Category: News

Statement of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Social Communications on the Shutting Down of ABS CBN

The Peace of our Lord be to all!

The CBCP Episcopal Commission on Social Communications is aware of the sentiments of our people regarding the lapse of the franchise of ABS CBN and the cease and desist order imposed upon them by the NTC. We recognize the importance of the role of the same corporation in the Philippine democratic landscape, as they, together with all other Philippine media entities represent the voice of the freedom of the press. They are part of the many media channels that contribute to the timely, objective and truthful dissemination of news and information bringing guidance and support to our people especially during this time of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. We are aware of the fact that their closure also jeopardizes the livelihood of more than 11,000 employees, their families, and those whose businesses are directly or indirectly connected and are dependent on the continuous operation of the same media network.

To make our religious activities safer from the spread of the virus

Note: These guidelines are given due to our extraordinary situation. They are therefore temporary in nature. Furthermore, the situation is so fluid that we foresee that there will be other guidelines that will follow when the situation changes or when there are other directives that will come from the government or from the church hierarchy. These guidelines are given so that we are prepared when religious services will already be allowed.

Schedules:

1.         There should be at least a half hour gap between masses to allow the church to be disinfected after each service.

2.         Since we have lesser masses on Sundays, we can have more services on weekdays.

3.         Ask the people to come on the times when there are lesser people. Encourage the faithful to come on weekday masses if they cannot come on Sundays.

4.         The presence of difficulty, and in some cases impossibility, of fulfilling the Sunday obligation renders the obligation suspended during these extraordinary circumstances.   While Sunday and weekday Masses will already be celebrated in parishes, the live streaming of Masses, at least on Sundays, will continue for those who are unable to participate in the community celebrations due to sickness, old age, fear and caution.

5.         Because we will have lesser mass schedules on Sundays and less people can come on Sundays, the parishes may start their “anticipated masses” on Saturdays at 3 pm, thus have three or four masses on Saturdays and invite the people to join in these masses.

6.         We can have more schedules of baptisms during the week so that people will not congregate on Sundays

Physical structure:

1.         Clearly mark the entrance and exits to the church so that incoming people will not meet outgoing ones. Have marshals who shall man the entrance and exits on Sundays to keep order.

2.         Each entrance and exit should have footbath container.

3.         There should be hand sanitizers at the entrances.

4.         The places to be occupied in the pews should be indicated to help people keep social/ physical distancing. The people should strictly occupy only those places indicated.

5.         There should be notices in front of religious images telling people not to touch or wipe the images. Short prayers can be posted in front of the images to help the people pray in front of them.

6.         All holy water fonts should be emptied and covered so that they may not be used.

7.         If the adoration chapel is small and enclosed, it is better not to open it. Encourage the people to pray in church instead.

8.         Let there be non-touch garbage disposal bins in parish offices and around the church and remind the people to dispose their waste in the proper places. The maintenance people in the parishes are to be taught to properly dispose the garbage.

9.         Let the parish comfort rooms be properly maintained and soap be available for proper hand washing.

10.       For those churches which are air-conditioned, it would be better if the air-conditioning is not used during this time. It will not be so hot after all  because there will not be any over-crowding. Explain to the people that open areas are better than closed spaces to ward off the virus.

MEDIA PRACTITIONERS, together with first responders among whom are our besieged health workers, have held the line against the further spread of the pandemic in our country.

The NTC’s “Cease and Desist” order to ABS-CBN to abruptly shut down its operations comes at the worst of times.  It comes at a time when we are trying to contain a contagion that has brought our nation down on its knees.  Never before did our country need to unify all our citizens where communication is crucial, and unimpeded independent media is vital. 

The ABS-CBN network with the widest reach in the country not only has the potential but in fact has been helping to inform and mobilize our people to put up our community defenses against the deadly coronavirus.

Our people felt assured by the position of our legislators that the reasonable solution is a provisional permit while the renewal of the franchise was being considered by the Congress, with its sole power to make that decision.  The NTC seemed agreeable to it with the favorable opinion of the Secretary of Justice.  The turn of events otherwise through the initiative of the Solicitor General is a disservice to our people who are already struggling to survive on a day-to-day basis and look to responsible media to inform their decisions and actions in that regard.

Moreover, the NTC action in the face of the inactivity of Congress runs contrary to the mandates in the Constitution: 

“The State SHALL provide the policy environment” for “communication structures suitable to the NEEDS of the nation and the BALANCED FLOW of information…across the country.”  (Article XVI, Section 10, General Provisions of the 1987 Philippine Constitution)

We support the ABS-CBN’s right to a free and fair process.  We thank its frontliners for their invaluable work to motivate our people to focus on the one undertaking that must bring us together at this time: to defeat the pandemic and provide a better future particularly to those who are most vulnerable among our people.

