IFI Botolan Camarero

Ang sambahayan ng Diyos lalo't higit sa Parokya ni Sta. Monica, Bayan ng Botolan ay lubos na nakikidalamhati sa pagpanaw ng isa sa mga lingkod ng ating Panginoon sa Kanyang ubasan, 𝗥𝗘𝗕. 𝗣𝗔𝗗𝗥𝗘 𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗢 𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗡 𝗥. 𝗦𝗢𝗟𝗜𝗠𝗔𝗡

Ang iyong marubdob na paglilingkod sa Dambana ng ating Panginoon ay naging ehemplo sa mga nakasaksi sa iyong buhay sa loob ng maraming taong pamamalagi mo sa aming Parokya gayundin sa aming Diyosesis

Gabayan nawa ng Poong Maykapal ang iyong kaluluwa patungo sa Kanyang Kaharian upang makamtan mong higit ang buhay na walang hanggan.

Hanggang sa muli, Apo Rino!

K A P I S T A H A N N G M A H A L N A B I R H E N B A L I N T A W A K

Ating gunitain ang maringal na araw ng Mahal na Birhen sa imahe ng Birhen Balintawak ngayong ika-26 ng Agosto, isang tanyag na imahen ng simbahang Iglesia Filipina Independiente

Pangungunahan tayo ng ating Parokyang tagapamahala, Reb. Padre Roger T. Gallardo sa ika-5:30 ng hapon para sa isang Banal na Misa at susundan ng Banal na Prusisyon sa ganap na ika-6:30 ng gabi

"Ama ko, sumilang nawa ang aming pagsasarili"

𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐑𝐔𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍, 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒𝐓, 𝐈𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐑𝐈𝐌𝐄

Statement of the South Central Luzon Bishops Conference on Mendiola Protesters and Police Brutality

“𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘭𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥.” (𝘈𝘮𝘰𝘴 2:6–7)

We have witnessed young protesters in Mendiola rise on September 21 in the Trillion Peso March, standing against government corruption. Yet their acts of dissent were hastily branded as anarchism and criminal. As confrontations between protesters and police escalated, media reports documented the use of excessive force: more than 200 were arrested, nearly half of whom are minors, and many were brutally beaten. We lament that the courage of these young voices, calling for justice, was dismissed as mere lawlessness.

We understand that these young protesters embody a generation wearied by years of waiting, frustrated with promises that have not alleviated hunger and poverty. They took to the streets because they witness daily the violence of corruption, the injustice of poverty, and government failure to hold accountable those who exploit the poor. Their cries are not the noise of rioters, but the voices of God’s “𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴”(Matthew 18:6), calling for food, shelter, and work.

The real crime is not in protest but in plunder. To arrest protesters - and worse, to unleash violence against them - while protecting government officials who exploit public resources is to turn justice upside down. We refuse to dismiss their indignation as mere “rioting.” Ignoring the root causes - greed, neglect, poverty, and inequality - gives the powerful license to wash their hands like Pilate, harden their hearts like Pharaoh, and excuse betrayal of public trust. It is not the poor rising against injustice who deserve condemnation, but the sins of corruption that bind them in chains.

Let us not fall into narratives that seek to divide and deceive. The red-tagging of human rights defenders, the harassment of paralegals and lawyers, the demonization of activists, and the brutal attacks on protesters in Mendiola are all part of the same “𝘺𝘰𝘬𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯” (Isaiah 58:6). We must ask: why are those who serve the people, labor for social change, and demand accountability unjustly criminalized, while those who plunder public funds and betray the people’s trust remain unpunished?

We therefore call on the government: Stop criminalizing the people for demanding justice, and end the cycle of violence against them. Address instead the roots of unrest - poverty, hunger, and inequality - through meaningful reforms that serve the common good, strengthen social services, and ensure equitable opportunities for the marginalized. Serve the people with integrity and accountability.

As shepherds of the flock, we will steadfastly stand in solidarity with the oppressed, for in their hunger and anger, we hear the voice of the Lord calling us to justice. May Christ Jesus, our Lord, sustain us in the work of truth, and may God’s Spirit breathe justice into our land.

In Christian service and solidarity,

The Rt. Rev. Rowel Arevalo
Chairperson
South Central Luzon Bishops Conference
Iglesia Filipina Independiente

September 23, 2025

𝗣 𝗔 𝗥 𝗔 𝗦 𝗔 𝗗 𝗜 𝗬 𝗢 𝗦 𝗔 𝗧 𝗕 𝗔 𝗬 𝗔 𝗡

Katagang tangan ng simbahang malaya mula noon hanggang ngayon!
Kaisa kami sa panawagang kontra sa katiwaliang laganap sa sistema ng ating pamahalaan. Kasakiman ang nagdudulot ng kahirapan sa buhay ng bawat isang Pilipino, at magpapatuloy lamang ito kung hindi tutuldukan.

Mamutawi nawa sa bawat isa ang Ebanghelyo ni San Lukas ngayong Linggo (Lukas 16:1-13) patungkol sa marubdob na paglilingkod sa Diyos kaysa sa kayamanang naiimpok lamang dito sa lupa.