Human rights activists yesterday warned that the contingency plans drawn up by the government and the military will also be used to keep Pope Francis away from the people, “specially those who would want him to know what ails this country.”
While Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay acknowledged that it is the prime duty of the Aquino government to protect the Pope and ensure his safety and security, there are, however, “legitimate issues and concerns that the Filipino people would want the Pope to know.”
“These are issues that President BS (Benigno Simeon) Aquino would not address but the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will try to hide these through massive troop deployment,” she sad in a statement.
Palabay raised the concern as AFP Chief of Staff Gregorio Catapang announced the deployment of some 17,000 soldiers for His Holiness’ visit on January 15 to 19, aside from the 20,000 members of the Philippine National Police.
“The massive deployment of troops and policemen is an antithesis of the spirit of the Pope’s visit, although it bespeaks of the essence of this government,” she said.
“This is ‘once in a lifetime event’ for the Filipino people and we do not want soldiers in their shadows. The people’s message might not reach Pope Francis,” she added.
“For one, we would want Pope Francis to know the wishes of the political prisoners for him to intercede for their release, specially the elderly and the sick.
Relatives
of political prisoners and human rights advocates hope that we will be able to
convey this message to Pope Francis,” Palabay stressed.
Political prisoners and their relatives, as well as families of extra-judicial killings, enforced disappearances, have also written letters to Pope Francis calling for his support for justice and peace.
“We can’t help but turn to Pope Francis because the government does not heed the victims call for justice, they would want him to hear their woes,” she said.
Defense and police officials also yesterday said they are all ready for all possible security contingencies for Pope Francis’ visit.
This was in response to questions on whether security forces have rethink their strategies in wake of the series of terrorist attacks in France which claimed the lives of around 20 persons early this week.
“We have prepared for all scenarios with all resources we have. All government security agencies are in close coordination to ensure that our brothers and sisters attending and observing this event concentrate and fully experience the spiritual encounter of the Pope’s pastoral visit to the Filipino flock,” Defense spokesman Dr. Peter Paul Galvez said.
PNP spokesman Chief Supt. Wilben Mayor said, “All possible situations are being considered and appropriate contingency responses are studied for implementation if necessary.”
About 37,000 police officers and soldiers, including reservists were ordered mobilized to secure the Pontiff in his five-day visit.
Meanwhile, Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesman Col. Restituto Padilla said they were still to detect any security threats for the papal visit and added that having a France-like incident happening in the country is “very remote.”
“The circumstances surrounding the incident in
http://www.tribune.net.ph/headlines/rights-group-warns-of-militarizing-pope-s-visit
This article reflects the typical commie world view, that the Pope's visit is not about the Pope but rather is about the "right" of Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) front organizations to carryout their absurd anti-government/anti-military "human rights" propaganda campaign.
ReplyDeleteKARAPATAN (Alliance for the Advancement of People's Rights) is a CPP umbrella human rights front organization. The group seldom, if ever, has anything positive to say to about the Philippine military. In fact, one of its major objectives is to discredit the Armed Forces of the Philippines on human rights issues.
So, it would seem that Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay is ambivalent about the safety of the Pope and is only concerned that KARAPATAN and other commie fronts have access to the Pope in order to propagandize him on the alleged human rights violations of the government and military regarding issue of "political prisoners", a commie euphemism for all the captured/imprisoned NDF/NPA insurgent thugs and murderers.