Bishop Eliezer Pascua speaks about violence and human rights issues in the Philippines during morning chapel service at Jim Elliot Christian High School on Wednesday. (Brian Feulner/News-Sentinel)

Bishop calls for end to 'politically motivated' killings in Philippines

Bishop Eliezer Pascua has been through a lot in his country, the Philippines. Hundreds of people who disagree with their government have been killed, and human rights violations in general have been numerous, he says.

Pascua took his story to Lodi on Wednesday, first to a gym full of students at Jim Elliot Christian High School, and then to an Ash Wednesday service at Grace Presbyterian Church.

Despite all the violence he has encountered in the Philippines, Pascua began his remarks at Jim Elliot Christian with, "Good morning; God is good."

A student from the audience cried out, "All the time!"

Pascua really enjoyed the comment, repeating, "God is good — all the time."

Nevertheless, the general secretary to the United Church of Christ of the Philippines focused on what he termed "politically motivated" murders of labor leaders, lawyers, judges, journalists, community organizers and pastors.

"When I came here (to the United States) last week, already 825 persons were killed," Pascua said of his homeland.

After the chapel service at Jim Elliot Christian, Pascua said that people killed are those who object to the government driving property owners off their land so that developers can take over.

"Any victim of human-rights violations in the Philippines is a victim of human rights violations everywhere," he told the Elliot Christian students. "Any defense of human rights violations in the Philippines is a defense of human rights violations everywhere."

At a reception Sunday in the Delta community of Ryde, Pascua added that most Americans thought that oppression ended in the Philippines when President Ferdinand Marcos was ousted in the 1980s. Yet oppression has begun again under the current president, Gloria Macapagal-Arryo, he said.

The Philippines are 95 percent Christian, Pascua said, but the government has unfairly branded Christian activists as communists.

Pascua called for American military and financial intervention to quell the killings in his homeland. He spoke about it last week to a representative from Sen. Barbara Boxer's office in San Francisco.

Pascua will speak at a World Day of Prayer vigil at noon March 2 at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1300 N St. The public is invited.

Contact reporter Ross Farrow at rossf@lodinews.com.

First published: Thursday, February 22, 2007