We call on the courage our people have shown in the past against repressive rule to express themselves again for the common good.

Signatories of Framers of the 1987 Constitution:
Felicitas Arroyo
Florangel Rosario Braid
Ed Garcia and
Christian S. Monsod

NASSA/CARITAS PH
May 6, 2020

On May 5, 2020, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has issued a cease-and-desist order against broadcast media giant, ABS-CBN, due to the expiration of its congressional franchise citing Republic Act 3846 or the Radio Control Law.

Since 2016, ABS-CBN worked for franchise renewal, and bills had been filed since then, and many congressional hearings were held, until it was overtaken by the COVID-19 pandemic. The non-renewal was further caused by the legislative inaction and weaponizing of power for political gain.

It is very unfortunate that we need to be sidelined by this equally important matter when the nation is battling against an invisible enemy, claiming thousands of lives already and endangering even millions more due to the devastating socio-economic impacts of the global health emergency.

Thus as the social action arm of the Catholic Church in the Philippines, NASSA/Caritas Philippines would like to:

1. Express solidarity and sympathy with the employees and their families who would lose their jobs when the network operation stops. We know that this is the most inopportune time for this to happen, when people are already in crisis and are suffering.

2. Appeal for government’s sense of fairness and clemency in applying the letter of the law in view of the common good and to respect the right of the people to have wide access to news and information being provided by the network. Media should be considered a partner in nation building, and it should not be unnecessarily harassed when they are critical or not towing the line of any administration.

3. Stand for freedom of the press and speech. The government or any political figure for that matter do not have the right to curtail these freedoms safeguarded and warranted in the Philippine constitution. We encourage our government leaders to be brave enough to face the public with the truth, and not hide under the guise of political power, harassment and intimidation.

4. Pray that in this time of pandemic, those in position will choose mercy and compassion over personal interests; moral obligation versus legal requirements, and people over powerplay.

The press (media) is considered the fourth state: “the guardian of veritas (truth)” and holds a special responsibility to influence, form and inspire the public with the truth. The Catholic Church, through NASSA/Caritas Philippines will and always stand for and with the truth, through love, justice and peace.

Together, let us heal as one. We are Caritas.

Signed:

Bp. Jose Colin Bagaforo, D.D.
National Director, NASSA/Caritas Philippines

Bp. Gerardo Alminaza, D.D.
Vice Chair, Episcopal Commission on Social Action-Justice and Peace (ECSA-JP)

Goodness is an Overflow of God’s Goodness to Us!

The Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas affirms and congratulates the Inter-Agency Task Force for its hard work and effort in stemming the tide of the Pandemic Virus.  We are highly cognizant of the measures it has implemented to address the impact of the pandemic in the economy, food security and the general well-being of the Filipino people. Hence as good citizens, we gladly complied with the guidelines set-forth by the IATF to prevent even more the spread of the Covid-19.

As the IATF continues to assess its next moves after May 15, 2020, and with the withdrawal of its earlier decision to allow Religious gatherings (in general)  in areas declared as General Community Quarantines (GCQ), we present  this appeal so as to give the Filipinos a sense of the new normal in their spiritual gatherings and an opportunity to uplift  our Spiritual Well-being,  which are both humane and essential.

The Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas believes that giving the people the opportunity to connect with the Almighty God, especially through religious encounters and spiritual events will directly translate into goodness for themselves and for others. These are great opportunities to inspire and challenge them to do good things and share from the treasury of their good heart. “A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart” (Luke 6:45)

We recommend that a further review be made, which may include looking into the possibility of delegating this decision to the local executives, who have greater appreciation, information and control over the Religious groups present among their constituents. We are willing to submit our plans, protocols and guidelines to assure them of our strict observance of these safety and health measures.

With strict compliance to Government Guidelines on Social Distancing and Sanitation, the lay faithful requests for Religious Gatherings (Ex. Catholic Masses, Baptisms, Anointing of the Sick and Funerals, etc.) to be allowed in the GCQ areas. We demand that our right to religious worship be not curtailed when the necessary safeguards are followed.

 For the Laiko Board of Directors,

ROUQUEL A. PONTE
President
04 May 2020

Every 3rd week of May, Catholics in the entire world are celebrating the release of Laudato si’, Pope Francis’ encyclical letter to all mankind calling everyone to “Listen to the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor”. This is the 5th year since its release. Amidst the ecological crises and this pandemic that we are facing, Catholics are once again called to reflect Pope Francis’ call.

Ecological Crisis and Coronavirus 2019

Before the coronavirus ravaged the entire world, let us not forget that we are in the brink of the 6th mass extinction as projected by scientists from 153 countries. With the unprecedented heating up of the atmosphere, garbage, deforestation, continuous extraction of minerals from the surface of the earth, and pollution, the earth is a mess, and almost dead. It is as filthy as a pit. But mankind behave like everything is normal and okay, it consumes as if our resources is unlimited, as if we are not in ecological crisis, and as if no one is suffering.

