The National Council of Churches in Korea(NCCK) is working on a campaign that aims to support the prisoners of conscience(political prisoners) in the Philippines. Being in solidarity with the people of Philippines we strongly call for immediate and unconditional release of all the prisoners of conscience! and to end all forms of violence to cease immediately!
* Prisoners of conscience of the month :
Rev. Nathaniel Vallente(UCCP, Pastor)
United Church of Christ in the Philippines,
Peasant rights advocate
Nathaniel Vallente, 52 years old, married with four children, a resident of Barangay San Jose, Mabini, Bohol, is an ordained minister of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) for 30 years now. He is the administrative pastor of UCCP Tugnaw, Basyaw and President Garcia. Popularly known as Pastor Dodo, his ministry extends to assisting peasants and fisherfolk in their struggles for genuine land reform and decent livelhood. He also facilitates assistance to local NGOs. Through coordination with local government units, they are able to access programs from the Department of Agriculture.
The incident occurred at dawn on June 25, 2021. The military and police raided the home of his father-in-law, Victoria, without accurate information about Valente’s house. Victorino testified that he witnessed the police putting an unidentified bag in the closet of his house and was in extreme fear when he realized that the police were fabricating evidence to arrest Rev. Valente.
Vallente was still arrested although the planted evidences were not seized from his house. He was brought to the Mabini Police Station for custody. His inquest hearing was conducted on June 28, 2021.
In October 2012, Vallente executed a sworn statement regarding police profiling that targeted him as leader of NAMASAJO. A relative who was working at the COMELEC office in Mabini reported that she saw a police officer asking for the pastor’s voter information in the office computer files. The police officer even took a picture of Vallente’s file photo while holding a list of other personalities from legal organizations. Also arrested on June 25, 2021, around 1 a.m. was Carmilo Tabada, barangay councilor and Bohol program coordinator for the nonprofit Farmers Development Center (FARDEC).
The same modus operandi of planted firearms was used to justify Tabada’s arrest. Police operatives forcibly entered his house in Trinidad, Bohol without waiting for witnesses from the barangay officials.
Tabada’s daughter said the cops entered her bedroom and her parents’ bedroom after the cops destroyed the door. Afterwards, the guns materialized in their rooms
“Our church workers have been faithful to their pastoral duty to accompany the downtrodden, the poor and the marginalized. They have been instruments to proclaim the good news of salvation to God’s Anawim, and to expose and denounce evil. Their unwavering stand against any attempt to suppress and oppress the people’s basic rights make them a target of a government. that is cowardly yet intolerant to criticism.”
“We ask the government, what is so fearful with church workers when they begin to exercise our prophetic ministries?”
– Bishop Reuel Norman Marigza, General Secretary, National Council of Churches in the Philippines, on the illegal arrest and harassment of Pastor Nathaniel Vallente
The Military force violence against the people of Philippines working for the Democratic society continues. Political resistance in the Philippines is now just right liked to the human rights oppression, This is a typical case of state violence that has been perpetrated in earnestly since Duterte’s regime. All forms of state violence and human rights oppression against its people must be stopped right now. Our neighbors in the Philippines now need our sustainable prayers and support.
* Take action online #joinus!
Send email to the Bongbong Marcos administration(mro@malacanag.gov.ph) and
to the Philippine Embassy in each context for urgent release the innocent people in the prison.
e.g. Seoul(consular@philembassy-seou.com).
Pastor Nathaniel Valente, his colleagues, including his young children, spend their day in extreme pain and the threat of livelihoods. Our prayers and support are desperate. Join us in praying for our comrades in the Philippines.
