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E-mailI remember Rapu-Rapu and the sufferings of its people. The Diocese of Legazpi and many concerned groups and individuals fought alongside them in resisting the large-scale mining operations of Lafayette (now they project themselves as RRMI and RRPI) on their island since 1999. I remember the series of fish kills in 2005, 2006 (while undergoing a DENR mandated test-run) and 2007. I remember the arrogance and callousness of government and mining company officials. I remember the suffering of the people - dwindling fish catch, harassment, health problems, uncertain future, the pain of hearing hard facts and your sentiments misrepresented on national media.
Should the residents of Rapu-Rapu, and we who have been helping them, need also to be so willing in dispensing forgiveness as Jesus did? How would such act an benefit our cause?
"Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do" seems so out of touch with our present situation. Or is it really? There is a certain strange attractive power and a sense of liberation when a victim utters the line.
To forgive doesn't necessarily mean to give up. To forgive may also mean to let go, and to let God. To forgive is to acknowledge that though we seek justice and resist oppression, we can still go beyond our human claims and dispositions and seek affinity with the divine. To forgive is to trust that the power and providence of God are greater than the evil that resides in the heart of our oppressors.
To say that they do not know what they do does not necessarily mean being co-opted into our oppressors' web of lies or dismissing their acts as mere human failings. For indeed they are still responsible for their actions. It is an acknowledgment rather that despite their skills in manipulating truth and morally dubious negotiating, they are still practically ignorant of the great power of God working in all things. In short, it is an acknowledgment that there is hope for them still.
Am I just fooling myself when I say this? Am I in a state of wishful thinking? Let me tell you what is clear and present to me with the current mining situation in our country. It is the DENR that identifies sites as suitable for mining. It is the same DENR that advertises those sites for mining investors. It is the DENR that grants MPSAs without consulting local residents, that grants ECCs even without social acceptability. It is the DENR that admits it cannot sufficiently monitor production and operation of mining companies. It is the DENR that connives with mining officials to cover-up incidents of mishaps and fish kills. Once a company like Lafayette failed, it is the DENR that scurries to look for other investors to "save" the project. And it is the DENR who will first receive our complaints and judge their merits before any court could hear our case.
Could we actually dream of receiving a fair hearing from our current DENR? Maybe not yet in the present or in the near future, but I am still filled with hope that the situation can and will change for the better. Otherwise, the options left would either be indeed giving up, or taking less enlightened paths.
Lastly, "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do" is for victims and their advocates as well. It is a gentle reminder that even as we fight for justice we cannot lose the best parts of our humanity. It is a solemn promise that just as Jesus Christ transcended hate and injustice, and triumphed over sin and death, so too we will find our victory in the end.
abundantes in opere Domini semper Rev. Fr. Rex Paul B. Arjona
Chancery, Diocese of Legazpi 61 Sikatuna St.,
Old Albay Dist., Legazpi City
http://firesetternews.blogspot.com
Photo "Jesus on the Cross " by Jedi58_free on flickr; licensed under Creative Commons License BY-ND-2.0.
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