Church leaders in the Philippines have created a new council to advocate for positive governance and national renewal.
The Church Leaders Council for National Transformation (CLCNT), composed of faith-based communities and advocacy groups nationwide, was formally established on February 13.
Two Catholic bishops, Jose Colin Bagaforo of the Diocese of Kidapawan and Roberto Gaa of the Diocese of Novaliches, lead it.
The council is also formed by leaders from the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches (PCEC), National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP), Conference of Major Superiors in the Philippines (CMSP), Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP), and Manila Ecclesiastical Province School Systems Association (MAPSA).
Other participating groups include CGG (Clergy for Good Governance), CCGG (Concerned Citizens for Good Governance), and TAMA NA (an alliance of universities led by De La Salle University).
For their first initiative, the CLCNT urged all Filipinos to unite in Manila to commemorate the 1986 People Power Revolution anniversary on February 25.
Some 39 years ago, hundreds of thousands of Filipinos gathered at the Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) in Manila to protest the end of the dictatorship of President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. from February 22 to 25, 1986.
On February 25, 1986, President Marcos was forced to abdicate power and left the Philippines with his family for the USA.
CLCNT said that this year’s anniversary “aims to reignite the spirit of democracy and accountability as the country faces continued challenges of corruption, economic hardship, and governance failures.”
They said the upcoming gathering will focus on demanding accountability from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the son of the president ousted during the 1986 People Power Revolution.
CLCNT stated that they will also call to hold former President Rodrigo Duterte responsible for his bloody drug war that resulted in thousands of extrajudicial killing cases.
Furthermore, the council shall clamor for the conviction of Vice President Sara Duterte, the daughter of former President Duterte recently impeached by the Philippine Congress.
She is set to be tried by the Senate in June for culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption, and other high crimes.
Bishop Bagaforo, who also helms Caritas Philippines, the social development agency of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), said that the EDSA Revolution is a reminder that the “people’s power is real.”
“It is time for us to reclaim that power and ensure that the values of democracy, justice, and good governance prevail in our nation,” he said in a statement published by Caritas.
In the same statement, Bishop Gaa stressed the role of unity in effecting radical social change.
“Our faith calls us to stand together for what is right. Let us rekindle the flame of People Power and use it as a force to drive accountability and integrity in our government,” he said.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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