Help sought for priest in Negros who got death threats

MANILA, Philippines — A Hong Kong-based rights group sought help on Thursday for an Aglipayan priest who received death threats this month after being harassed in 2006.

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) said Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI) pastor Romeo Tagud found an envelope containing a bullet while officiating Sunday mass on Aug. 3.

"At around 6:30 a.m. (of Aug. 3), Pastor Romeo was walking towards the parish house after officiating at the regular Sunday Mass at the Pro-Cathedral Church of St. John the Baptist in Bago City, Negros Occidental. It was then that a girl, about five or six years old, approached him. She gave him an envelope, that she said had an offering for the church, and left immediately," AHRC said on its website (www.ahrchk.net).

It said Tagud placed the envelope in his pocket but noticed there was something hard inside.

When he opened it, he found a bullet from an M-16 Armalite rifle inside.

"The manner in which he was threatened was similar to that of a Catholic priest, Rolando De Leon, who also received an envelope containing bullets in October 2005 in Norzagaray, Bulacan," AHRC said.

AHRC said that before the incident, Tagud was active in the preparation of the 106th Anniversary of the IFI.

He was also one of the panelists at a press conference last Aug. 1, where he presented the position of the IFI on issues of poverty, corruption, extra judicial killings and other human rights violations.

The IFI also took a position against implications of mining in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental and Hinobaan, Negros Occidental.

"Pastor Romeo joined the delegation of Filipino-Americans from the California-Nevada Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church based in the US. They held a pastoral visit last June 30 to July 2 of this year in barangay Linantuyan, Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental. During their visit, Pastor Romeo exposed the human rights abuses that the military had allegedly perpetrated in the villages," AHRC added.

The group also said Tagud expressed the church's concern about deteriorating conditions of human rights in Negros and the pervasive climate of fear among the people, especially in areas where there is a heavy military presence.

It said the pastoral visit resulted in the church delegation declaring support for the campaign against extra-judicial killings and other human rights violations taking place in Negros.

"A significant response was obtained not only from the island but from the international community as well. As a result, the military in Negros criticized the delegation in the local newspapers accusing them of having 'violated the rights of the residents of Linantuyan,'" it said.

The AHRC urged the public to write President Arroyo to give him the "prompt and appropriate protection that he needs."

It also urged them to write as well to Commission on Human Rights (CHR) chairwoman Leila de Lima, Philippine National Police chief Dir. Gen. Avelino Razon Jr., Justice Decretary Raul Gonzalez, and Armed Forces chief of staff Gen. Alexander Yano. - GMANews.TV