Taking a Stand for Justice and Truth

The trafficking of children and young women into the commercial sex industry by the hundreds of thousands and the spread of the sex industry fueled by easily available child pornography is the scandal of our beautiful country. “The complicity and connivance of government officials with investments in the sex business are tolerant and encourage it” said by a social worker in Angeles City who asked not to be named out of fear for her safety. Thousands of local and foreign sex tourists flock there to exploit and abuse women and children with impunity.

Hunger and poverty following environmental disasters, environmental destruction, floods and draughts, landslides and soil erosions has driven thousands of children and teenagers into the cities over the past decade to beg for food and they are very vulnerable to trafficking for sexual exploitation. Those rescued by the Preda child rescue team have told of lives of brutality, fear and horrific abuse by sex tourists and pimps.

When some Church leaders fail to speak-out on serious social issues such as these that are bound up in our faith and morals, Christians tend to loose heart and their faith. “If they cannot lead and inspire us to work for justice and peace, dignity and decency, then who can?”, commented Juan Mercado, a community leader lamenting the silence of church leaders in response to the scandal of widespread child abuse and exploitation in the Philippines. These leaders may have overlooked the message of Jesus of Nazareth which is powerfully expressed in the age old social teachings of the Church.

The social teaching of the church is not socialism but the teaching of Jesus of Nazareth. He lived, worked and was executed for standing with the poor, telling all that the Kingdom of God was to be a just society of peace and non-violence and it was to be primarily for the poor in this world here and now. The Kingdom he said is living justly with honesty and integrity respecting the rights of all. It was a renewed humanity living in harmony with justice giving freedom to captives, lifting up the oppressed, protecting the rights and dignity of all especially the rejected and abused women and children and opposing evil and injustice.

His own mother is quoted by St. Luke as saying that “the mighty would be put down from their thrones and the poor would be lifted up”, that the rich would be sent away empty and poor would never be hungry. Such revolutionary prayers especially on the lips of a woman were truly earth-shaking. We need to follow such an example. That’s what idealistic youth want to be inspired by -- this world- changing message and life of Jesus and His mother.

We can take heart from those brave Filipino bishops who are taking a strong stand with their people and calling for social justice and the protection of the environment and the people. The churches in Mt. Province and Ifugao, Bontoc and Lagawe have spoken out through the Social Action and Development Center to protest the massive destruction on the slopes of Mt. Sumigar by contractors constructing a road. “We believe that such environmental destruction was allowed to happen because concerned government agencies failed to perform their duties to stop it” the church spokesperson said.

The beautiful island of Catanduanes is another area where environmental destruction looms from the threat of irresponsible mining. The awarding of 7,000 hectares of forest and natural park land to a private company linked to powerful government-connected business tycoon for coal mining has the province in near revolt. In a statement of concern read in all churches on the island on March 1, Bishop Manolo A. de los Santos of the Diocese of Virac called for an end to planned coal mining operations telling government officials that there had been no consultation with the people as required by law.

”The people of Catanduanes have the right to know the disastrous effects mining would bring to the island and its people”, Bishop De los Santos said.

”We don¹t want our island and our people to suffer from such tragedies brought about by irresponsible mining activity,” he said. It’s such an inspiration to have the Bishop and the clergy standing side by side with the defenders of the human rights and dedicated to justice and the defense for the creation.