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Cardinal Tagle slams 'fake freedom' on Independence Day

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Erik Tenedero, ABS-CBN News

MANILA - One of the highest ranking officials of the Philippine Catholic hierarchy on Tuesday slammed what he called &quot;fake freedom&quot; as the country marked its 120th Independence Day.Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle highlighted the recent spate of killings, including that of several priests, the latest among whom was Rev. Fr. Richmond Nilo from the Diocese of Cabanatuan. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/11/18/diocese-of-cabanatuan-demands-justice-for-slain-priest">Diocese of Cabanatuan demands justice for slain priest</a></li></ul>&quot;Wala nang pinipili: sanggol, kabataan, magulang, lola, pulis, sundalo at pari,&quot; the cardinal said in a statement.(They spare no one: infants, young people, parents, grandmothers, police officers, soldiers and priests.)&quot;Huwad ang kalayaan kapag pinaglalaruan ang katarungan. Inuulit po natin: taliwas sa kalooban ng Diyos ang pagyurak sa buhay.&quot; (You have fake freedom when justice is toyed with. I repeat: trampling upon life is against the will of God.)Tagle also cited the case of <a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/06/05/18/no-more-spring-reunion-family-cries-justice-for-filipino-mauled-to-death-in-slovakia">Henry Acorda</a>, an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) recently killed in Slovakia. The prelate also highlighted injustices still experienced by many Filipinos, including poverty, hunger, exploitation, fear and violence. &quot;Tumatangis tayo para sa kanila, sa kanilang pamilya at sambayanan. Humihingi tayo ng katarungan para sa kanila,&quot; the cardinal added.(We cry for them, for their families, for the nation. We seek justice for them.) The cardinal also called on the government to look into the proliferation of firearms in the country. &quot;Baka kailangan suriin ang mga batas at patakaran hinggil sa paggawa, pagbebenta, pagbili at pagmamay-ari ng baril. Huwag nawang dumating ang araw na mas madali pang bumili ng baril kaysa bigas,&quot; Tagle added. (Perhaps there should be an examination of laws and regulations on the manufacture, sale, purchase and possession of firearms. May there never come a day when it&#x27;s easier to buy a gun than it is to buy rice.)Meanwhile, Tagle appealed to Filipino Catholics to continue praying. The prelate also warned the faithful not to be consumed by anger amid injustices happening in many communities. &quot;Baka sa iyong pagsumpa sa kanila, matulad ka sa kanila at maging alipin nila,&quot; the cardinal said. (In cursing them, you might end up like them and become their slave.)Tagle issued this statement a day after the Catholic Bishops&#x27; Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) condemned the killing of Fr. Nilo. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/11/18/outrageously-evil-act-cbcp-condemns-killing-of-nueva-ecija-priest">READ: &#x27;Outrageously evil act&#x27;: CBCP condemns killing of Nueva Ecija priest</a></li></ul>Earlier, Lingayen Archbishop Socrates Villegas, former president of the CBCP, also issued a scathing statement where he decried the killing of Filipino priests. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/11/18/are-you-still-clapping-lingayen-clergy-slam-killing-of-nueva-ecija-priest">READ: &#x27;Are you still clapping?&#x27; Lingayen clergy slam killing of Nueva Ecija priest</a></li></ul>Nilo was the third Catholic priest to be killed in a span of six months. Another, meanwhile, survived in a recent attack in Laguna. In December 2017, Rev. Fr. Marcelito Paez was gunned down by unidentified assailants after assisting in the release of a political prisoner in the town of Jaen, Nueva Ecija.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/multimedia/photo/12/11/17/fr-paez-laid-to-rest-clergy-call-for-justice">READ: Fr. Paez laid to rest, clergy call for justice</a></li></ul>In April 2018, Rev. Fr. Mark Anthony Ventura was also shot dead by an unidentified gunman after celebrating Mass in Gattaran, Cagayan. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/29/18/pari-patay-nang-barilin-pagkatapos-ng-misa-sa-gattaran-cagayan">READ: Pari patay nang barilin pagkatapos ng misa sa Gattaran, Cagayan</a></li></ul>Meanwhile, Fr. Rey Urmenta, a former PNP chaplain, survived an ambush in Calamba, Laguna just last week. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/06/18/former-pnp-chaplain-survives-calamba-gun-attack">READ: Former PNP chaplain survives Calamba gun attack</a></li></ul>

One of the highest ranking officials of the Philippine Catholic hierarchy on Tuesday slammed what he called "fake freedom" as the country marked its 120th Independence Day.

One of the highest ranking officials of the Philippine Catholic hierarchy on Tuesday slammed what he called "fake freedom" as the country marked its 120th Independence Day.

Cardinal Tagle slams 'fake freedom' on Independence Day

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Cardinal Tagle slams 'fake freedom' on Independence Day

Erik Tenedero,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jun 12, 2018 05:06 PM PHT

|

Updated Jun 12, 2018 06:53 PM PHT

Read More:

Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle

Archdiocese of Manila

CBCP

Independence Day

Richmond Nilo

Marcelito Paez

Mark Anthony Ventura

Rey Urmenta

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