Del Rosario, Daryl M.

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Separation of Church and state.

Look for current issue in the Philippines contradictory to church and state.
How do you think it should be resolved?

Until recently, church-state relations have been generally friendly in the Philippines. Although
prominent Catholic leaders and members have been known to participate in historic political
upheavals (example: People Power 1 in February 1986 and People Power 2 in January 2001) as
well as in matters of public policy (example: Reproductive health Law), the state has generally
accorded respect for all religious institutions and has allowed religious plurality and diversity. State
behavior toward religion and religious institutions is usually seen as the result of the observance of
the constitutional principle of separation between church and state, which has been entrenched in
the country since the past century. However, recent altercations between the Philippine president
and Catholic Church leaders have apparently blurred traditional secular and religious boundaries.
The emergence of President Rodrigo Duterte as a national political actor has ushered in a new
period in government relations with the Catholic hierarchy. During the presidential campaign,
Duterte entertained his audiences with populist jokes, including one where he cursed the Pope for
creating a massive traffic jam in Manila during his visit. The controversial and offensive remarks did
not endear Duterte to many Church leaders. A few days before election day, the Catholic Bishops
Conference of the Philippines issued a pastoral letter encouraging Catholics not to vote for a
candidate who is "morally reprehensible" and who has "scant regard for the rights of others and
the teachings of Church" (ABS-CBN News 2016). While waiting for his installation as Philippine
president, Duterte began criticizing the Catholic Church for its hypocrisy, corruption and political
meddling (Manila Standard 2016, May 23). The incoming Chief Executive argued that because of
their political meddling, Catholic leaders have violated the principle of separation of Church and
State. The conflict between the presidency and the Catholic establishment had begun. For several
reasons, the conflict is unique in the contemporary history of church-state relations in the Philippines.
First, previous presidents, whether from the Catholic faith or not, have sought the blessings of the
Catholic Church; Duterte did not, signaling the ascendancy of a new secular elite leader in the
country. Second, for the first time a Philippine president has publicly cursed the Pope (even as a
joke) and has openly and repeatedly criticized the president on key public policy issues, especially
his anti-drug war and attendant violations of human rights. As of today's, the relationship of the
state and the church are in conflict. Catholic and human rights groups have condemned the killing
of nine indigenous group leaders, who were shot as authorities arrested protesters late last month.
On December 30, government authorities attempted to arrest 28 people from the Tumandok
indigenous group, an alliance of 17 indigenous communities in Tapaz and Jamindan. According to
authorities, the indigenous leaders, who were accused of being communist rebels, had opened fire
on the police after search warrants were issued. However, the archdiocese of Capiz expressed
doubt that the indigenous leaders had fired first and the archdiocese's Social Action Center
demanded a full investigation. The Commission of Human Rights (CHR) launched an investigation on
Tuesday. CHR Commissioner Gwendolyn Pimentel Gana said it is essential that authorities take
responsibility for theses human rights violations. Bishop Gerardo Alminaza of San Carlos also
condemned the violence and said the government should focus on protecting the indigenous people,
who are defenseless and need resources, such as education instead of killing them. He also added
he witnessed extrajudicial killings and blackmail, with many members of the diocese having also
been falsely accused of participating in the New People's Army. On this issue we can see the
differences of what the state wants and the Church wants. To avoid the conflict between the Church
and state a good start is to heed the advice of Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle to "be calm" and
not be "distracted from addressing other pressing concerns with the fervor of faith and love". Amid
Del Rosario, Daryl M. BSCE 3-1

the Cardinal's call for sobriety, let us cross the wall of separation and focus on what unites us to
"build, build, build" roads, breidges and ports; secure "jobs, jobs, jobs" for the tambays and the
unemployed: provide "food, food, food" for the hungry; and "help, help, help" the impoverished.
Moreover, let us avoid the divisive "kill, kill, kill" of poor addicts and loiterers while we "chase,
chase, chase" the rich drug lords, and end the "curse, curse, curse" of God, Allah and Yahweh. Let
us unite and cooperate to eliminate poverty; fight corruption and criminality; foster education,
health and well-being; and safeguard liberty, prosperity and the rule of law.