• Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches
• Episcopal Church in the Philippines
• Iglesia Evangelica Metodista en Las Islas Filipinas
• Iglesia Filipina Independiente
• Iglesia Unida Ekyumenikal
• United Church of Christ in the Philippines
• The United Methodist Church
• Lutheran Church in the Philippines
• The Salvation Army
• Christ Centered Church
• Apostolic Catholic Church

ASSOCIATE MEMBERS

• Association of Christian Schools, Colleges and Universities
• Philippine Bible Society
• Union Church of Manila
• Consortium of Christian Organizations in Rurban Development
• Kaisahang Buhay Foundation
• Manila Community Services, Inc.
• Student Christian Movement of the Philippines
• Women’s Ecumenical Center for Cooperative Education
• Ecumenical Church

LEARN FROM HISTORY - - HEED THE PEOPLE'S CRIES

The nation is divided again on an issue that has international import: the assault on the symbols of American power and privilege. US President George W. Bush has sent out a stark warning that belligerent terrorists shall "face the full wrath of America." Countries have jumped on the bandwagon declaring an international war against terrorism. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has thrown her "full and unqualified support to the United States." Some Cabinet members say that the Philippines has no choice. People the world over fear the imminence of another world war.

The National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) condemns in the strongest terms possible this war footing that the United States is taking. History has clearly shown that the militarist approach does not bring about the condition that we wish to create. It only fans the flames of vengeance even as it deflects the real issues at hand.

We, Churches and Churchpeople, are wont to ask: Who is going to benefit from this aggression foisted by the most powerful nation in the world on a small group or country which does not share the values of the "Police of the World"? For sure, there will be many more lives sacrificed, adding death upon death to the thousands who perished in the World Trade Center attack. Why are dehumanizing effects of grinding poverty brought on by the military and economic domination of the "The Land of the Free and Home of the Brave" not referred to as violent and terroristic? This produces victims as well, if not even more.

We are disappointed that, in the comments of some government officials that the Philippines is bound by treaties to support the US in this all-out war, we are projecting a helplessly subservient posture vis-à-vis the United States.  Christians have always believed that nations were meant to be sovereign. In God alone should they put their allegiance. We are dismayed that our President is opening Subic and Clark again for US planes and ships. The Filipino people have already made an unequivocal statement on military bases when they dismantled these. We are fully aware that the Philippine Constitution safeguards the country's national sovereignty. We explicitly declared, even as we continue to declare, that we will never again submit to the yoke of slavery (Galatians 5:1). Lessons from history remind us that the Philippines came under attack because it aligned itself with the US. Do we have the grace to learn from the past?

The NCCP joins the groundswell of protest against accompanying the United States' act of aggression in the name of retaliation. There are many more survival issues at home that must be faced. To allow the people's voices to go unheeded is a far greater terrorism. Now, as never before is the time to "turn our swords into ploughshares and our spears into pruning hooks." (Isaiah 2:4)

MS. SHARON ROSE JOY RUIZ-DUREMDES
General Secretary