Tag: Justice-Based PeaceBuilding
The SONA ng Sambayanan 2026 is more than a protest statement; it is a prophetic indictment of a political and economic system that continues to produce poverty, corruption, inequality, and ecological destruction. While I affirm its call for accountability, social justice, and the rejection of political dynasties, I also read it through the analytical lens of a more radical transformation, expressed within the ethical commitments of nonviolent Liberation Theology. For me, corruption is not merely the failure of individual politicians but a symptom of deeper structural realities—oligarchic capitalism, landlordism, neocolonial dependence, and the concentration of wealth and power. My commitment remains rooted in the liberating way of Jesus Christ, who confronted oppressive systems through courageous, truth-filled, and active nonviolence. Genuine transformation will not come simply by replacing political personalities but by dismantling unjust structures and building participatory institutions where justice, peace, human dignity, and the common good can flourish.
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Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2026/07/24/beyond-corruption-a-nonviolent-liberation-theology-reading-of-the-sona-ng-sambayanan-2026/
As I read today’s Philippine Daily Inquirer headline, “From ‘Tokhang’ to The Hague: Duterte handed over to ICC,” I found myself pausing—not out of surprise, but in solemn reflection. This is a momentous day for our nation. The arrest and transfer of former President Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court (ICC) signifies more than just a legal milestone. It marks a profound shift in our collective conscience—from a time when extrajudicial killings became normalized under a brutal “war on drugs,” to a moment of reckoning before an international tribunal. It is the beginning of an accounting long delayed, yet urgently needed. As a justice-based peacebuilding worker and a follower of Jesus of Nazareth, I do not see this event merely through the lens of legality. I see it as a moral and ethical crossroads for the Filipino people. This is a test of our commitment to truth, justice, and accountability—not only for the powerless, but now, remarkably, for the once-powerful.
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Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2025/03/12/former-president-rodrigo-duterte-is-arrested-and-transferred-to-icc/
The imperialist colonizers have a common set of infamy — ethnic cleansing and genocide. The mindset of Spain and the United States of America considered our lands as resources to be exploited and our peoples as obstacles to be removed. This mindset laid the foundation for the systematic marginalization, oppression, and violence against the Indigenous Peoples of our archipelago. Driven by the pursuit of power, wealth, and territorial dominance, these empires embarked on expansive conquests that often involved the subjugation of indigenous populations in our country. Through our similar experiences of historical injustice, we see through the American and British instigated and perpetuated Israeli occupation of Palestine. Our on-going response to these historical injustices is justice-based peacebuilding.
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Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2023/11/24/justice-based-peacebuilding-in-the-face-of-ethnic-cleansing-and-genocide-a-perspective-from-mindanao/
