Priest reaches Bicol in run-walk for peace

Nearly a month after he started his journey, a Mindanao-based priest on a 2,000-km walk-run for life and peace reached Bicol over the weekend. Fr. Amado Picardal said he reached Juban, Sorsogon, last Good Friday after passing through Mindanao and Eastern Visayas for three weeks by foot. "I reached Juban at 4:30 p.m. after covering 44 km. The Good Friday services have just been finished. Fr. Alberto (Treb) and Nap welcomed me and provided me with comfortable accommodation and good meal," he said in his blog. He said most of the people who saw him along the way may have mistaken him for a "penitent" doing penance for his sins. Picardal started his trek in Davao City last April 1. "But seeing the sign in front and at the back of my pack made them (people he met) aware that I am on a long journey for life & peace. I could hear many exclaim loudly to each other: Davao to Aparri!" he said. According to him, people outside Davao City were not aware of his advocacy. He also said his feet continue to hurt, prompting him to proceed slowly. "Running has become difficult, even walking is agonizing. It reminds me of the message of Good Friday – that like Jesus we must be ready to embrace pain, suffering and even death to fulfill our mission. This is the way of the cross – the way of suffering and peace that leads to victory of life over the culture of death, sin and evil," he said. Earlier, Picardal said the objectives of his journey include:

• To express support for the peace process between the government of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front,and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, and that a peace agreement will finally be reached. He also appealed for a ceasefire between the government and the New Peoples’ Army during the peace negotiations.
• To express opposition to the ongoing destruction of the environment caused by logging, mining and coal-fired power plants. He appealed for a total ban on mining and coal-fired power plants and the implementation of the total log ban.
• To denounce the continuing extra-judicial killings perpetrated by death squads in Davao and other cities in the Philippines. He appealed to the Commission of Human Rights to continue the investigation and come up with a final report and hold accountable local government officials sponsoring these killings.
• To express opposition to the Reproductive Health Bill (HB 4244) which is based on a false assumption that there is a crisis of overpopulation in our country that is one of the causes of the continuing poverty of our people and a hindrance to sustainable development.

The present leg of Picardal's journey will take him to Southern Luzon, Central Luzon, Cordillera and Northern Luzon. “I will follow a different path, especially in the last leg when I will trek across the Cordillera mountain range," Picardal said earlier. “I’m used to this. I’m not very particular about the fruits but it’s about doing it. For me it’s the journey and hopefully it will inspire people," he added. Picardal is also heading for Manila to assume his new assignment as executive secretary of the CBCP Committee on Basic Ecclesial Communities. Instead of flying to Manila from Davao, he said he will run and walk in going there. — LBG, GMA News