A STRONGLY-WORDED letter condemning the activities of a fanatical sect called Rock Christ has been sent by the AntiSlavery Society to President Marcos of the Philippines. According to the letter. the sect's "perverted acts blacken the name of the Philippines and of the Christian faith that the fanatics claim to uphold."
The activities of the sect, reported recently in the Herald, include indiscriminate killings, theft and the adoption of pagan rituals. The letter accuses the Philippine government of direct complicity in these acts.
The letter says: "We understand that despite the presence of tens of thousands of government troops and armed police in Mindanao, the island of the incidents, no government action has been taken to protect the civilian population, control the fanatics or bring the killers to justice."
The letter goes on to say that, according to reports. the armed wing of Rock Christ is receiving weapons from the Philippine military, especially through the Civilian Home Defence programme.
"Indeed," the letter says. "the complicity or your government and armed forces are suggested by the participation in the Rock Christ of military personnel and government officials including Colonel Ayoy Balase and Barrio Captain Tony Maximo Laure, who has even been identified as one or the Rock Christ assassins."