Church people and religious leaders of various denominations and faiths, as well as lawyers, human rights defenders, and mass organizations in Mindanao gathered for the Mindanao Human Rights Summit. The summit was held on December 9–10 in Davao City with 242 delegates attending.

The gathering was timed with marking the 77th International Human Rights Day. Leaders from churches under the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) and the Catholic Church, as well as Muslim and Lumad leaders, participated in the event.

The summit’s first day discussions centered on the theme “Let Justice Roll in Mindanao: Upholding Rights, Resisting Oppression.” Atty. Karlo Zarate of the National Union of People’s Lawyers presented the state of human rights in the country.

The general assembly gathered and launched Pakighiusa sa Anawim-Mindanao (Panaw-Mindanaw) on the second day. It is composed of church people, indigenous peoples, lawyers, members of the academe, women, and youth.

The newly established organization aims to give voice and justice to the victims of human rights violations in Mindanao. Panaw-Mindanaw will promote the defense of life and dignity not only in political and social issues but also in cultural and economic fields.

Zarate said human rights violations prevail and are expected to continue in Mindanao because the island’s abundant natural resources benefit only a few. “When the people resist, the wealthy use force, resulting in human rights violations,” he said.

He added that the best way to support Mindanao people is by standing in solidarity with the vulnerable sectors of society. “Justice should not remain a slogan. It becomes real only when we stand with those who have been victims of injustice,” he stated.

“For Panaw-Mindanaw, the realities of militarization, climate change, violence against women, and corruption reveal the various faces of the trampling of human dignity in Mindanao,” Surigao Bishop and former Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI) Obispo Maximo Bishop Rhee Timbang said.

The delegates concluded the two-day gathering by joining the protest action organized by Karapatan-Southern Mindanao at Freedom Park in the city on the afternoon of December 10 for International Human Rights Day.