MISSIONARY鈥橲 MEMO Australian missionary Sister Patricia Fox and her legal counsel, lawyer Maria Sol Taule, arrive at the Bureau of Immigration in Intramuros, Manila, to submit her memorandum. 鈥擡ARVIN PERIAS
A group of Methodist bishops on Monday warned of an impending dictatorship in the Philippines in the face of a series of attacks by the government against the Christian church and its leaders.
The College of Bishops Philippines Central Conference (CBPCC) of the United Methodist Church said the assault on the church had been further affirmed by the government鈥檚 refusal to allow three of its foreign missionaries to leave the country after they investigated alleged military atrocities in Mindanao.
鈥淚 think [attacks against the church are] the preparation for the road to dictatorship. We can see it everywhere, the way the government is dealing trying to impose what they want and they want to get what they want,鈥� said Bishop Ciriaco Francisco of the UMC Manila episcopal area.
House inquiry sought
In a news conference, the bishops called for a stop to the 鈥渙ppression鈥� of church workers, and asked the government to immediately allow American Adam Thomas Shaw, Zimbabwe native Chandiwana Tawanda and Malawi national Miracle Osman to leave the country.
The Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives also sought an inquiry into the detention of the three missionaries.
The missionaries took part in the Feb. 18-21 International Fact-Finding Mission that looked into the alleged massacre and displacement of T鈥檅oli-Dulangan Manobo people in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato province, last December.
The mission has yet to release its findings.
The Methodist bishops blamed the harassment of the missionaries on President Duterte鈥檚 鈥渉arsh鈥� pronouncements against the church.
Mr. Duterte sparked public outrage two weeks ago by calling God 鈥渟tupid.鈥� He has refused to apologize to the Catholic Church, but formed a group to talk with the Church hierarchy and leaders of other religious groups.
Unaccepted electoral loss?
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, a member of the dialogue group, on Monday defended Mr. Duterte鈥檚 attacks on the Catholic Church, saying criticisms from the clergy began when the Church鈥檚 candidate lost in the 2016 presidential election.
鈥淟et鈥檚 be honest, we鈥檙e all Christians, why beat around the bush. Many in the Church cannot accept that their candidate lost,鈥� Roque told reporters in Maasin, Southern Leyte province.
Roque, however, did not name the supposed Church candidate.
He said an alliance between communist rebels and some members of the clergy did not seem far-fetched.
鈥淔or them, no matter what happens, it seems that many of them will not accept the President. That鈥檚 why it鈥檚 not unlikely that some of them will ally with the Reds to oust the President,鈥� he said.
Later on Monday, Roque clarified that he was not referring to the whole Church but only to some members of the clergy.
鈥淚 was not talking about the Church in general but only referring to those members of the Church who remain unhappy with the election of President Duterte,鈥� he said.
At their news conference, the Methodist bishops鈥� groups expressed concern that the government was 鈥渕ethodically鈥� targeting church workers with the immigration bureau鈥檚 harassment of the three missionaries, which they said was similar to the case of Australian nun Patricia Fox.
Fox is facing deportation proceedings for joining a fact-finding mission to Mindanao to look into alleged military abuses against indigenous peoples on the island.
Let missionaries go
Fox on Monday appealed to President Duterte to allow the three Methodist missionaries to leave the country.
Fox also filed a pleading with the immigration bureau asking for the dismissal of the deportation case against her and the removal of her name from its watch list. 鈥�WITH REPORTS FROM VINCE F. NONATO, TINA G. SANTOS AND JULIE M. AURELIO