Catholic bishops in Mindanao ask Filipinos: Trust government

MANILA — Catholic bishops of Mindanao have admitted they had no valid reason to reject the declaration of martial law but stressed its enforcement should only be temporary.

The Catholic prelates in the southern part of the country also urged the support of the people and put their trust on the government.

"The answers to many questions are speculative. We have many fears. But at present, we simply do not have solid and sufficient facts to absolutely reject the declaration of Martial Law as morally reprehensible. We certainly agree that Martial Law must be temporary," they said in a statement titled "Pursue What Leads to Peace" issued Friday night.

"We exhort everyone to be calm in the face of martial law, to be obedient to the just commands of the lawful authority, and not to provoke violent reaction," noted the two-page statement signed by Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Cardinal Quevedo.

"We urge the government to remove the causes of terrorism, such as poverty and injustice, through just and accountable governance focused solely on the common good," the statement also stressed.

The Catholic prelates noted they were aware on the problems of peace and order, of the continuing disruptive activities of other rebel groups, the problems of criminality and drugs, of corruption and underdevelopment in "every nook and corner" of Mindanao.

"Mindanao problems go beyond the city limits of Marawi," they said. At the same time, the bishops vowed to maintain vigilance against possible abuses that might arise from the military rule. "We shall condemn any abuse of martial law and, as in the past, will condemn it outright if it goes in the way of evil. Let us be vigilant," the Mindanao prelates added.

The clashes that erupted between the government troops and the members of the Maute group linked has prompted President Rodrigo Duterte to impose military rule in the entire region for 60 days. —