The Redemptorist congregation in Manila has spoken out against the treatment by police forces of some 6,000 protesting farmers in Kidapawan City, North Cotabato, that left one dead and at least a dozen more hurt on April 1.
"Such criminal acts are unacceptable and demand urgent enforcement of justice," the congregation said in a statement.
"We cannot accept that what you give to those who are hungry is an offer to voluntarily dismantle and disperse their barricade. It is indefensible that when the farmers assert their rights it is okay for the police to simply transform into a murderous frenzy [for they cannot stomach the rights of others]," it said in a collective statement.
"What happened then in North Cotabato is a murderous and criminal act done by the police officers of the government. And, we join the victims in their demand for justice," it added.