And then coronavirus happened. Coronavirus 2019 is a virus that scientists believed to have come from wild animals that are consumed in Wuhan, China where the virus originated. Primatologist and anthropologist Jane Goodall said that the “global disregard of nature has brought the coronavirus pandemic”. As people destroy the animals’ home and hunt wild animals for food, transfer of virus from animals to humans become inevitable. Read more

2020 Laudato Si Celebration

The battle to stop this pandemic may take time, recovering may take even longer. The Pope, through the Laudato Si, is again inviting us to reflect on the state of the environment and its impact to the poorest sector of society who are suffering the most to ‘Listen to the Cry of the Earth and the Cry of the Poor’.

The Philippine Misereor Partnership, Inc. (PMPI) is responding through a week of more pronounced actions:

“I was imprisoned and you visited me” Mt. 25:36

STATEMENT

The COVID-19 global pandemic has adversely affected practically all the people in the world, rich and poor alike, regardless of race and creed. There is really a need for a united and concerted effort to curb this menace.

They say that critical times call for equally critical and drastic solutions. While we truly appreciate the government in its efforts in battling this pandemic, we wish to air the following concerns:

1. On the matter of the strict implementation of the ECQ rules:

State authorities have declared that they will be very strict in the implementation of the rules regarding the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in the entire country, with violators being severely dealt with – with no chance for these to explain their side, and that they will just be apprehended, and detained with corresponding criminal charges filed against them in court.

While this hardline stance may somehow deter people from going out of their homes and venturing into the streets, we are concerned that this may pose more problems than solutions, mainly because of the big possibility that those who will be caught belong to the poor and indigent sector.

In certain areas we have learned, for instance, that many alleged ECQ violators were rounded up and brought to a sports complex where physical and social distancing was unfortunately not properly observed. We were informed that the detainees are not provided with food and water. The only way that they can be released is by posting bail with the courts for their temporary liberty. But where will they get the money to post bail, when these are mostly the poor? And since they are unable to bail themselves out, they eventually land in jail, thereby further contributing to the congestion in our prisons and exposure to the COVID-19 virus and other illnesses. But is this not the very purpose of the ECQ, i.e., to prevent the spread of the COVID virus through social distancing?

We are very concerned about the recent fatal shooting of an ex-soldier, who was said to have mental problems, after he allegedly tried to pull out a gun after being confronted by a police officer for violating quarantine rules. Even as we call for an in-depth investigation into this matter, we would like to appeal to our law enforcers to always exercise maximum tolerance and prudence in the performance of their duties especially during these troubled times.

2. On the matter of the transfer of PDLs with COVID 19 to the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa:

We are deeply concerned about the report that the COVID positive female PDLs of the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) were ordered transferred to the New Bilibid Prisons – Medium Security Camp, an all-male facility. We believe that transferring female PDLs to this male camp is not advisable. At present, there are more than 7,000 inmates in this camp and this transfer will put other PDLs and even the prison officials and personnel in great jeopardy. Also, aside from PDLs, there are many residents in the area near the facility and the probability of transmission is very likely.

3. On the matter of moves calling for the release of PDL’s with minor cases to help in jail decongestion:

We join the call from other cause-oriented human rights groups for the expeditious release of vulnerable inmates who are ill, old, as well as the youth in conflict with law, and low-risk offenders. We all know the general condition in our country’s detention facilities (cramped, overly-congested and mostly unkempt) hence the probability that one will get infected and in turn infect other fellow detainees as well as the jail personnel manning the facilities, is very high. We call on the jail and prison authorities to implement this with great prudence, always taking into consideration the best interest of all PDLs.

Allow us then to make the following recommendations:

1. We beg the police to observe the proper rules of engagement and show utmost respect for the human rights of those under investigation and/or accused persons under our laws. Detainees should be provided with basic needs, e.g., food and potable water, a decent sleeping gear and be detained in a place where proper physical and social distancing can be observed. A good number may be turned over to their respective Barangay officials who will then check the individual stories of those arrested. Alternatives to detention should be considered, such as education of the violators and community service upon their release.

2. We propose that in releasing qualified PDLs to decongest our jails and prisons, priority should be given to the elderly, those who are sick, the youth, as well as those existing PDLs who were earlier granted release through the benefits of the good conduct time allowances (GCTA), but were subsequently ordered re-arrested; and finally those who are already qualified for Executive Clemency and favorably recommended by the Board of Pardons and Parole.

