Team DailyPedia
Blogger Inday Espina-Varona of ABS-CBN News expressed her views regarding the protest rally of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) members and Senator Grace Poe.
With elections coming up in 2016, candidates have shown different reactions to the INC’s actions regarding the government’s probe on the allegations of abduction and grave threats to families of former ministers. Vice President Jejomar Binay, for example, defended INC amidst all the controversies surrounding it.
As Varon said, “An internal leadership squabble is nobody’s business. But the tactics used in the struggle—including abduction and holding entire families hostage—is our business.”
Regardless of religion, these are human rights violations.
Varona expressed her dismay at Poe’s reaction to the issue. Poe had released a statement saying that the Mamasapano encounter is too important to give notice to other issues. While in San Jose, Nueva Ecija, Poe said members of the INC have a right to defend their religion and beliefs which the government must respect. She also said that the Department of Justice, which is now handling charges of illegal detention against some INC leaders, should focus on other important cases, such as the deaths of 44 elite cops in the Mamasapano encounter last January.
As Varona had put it, “in this country ‘priorities’ are always used as an excuse to let friends go scot-free.” By this logic, “less important” issues are left on the back burner and are eventually forgotten.
Varona’s statement did not, however, belittle the Mamasapano encounter. There is no about that it is an important issue to resolve. “Hammer on the need to file charges against those involved in Mamasapano,” said Varona. “But do not sweep aside serious charges of rights violations against the INC leadership.”
Many politicians are seemingly playing it safe since the issue between church and state it a very sensitive one. Nonetheless, officials must still take a stand against human rights violations regardless of who is involved nor what religion they are part of.
Banner photo credit: INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/RAFFY LERMA
