Bishop Gerardo Alminaza of San Carlos has called on faith communities around the world to stand with the most vulnerable in the Philippines, saying churches must help “plant seeds of justice” amid worsening human rights conditions in the country.
Speaking at a global interfaith conference held from June 27 to 28 in Rome, the vice president of Caritas Philippines underscored the Church’s mission to support those facing political persecution.
“Accompany those under threat,” Bishop Alminaza said, “listing political prisoners, searching for the disappeared, [and] advocating for peace talks, not surrender.”
The gathering, titled Pagtatanim: Sowing Seeds of Faith Solidarity for the Filipino People’s Struggle for Peace, brought together more than 70 clergy, faith leaders, and human rights defenders from 13 countries across Asia, Europe, and the Americas.
The conference was convened by the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP), the International Interfaith Network of ICHRP, and the Ecumenical Voice for Human Rights and Peace in the Philippines (EcuVoice), with co-sponsorship from global ecumenical organizations such as the World Council of Churches, KAIROS, and the United Church of Canada.
Organizers said the initiative builds on the legacy of international solidarity rooted in the 1980s when faith communities condemned the Marcos dictatorship at a historic assembly in Stony Point. Today, under the Marcos Jr. administration, the conference sought to mobilize churches once again amid “an alarming escalation of state violence, widespread violations of international humanitarian law, and increasing militarization of the Philippines.”
Drawing from the biblical tradition of Jubilee in Leviticus 25, Bishop Alminaza framed peace as restorative justice. “Return land, forgive deaths, and set captives free,” he said.
The Church’s 2025 Jubilee Year, he added, is a moment to “plant seeds of justice,” even in the face of repression.
Over two days, participants heard testimonies from survivors of extrajudicial killings, forced disappearances, and environmental devastation.
Discussions highlighted the continuing impact of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war and current President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s economic and military policies, which speakers said serve foreign interests at the expense of local communities.
Charmane Maranan of the rights group Karapatan described the Philippine situation as one of institutionalized repression.
“Unpeace,” she said, “is the normalization of violence, the criminalization of resistance and critical thought,” adding, “It is the language of repression.”
Coni Ledesma, a member of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) peace panel, spoke on the stalled peace process.
“The GRP has used every occasion to stop, to terminate, to suspend, to terminate anything so that the process does not move forward,” she said.
The event concluded with participants affirming a collective commitment to continue international faith-based solidarity.
In a declaration, they pledged to support political prisoners, accompany victims’ families, oppose foreign military aid used for repression, and “help plant, nurture, and harvest justice in the Philippines by addressing the root causes of unpeace.”
A follow-up public witness action was held on June 29 in Rome, as participants expressed solidarity with the Filipino people’s struggle for peace.