Needless to say, we also ask that support services be given to those who will be released, like those national prisoners who will have to travel back to their provinces. This can be in the form of transport services and inclusion in the Pantawid Buhay program of the government.

IMEMC News| May 1, 2020| By Kairos Palestine: April 30th, 2020:

Take away from me the noise of your songs; I will not listen to the melody of your harps. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. (Amos 5:23-24)

The board of Kairos Palestine raises an alarm regarding the consequences of the third failed Israeli election in less than a year.  The resulting coalition entered on April 20, 2020, combines two of the most right-wing parties—Bennie Gantz’s Blue and White and Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud—in a deal that directly threatens Palestinians’ freedom, health, and human rights.

Described as an “emergency government” to address the impacts of COVID-19, and under the cover of a so-called “coronavirus cabinet,” the State of Israel is empowered to continue its policies of home demolitions, closures, arrests, child detention, and settler violence.

Furthermore:

As a result of the political arrangement, Gantz gave up his campaign promise to amend Israel’s Nation-State Law which legalizes institutional discrimination in Israel, East Jerusalem and the West Bank.

In the deal for a joint government, Gantz relinquished his commitment not to pursue annexation in the West Bank without international consensus, freeing Netanyahu to pursue his long-standing promise to annex substantial portions of the West Bank as early as July 1.

While the “emergency government” may only take up legislation related to the coronavirus, an exception was agreed upon to consider bills related to U.S. President Trump’s so-called Deal of the Century.

According to international law, an occupier is mandated to see to the health and welfare of the occupied, but a lack of medical supplies, the complete blockade of Gaza, Israel’s control of the Palestinian economy, piracy and theft of Palestinian tax money and increased restrictions on movement put Palestinians at a greater risk of suffering from COVID-19.

For the past few years and especially during the administration of both Trump and Netanyahu the foundations of the peace process between Palestinians and Israelis have been sabotaged by the different policies and announcements that both administrations have unilaterally adopted. This annexation is only one of these moves. While we see that the equation of land for peace have lost its credibility and now look impossible for a two states solution, we at KP are committed for our people and churches to continue to struggle for the values that make for peace. Equality and Justice are our beacon.

Thus, we urge all churches to support these values in every means. We urge them to say no to injustice of any illegal political move and building for a future of equality on this land between all the peoples, no matter what the political frame it brings at the end.  We struggle for democracy and the natural human rights in this land, that no people are under occupation or discrimination or siege. That people enjoy their self-determination without prejudice to their religious, national or ethnic origin. This land has been blessed by its multicultural, multi- faithful and multi- national identity. This is how it should look like in any solution.

In this struggle, Kairos Palestine calls on people of faith and all those of conscience around the world to:

Plead with your elected representatives to hold the State of Israel accountable to international law and human rights;

Demand that your governments do not recognize Israel’s annexations of East Jerusalem and the Syrian Golan, that your governments express their disapproval of Israel’s further plans of annexation, and that your governments pressure Israel with concrete measures to comply with international law and UN resolutions. All know what is due to the Israelis, and what is due to the Palestinians. Clear decisions are already taken by the UN. So why further waiting to apply what is already decided? Just comply with what you have decided. Take concrete measures which compel Israel to comply with your own decisions.

Protect Palestinians’—and all people’s—right to resist, including Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions, until Israel complies with its obligations as an occupying power.

Our plea is rooted in what is described in the Kairos Palestine document as “the logic of love”—a concern for the life and future of both peoples with a firm hope for the day when both oppressor and oppressed create a new society for all the people of the land.

“Kairos Palestine, the most extensive Palestinian Christian ecumenical non-violent movement, is based on Kairos Palestine document: A Moment of Truth, launched in 2009, affirming that the Palestinian Christians are part and parcel of the Palestinian nation, calling for peace to end all suffering in the Holy Land by laboring for justice, hope and love, embraced by the Christian community, signed by all historically recognized Palestinian Christian organizations, and endorsed by the Heads of Churches in Jerusalem”.

 Circular No. 20-25
April 30, 2020

To All Bishops and Diocesan Administrators Your Excellencies & Reverend Administrators,

 This is to bring to your attention a fake Facebook (FB) page “CBCP Official” now in circulation. We would like to share with you an advisory on how to address this concern. There are two ways to stop this:

1. Do a mass report to FB. If we can gather about a hundred people, or more, reporting this to FB, FB will take it down. We have attached below a simple instruction how to do this. Your social media staff may be instructed to report this fake page.

2. We report this to NBI’s cyber crime division. But it will take long, especially at this time.

Moreover, Your Excellencies are respectfully asked NOT to post a notification or statement about this fake FB page. That will trigger attention and curiosity, consequently draw more people to that page.

Thank you. Stay well and keep safe.

Sincerely yours,
Fr. Marvin S. Mejia
Secretary General, CBCP