Archbishop Mabutas: A Servant of God and of the People (Part 3)

During Martial Law, 1972 to 1986, the Catholic Church was the only big legitimate group that stood up against Marcos. The political opposition was weak. While the NPA’s and MNLF used force to resist martial law, the Church used passive resistance through prayer vigils, rallies, marches, and petitions. The Church was the only credible source which was organized down to the parish, barrio and sitio level. The pastoral messages stressed: “Stop hurting the people of God.” Most of the military operations, zonas, ham letting, abuses, happened in Mindanao. It reached a point that after military operations, in barrios and after suspects are brought to the barracks, the barrio people, the families and relatives of the victims did not go to the Mayor or Police Chief or Governor anymore. They ran to the GKKs who brought them to Parish Church or Convento for help and protection. They went to Army camps and Police Stations to look for arrested relatives and friends, and ask for their release or better treatment accompanied by priests, nuns, and very few but very courageous Mabini and Flag Lawyers. Something is terribly wrong when people no longer run to the government for help but to the Catholic Church.

The front liner of the Church were the Kura Parokos, the madres and church volunteers but in the remote areas, the only coherent group was the GKK. They gave to the victims food, shelter, moral support and most of all, hope that next day there will be peace, and belief that the darkness is not forever as long as we pray and put our trust in God. The all-out efforts of the Church was like a safety value which reduced the increasing pressure of hatred and mistrust of the MASA against the government. The people listened, prayed and persevered. Bishops, priests, nuns, volunteers and the Catholic Church was responsible in stopping an all-out war in Mindanao. In Church the cross and the gospel were strongest shields of the people in Mindanao during the martial law era.

On February 2, 1986, God answered our prayers. Maybe there would have been a long, long war in Mindanao were it not for the GKKs, the faithful nuns, priests and bishops who sympathized, marched, fasted, listened, supported, suffered and prayed with the people. The Mindanao situation from 1981 to 1985 was like a bomb about to blow up. That it did not was God’s miracle and gift to the people of Mindanao.

FIFTH. That the 1981-1985 CBCP President used to be the Archbishop of the Archdiocese where the President lived and that they were longtime friends was not accidental. In 1969, the Archbishop wrote an article which was published nationally entitled “Let’s Call A Spade” attacking the massive election frauds where Marcos defeated Sergio Osmeña, Jr., Liberal party Presidential Candidate even in his own province of Cebu. They had one on one talks; they sent messages to each other because the President respected and listened to him. It would have been different if from 1981 to 85, the president of the C.B.C.P was somebody else. Maybe Pres. Marcos would not have listened. Maybe the martial law situation would have been worse. Indeed, God works in mysterious ways.