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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: 'Century Schoolbook'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Century Schoolbook'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-style: italic"><?xml:namespace
prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 13pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: 'Century Schoolbook'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Century Schoolbook'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-style: italic"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">MCCCL condemns killing of Bp. Ramento, says government
should be compelled to stop killings <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: 'Century Schoolbook'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Century Schoolbook'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p><FONT
face="Book Antiqua"> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: 'Century Schoolbook'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Century Schoolbook'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT
face="Book Antiqua">The Movement of Concerned Citizens for Civil Liberties
(MCCCL) strongly condemns the gruesome murder of Philippine Independent Church
9<SUP>th</SUP> Obispo Maximo BISHOP ALBERTO RAMENTO in Tarlac and FR. DIONISIO
GINGGING also of the same church in Surigao del
Sur.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: 'Century Schoolbook'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Century Schoolbook'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p><FONT
face="Book Antiqua"> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: 'Century Schoolbook'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Century Schoolbook'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT
face="Book Antiqua">We extend our deepest sympathies to their families and
Church and join them in the call for justice. Their deaths are a loss not only
to the nationalist Christian church but also to all who struggle for human
rights across the country.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: 'Century Schoolbook'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Century Schoolbook'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p><FONT
face="Book Antiqua"> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: 'Century Schoolbook'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Century Schoolbook'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT
face="Book Antiqua">We have lost a staunch civil libertarian with the killing of
Bishop Ramento, who is an active colleague at the MCCCL.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He has spoken out in the past for the
need to actively defend civil liberties and human rights beginning with a
massive education campaign. <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: 'Century Schoolbook'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Century Schoolbook'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p><FONT
face="Book Antiqua"> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: 'Century Schoolbook'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Century Schoolbook'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT
face="Book Antiqua">Bishop Ramento will be remembered for his dedication and
fearless pursuit of social justice. <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: 'Century Schoolbook'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Century Schoolbook'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p><FONT
face="Book Antiqua"> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: 'Century Schoolbook'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Century Schoolbook'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT
face="Book Antiqua">A thorough probe of his killing in accordance with
internationally recognized standards of due process should be able to send a
clear message against impunity and must therefore be immediately
conducted.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: 'Century Schoolbook'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Century Schoolbook'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p><FONT
face="Book Antiqua"> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: 'Century Schoolbook'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Century Schoolbook'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT
face="Book Antiqua">We are, however, bothered by the authorities’ seeming lack
of thoroughness in attending to the case and hastily dismissing the killing of
Bishop Ramento as a common criminal case enabling the real perpetrators to evade
investigation and prosecution. <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: 'Century Schoolbook'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Century Schoolbook'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p><FONT
face="Book Antiqua"> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: 'Century Schoolbook'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Century Schoolbook'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT
face="Book Antiqua">The MCCCL joins the national and international community in
calling for a stop to political killings and other human rights violations that
have escalated under the watch of the Arroyo
administration. <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: 'Century Schoolbook'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Century Schoolbook'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p><FONT
face="Book Antiqua"> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: 'Century Schoolbook'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Century Schoolbook'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Something terrible is already happening, let us not wait
until the worst has happened.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We
must be able to compel this government to fulfill its obligation to respect and
protect the rights and dignity of its citizens.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Only then can we honor Bishop Ramento
and all the victims of state-sponsored terrorism. Only so can we save those who
might be victims tomorrow.</FONT></SPAN></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>