Kim’s Dream Orlan Ravanera
Oligarchical Control Creates Social/Economic Injustice
No less than the recently canonized Saint Oscar Romero, the one of its kind former Archbishop of El Salvador, announced when his pro-poor & courageous priest Fr. Rutillo Grande, S.J., was killed for going against the repression of the poor farmers in El Salvador in the non-stop grabbing of their land by the rich and powerful in cohort with power-that-be, declared that, “Economic injustice is the root cause of poverty and violence.” Indeed, the amazing St. Romero had showcased a sainthood life of liberating the poor and the oppressed from oligarchical control in his beloved El Salvador whose religious life had trailblazed a liberation path towards social and economic transformation for people, planet, prosperity, and peace. His advocacy zeroed-in on social re-structuring for social justice and equity in a country that is politically and economically controlled by a few oligarchs by following the essence of Christianity to serve the least of our brethren. For exposing the evil done against his people, he was shot to death while serving mass one Sunday morning.
It is so astonishing that in El Salvador the Christians especially the priests, nuns are standing bravely to support the advocacy of the Indigenous Peoples against repression and the non-stop grabbing of their ancestral domain as many of their leaders have been killed for fighting for their land rights. There was a time that when some of their leaders were being tortured, then Arch. Romero kneeled-down in tears shouting that the Indigenous Peoples are human beings with dignity, not disposable wastes. In a world that is so focused on maximizing short-term profit, consumer goods and unbridled materialism and consumerism that is giving high veneration to the profit motive that has already captured the mindset of all governments, all institutions, all universities and even of religious groups, the amazing life of service of St. Romero should be known by humanity that had showcased people, prayer, and prophecy. What is essential now is to maximize our values and spirituality to live a different way of life. Indeed, human beings are not just objects but CONSCIOUSNESS that should be connected to the vast spaciousness, to connect with the formless Being called God.
What is so painful is that what is happening in El Salvador is also happening in Mindanao where the ancestral domain of the Indigenous Peoples is being landgrab without let-up through corporate globalization in cohort with the oligarchs and power that-be. This is true in Butong Quezon Bukidnon, where some 1000 families of the Manobo Pulangi-yon tribe are now living under shattered tents along the highway for six years now as their 1,111 hectares ancestral domain had been transformed by the Kiantig Development corporation owned and managed, by the Mayor of Quezon Bukidnon. This is also true in Sitio Kibaritan Malinao Kalilangan Bukidnon where a community has been declared as a military reservation at the expense of some 500 families whose 195 hectares had been fenced by the military and their crops are being damaged.
Thus, they are now living in hunger and extreme poverty. In fact, by declaring the area as military reservation, an UXO bomb exploded killing three children playing in surrounding area until now no justice has been done. This is also true in Sumilao, Bukidnon when a corporation declared a 5000 hectares ancestral domain as a ranch. When the tribe protested one early morning led by Bae Merlita Mayantao, bullets rained upon them by the corporation’s Tagbagani security force, then and there three tribal members were killed and three wounded.
The above narratives are just tip-of- the-iceberg. In fact, since 2016 some 101 chieftains had been killed for standing against the grabbing of their lands. Is the enrichment of these oligarchs and global corporations means the poverty and displacement of the Indigenous peoples? Such is a horrible economic injustice being done by the oligarchs and global corporation as what is happening in El Salvador. But in El Salvador, they have Fr. Grande and St. Oscar Romero who stood firmly for justice even sacrificing their lives. There is no greater love in the world than these religious leaders fighting for what is right, what is true and what is just. We pray that one day we will have the like of St. Oscar Romero and Fr. Grande who like Jesus Christ were crucified for love and justice. Let us now reflect on the very essence of Christianity which must advance the maximization of values to live a different way of life that is geared towards the Formless Consciousness to advance the oneness of life, all for God’s greater glory.
