April 17, 2007

MR. LUIS JALANDONI

Chairperson

NDF Peace Panel NDF International Office

P.O. Box 19195

3501 DD Utrecht, The Netherlands

Email: ndf casema.nl

Dear Mr. Jalandoni,

Greetings of Peace!

We take this occasion to express deep concern on the situation of Alter Trade of Negros.

One of us, Chairpersons of the Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines, had a frank exchange with the leaders of Alter Trade.

Alter Trade is a development program that was created as a response to Bishop Antonio Fortich’s call for aid during the Negros Sugar Crisis of mid-80’s. Chaired by Bishop Fortich in the 90’s it became a unique people-to-people trading system that sustains ecology and people’s development self-reliantly. It now fills the gap in the agrarian reform program by ensuring support services to agrarian reform beneficiaries and other marginal farmers in Negros and other provinces.

Unfortunately, its work has been disrupted by actions of different rebel groups so that they can exact taxes on Alter Trade. The most recent of these were the burning of their truck by NPAs on August 2006 and the death threat posed on Alter Trade leaders by NDF Negros last January 24, 2007.

We bring this to your attention so that we can also be enlightened because we cannot remain silent while harassment and threats to their lives are inflicted by our brothers and sisters in the revolutionary movement.

Our society now faces a most trying period. Hunger still stalks 60% of the Filipino people. Traditional politics and demagoguery have eroded our people’s confidence on our “democracy.” Farmers have to lay down their precious lives just to acquire the lands granted to them by law. Extra-judicial killings and summary executions of activists supposedly by the military await just resolution. These are the more urgent concerns that call for the unity of God’s people in purpose and in action.

The NDF Negros attack and harassment of a social development program deprive small farmers of the most needed services and further exacerbate their economic miseries. It also undermines the NDF’s avowed commitment to Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law by subjecting civilians to armed attacks. Most of all, it sows confusion and discord among God’s people at a time when closer unity are most needed towards common actions.

May we approach this situation with sobriety. In the spirit of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines’ (CBCP) call through Alay Kapwa 2007 to oppose all forms of lies and injustice in society, let us all seek truth and justice and live with integrity towards achieving unity as a nation and the holiness of God’s people. Let us all work together, workers and farmers, businessmen and professionals, religious and lay people, rebels and development workers, politicians and civil society. Let us bridge all differences, to live up to our basic Christian values and work together for justice and meaningful reforms in our society.

We hope that you and Frank Fernandez of NDF Negros will do something about this as we appeal to you:

– To honor the NDF commitment to the Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL), and please stop attacks and threats on civilians like Alter Trade;

– To drop your taxation demands from Alter Trade because it will adversely affect 32,500 farmer beneficiaries and their families. To tax Alter Trade is to further burden the poor and marginalized farmers that this social development enterprise strives to serve. Should the taxation push through, the NDF and its allied organizations deliberately harm the leaders and workers of Alter Trade. Let us build bridges of understanding in our common quest for peace based on justice.

– In the spirit of reconciliation and of the CBCP call for truth and justice, that the NDF International Office and to NDF Negros work together with the church and civil society, to engage in dialogue in settling conflicts and to share in the efforts to promote people’s sustainable development.

We appeal to you as your sisters and brothers in Christ.

Sr. Ma. Luz Mijares. OSA

Co-Chairperson for Religious Women

Bro. Edmundo Fernandez, FSC

Co-Chairperson for Religious Men