FR. POPS: A SERVANT OF GOD and A FATHER to the MANOBO CHILDREN!
The cold blooded murder of Padre Fausto Tentorio, fondly called Fr. Pops, an Italian priest who is based in Arakan, North Cotabato, prompted different reactions from both Filipino people and Italian communities. We are all shocked and outraged.
Fr. Pops is a staunch advocate of Indigenous people’s rights, especially children’s rights. He lived more than 30 years of his life here in the Philippines, serving the poor and the oppressed Indigenous Peoples specifically the Manobos.
Fr. Pops is one of the founding members of our organization, Association for the Rights of Children in Southeast Asia (ARCSEA), advocating children’s rights. He is one of the persons responsible for countless project partnerships between us, our Italy based partners, ARCI Toscana and UNICOOP and the Manobo communities. Through him, we have helped in constructing schools for Manobos and potable water system to help them survive in their areas which are seldomly reached by the government’s social services.
Fr. Pops went to these communities and lived with the marginalized people. He loved the Manobos as his own people. He dared to go to far flung places where the government would not go. He shared his life, more than spending it, with the Indigenous Peoples. He would best be remembered as the Italian priest who is more than a Filipino in his ideologies and actions.
He is also an anti-mining advocate. He knew that mining would do no good to our Indigenous brothers and sisters and would lead to massive killings and displacement from their ancestral lands. Mining would leave no good future for the Manobos and other children of Indigenous peoples.
To these advocacies came his life’s brutal end. He was killed by people who hated his guts and bravery, his leadership and big heart for the Filipinos. He is a martyr indeed.
For ARCSEA and other child rights advocates, we strongly condemn the killing of Fr. Pops! This is another case of extra judicial killing, among the many which should be investigated and the perpetrators should be incarcerated.
We will miss Fr. Pops but we will never stop. His memory and his life will give us courage and strength to fight for every children’s rights, not just of the Indigenous children but children all over the world.
We urge the Aquino government to investigate these killings and put an end to the impunity to human rights violations!###
JUSTICE FOR FR. POPS! JAIL THE PERPETRATORS!
Madella T. Santiago, RSW
Executive Director
Association for the Rights of Children in Southeast Asia (ARCSEA)
Contact Number: (+632)4349353, 09324434752
