Cops, soldiers block Biking Priest from delivering letter to Arroyo

[struggle4progress]

04/27/2008 | 12:13 PM
MANILA, Philippines - ...

GMA’s Flash Report reported that a .. member of the Presidential Security Group, forcibly took Fr. Picardal’s letter and told the priest that he will be the one to deliver it to President Arroyo.

Fr. Picardal, who was with eight other cyclists, ... started his "Bike for Life and Peace" last March 24, from Davao City in Mindanao ...

In his letter to the President, he appealed that she abandon her all out war policy and resume the peace process with the National Democratic Front and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, investigate thoroughly the extrajudicial killings, bring the perpetrators to justice, and put an end to these killings.

Picardal also asked President Arroyo to protect the environment by implementing a total log ban, repealing the mining act and banning aerial spraying, and allow the investigation of corruption to continue even if it involves people close to her ...

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/91902/Cops-soldiers-block-Biking-Priest-from-delivering-letter-to-Arroyo


Priest bikes over 3,000 km to deliver message to Gloria
By Jeannette Andrade
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 22:06:00 04/26/2008

... “From Bataan I biked 157 kilometers to Manila and I have 22 more days to go in this 56-day, 5,000 kilometer journey of peace and life. Part of this journey is to deliver a message to the President,” he said, revealing that he has endured four flat tires in Cagayan, Cordillera, Iba, Zambales, and San Fernando, Pampanga and a crash in Cordillera in his trip.

“My purpose is to propagate the good news of life and peace. Delivering the letter is not my main purpose for biking. I don’t want to focus my biking on moves to seek the President’s resignation. Delivering the letter is just a side trip. I am doing this to propagate the pro-life and pro-peace culture,” said the Redemptorist priest.

In the two-page letter dated March 23 that he is scheduled to deliver on Sunday to the Palace after celebrating Mass at the Baclaran Redemptorist Church at 6 a.m., he introduced himself as a 54-year-old Catholic priest who is biking around the country “to preach the good news of life and peace in a land where the culture of death, violence, and corruption prevails” ...

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20080426-132919/Priest-bikes-over-3000-km-to-deliver-message-to-Gloria