Missionary Father Fausto Tentorio died in a hail of bullets last 17 October 2011. It is a despicable crime of murder; cowardly, senseless and it will not achieve its purpose to instil fear, terror and paralysis into the indigenous people and environmentalists in the Diocese of Kidapawan.
Father Fausto Tentorio, 59, an Italian Missionary priest of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME) for 30 years and based in Our Lady Perpetual Help Parish, Arakan Vally, North Cotabato, Mindanao, was climbing into his vehicle to go to a meeting last 17 October, 2011 when a single assailant walked up to him and shot him repeatedly. The assassin then calmly walked to his motor bike and sped away. It is the typical killing method of the paid assassin.
Father Tentorio had dedicated his life to upholding the human rights of the indigenous people of the Diocese of Kidapawan. He was the coordinator of the Tribal Filipino Program and a fearless advocate of their rights to their ancestral domain. He received death threats but ignored them and got on with his mission defending human rights and inspiring the people.
00:04:51 | Oct 24, 2011
This program stood in the way of powerful moneyed mining interests out to exploit the land around Columbio and adjacent areas in nearby provinces. The program opposed irresponsible mining especially the plans of Sagittarius Mines Inc. to open pit mine for minerals on the lands of the indigenous people of the Dioceses. The ongoing environmental protection and human rights defence campaign of the Dioceses of Marbel, Digos and Kidapawan has opposed the issuance by the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources of an Environmental Compliance Certificate (EEC) without which the huge Tampakan mining project of Sagittarius cannot legally go ahead. The project allegedly endangers huge areas of the environment crucial to agriculture and could cause devastation to the people's way of life.
During the Environmental Assessment last 2010 the voice of opposition was almost snuffed out. Sagittarius Mines Inc. was blamed for manipulating the process to favour its interests.
Father Tetnorio was a peaceful and gently charismatic person who inspired the indigenous people and their supporters to continue to have hope, courage and resilience against the intrusions that threatened to takeover of their lands.
The recent decision of government officials to support the establishment of village based militias to back up the private security agencies employed by mining companies has been deplored. Atty. Mario E. Maderazo, of the Philippine Misereor Partnership Inc. (PMPI-AMC Project Officer) an organisation defending indigenous people, said that this support for militias does nothing to bring about the rule of law; "This move will only perpetuate the condition which made the killing of Father Fausto possible. The rule of law will not spring from the use of arms and armed militias. Only an empowered citizenry capable of combatting poverty, inequality and injustice in their communities will bring genuine peace to our land and people. Let not the death of Father Tentorio paralyze us. Let it be a lasting testimony to our resolve to pursue peace", he said.
Government support for militias may have encouraged some to deviate from the rule of law and deploy the death squads to end the opposition and protests to mining. It will bring only international condemnation. The death squads have persisted in shadow of Philippine political life. Some city mayors allow them to kill with impunity. It is a big challenge to the Administration of President Noynoy Aquino, whose own father was assassinated by gunmen at the alleged behest of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
Politicians and their cronies deny involvement but attempt to justify summary executions as in the interests of public good and safety. It is assassination as covert state policy.
Even street youth and children are targets for the death squads for many years in several cities. The street kids are branded pests, vermin, street rats and marked for extermination. Even some Senators look down on the street children in this way and want to reverse the child protection law and treat children as young as 9 year-old as adult criminals.
The assassination of Father Fausto who gave his life for the Filipino people shows how dangerous this way of thinking is. It belittles human dignity and leads to the death of innocents and the noblest and most upright among us.
Fr Shay Cullen SSC has been a missionary in the Philippines since 1969.
Solidarity in Sorrow and Struggle
The cruel murder of another missionary priest in Mindanao highlights the dedication of those who live in solidarity with the poor who are simply trying to live a decent life with great difficulty in the face of oppression. Our hearts go out to the family, friends and priestly brothers of Fr Fausto Tentorio PIME who passed 17th October, 2011. Sadly Fr Tentorio joins those who have been fatally targeted because they spoke the truth to violence, power and big money: catechists, journalists, religious, lawyers, activists.
Mining in the Philippines, promoted as a solution to economic problems is creating even more problems socially and environmentally. Cyanide spills, fish kills, deforestation, and housing demolitions are just some of the consequences of the rush to extract valuable mineral resources. Columban colleagues are currently involved with assisting the Subaanen and Bisayan people in the Midsalip area to defend their sacred lands from exploratory mining begun without their consent.
Read the Midsalip People Defend Their Sacred Land article
The Catholic church has been outspoken in its defence of people's rights to free, prior, informed consent about what occurs on their lands. They are also trying to protect precious environmental heritage.
Read the Catholic Church supports local protests vs mining in Zamboanga del Sur article
The Columbans in the UK have been involved in the production of two reports on the impacts of mining in the Philippines. For further information please visit: www.columbans.co.uk.
We in Australia can play our part.
Several mining companies connected with the Philippines have Australian associations - Oceana Gold, Lafayette, Royalco, Xtrata, Saggitarius. The Australian Government provides financial and other support for Australian business to invest in mining exploration and development in mineral-rich countries. Australians can and must act in solidarity with these people in their sorrow and struggle. We can lobby to ensure that Australian companies operating not just in the Philippines, but in all developing countries, comply fully and transparently with human and environmental rights. Our Centre for Peace Ecology and Justice is part of Jubilee Australia which is engaged in the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) which is working to do just that.
For more information on Julbilee Australia and how to take action please visit: www.jubileeaustralia.org.
Anne Lanyon is the Deputy Director of the Columban Mission Institute and Coordinator of the Centre for Peace, Ecology and Justice.