MANILA, Philippines – De La Salle Philippines voiced its support for the Mass and procession against drug war killings to be held along the Philippines’ iconic EDSA highway on Sunday, November 5.

De La Salle Philippines is the network of 16 La Salle schools in the Philippines, one of the groups most outspoken against the killings in President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs. 

In a letter to Lasallian schools, De La Salle Philippines president Brother Armin Luistro urged their school communities “to participate actively in the ‘Lord, Heal Our Land’ Sunday on November 5, 2017.”

“As one Lasallian community, we act in solidarity with other Filipinos in fight for dignity of human life and democracy,” said Luistro, also the Philippines’ former education chief.

Luistro said that for Luzon-based Lasallian schools, the meeting place is the Chapel of the Divine Child, Central House Administration, La Salle Green Hills (LSGH) at 2 pm.

After a briefing at LSGH, they “shall walk to EDSA Shrine for the Mass at 3 pm,” after which they will join the procession to the People Power Monument.

For Lasallian schools based in the Visayas and Mindanao, Luistro encouraged students and teachers “to hold simultaneous activities – a Mass at 3 pm and a candle-lighting after.” He also encouraged them to coordinate with their local parishes.

Luistro issued this call in response to an invitation earlier made by Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas.

Villegas said the Catholic Church is setting aside November 5 as “Lord, Heal Our Land” Sunday. The venue, EDSA, is the site of the People Power Revolution that toppled dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 1986, as well as a similar uprising that ousted Joseph Estrada in 2001.

In a separate letter, Lasallian leader Brother Jose Mari Jimenez also showed his support for the activities on November 5. 

Jimenez, auxiliary visitor for the Philippines of the Lasallian East Asia District, said that educators like them “cannot remain unmoved when the supports to this Gospel of life that we preach are threatened by the ecology we inhabit.”

“Let us again assert our right to live in a humane society by advocating, ‘Stop the killings! Start the healing,'” Jimenez said. – Rappler.com