all government officials can still listen and change.”
The statement was signed by hundreds of legislators, religious leaders and human-rights advocates.