Prepared by the Secretariat, March 20, 2007

A new church people’s inter-faith fellowship called SIRUNGAN was successfully launched through Urulay sa Sirungan: A Regional Church People’s Conference on Extra-Judicial Killings held in the afternoon of March 17, 2007 at the Audio-Visual Room of Divine Word College of Legazpi. Sirungan is a regional Church people’s campaign in Bikol to provide sanctuary and extend its resources to the victims of extra-judicial killings and their families and relatives and other victims of human rights violations. However, seeing and feeling the realities of sowing fear, killings with impunity, and the government’s inaction the Church people cannot remain silent but must speak and cry out to heavens in solidarity with the persecuted people of God.

The conference was attended by more than 100 individuals representing four (4) Catholic Schools, three (3) Catholic Dioceses, one (1) IFI Diocese, four (4) different churches, two sister congregations, and seven (7) regional organizations. It was attended by a Bishop, clergy, parish administrators, sisters, schools administrators, faculty members, students and lay church workers.

The Conference which aimed to gather church people for a reflection session on the series of judicial killings in the country and particulary in Bikol region as something phenomenal and needs immediate attention and response from the church sector earned the support of the participants and the public in general. The presentation on the regional human rights situation in Bikol given by Fr. Rene Mabute of the Social Action Center-Diocese of Sorsogon enlightened the participants on the harrowing reality of extrajudicial killings and other human rights violations in the region. The testimonies shared by the relatives of the victims who are still trying to cope up with the traumatic experiences and continuing struggle for justice even saddened the churchpeople present. Most Rev. Lucilo B. Quiambao, D.D., the Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Legazpi and the Spiritual Adviser of Sirungan expressed sadness over loss of respect to human rights and dignity due to the cases of human rights violations and urged the church people to hasten the work of Sirungan. The Bishop also challenged the group to conduct similar activities beyond isolated venues and let the issues and concerns be brought also to the streets – to reach a wider people, organize and mobilize more churchpeople, popularize the issue, attract more attention and hopefully pressure response from the authorities.

A draft unity statement was presented by Rev.Fr. Rex Paul Arjona of the Diocese of Legazpi and was approved by the body through a motion by Fr. Rene Mabute of Diocese of Sorsogon and duly seconded by Sr. Bobby Ilumen, OSB. The participants acknowledged the motion for approval through jubilated applause. The closing rites prepared and led by the sisters of Religious of Good Shepherds and a lay worker from the Redemptorist Mission Community was something to be treasured by the participants due to its solemn but participatory character. The churchpeople paid tribute to the fallen brethren and made commitments to continue the principle and faith stood for by them even until the last air of their breath. The blood of the prophets has been sown to nourish and enrich the faith of the present workers’ struggle and the people’s continuing journey towards truth, peace, justice and liberation.

A token of gratitude and symbol of Church’s renewed stance to defend the persecuted people of God was given to each of the victim present in the Conference. Indeed, the advent of Sirungan will definitely earn the ire of the powers that be, but church people are determined and committed to take the sides of the oppressed and the persecuted.

Sirungan is now the collective statement of church people in Bikol to:

Toll the bells to stop extrajudicial killings,
Toll the bells to demand justice to the victims.
Respect and protect human dignity