Human Rights and Justice Issues in the 16th Century Philippines

by James Loreto C. Piscos, Ph.D.

A Requirement Presented to the

Faculty of College of Arts and Sciences
San Beda University, Mendiola, Manila

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

For Readings in Philippine History

Submitted by:
DIZON, Catherine M.
2 AIA/AIS

Submitted to:
Dr. James Loreto Cabilin Piscos

May 2020
 I. Summary

The marriage of the Church and the State was a dominant set-up in the 16th century
Philippines. This was conceived by virtue of Spain’s quest for colonization and evangelization.
This is what is called a two-edge sword. The land was colonized and evangelized at the same
time. Spain strongly believed that colonization and evangelization when put together would
create a powerful tool that would place the Philippines under the Spanish rule totally. The
problem was that colonization and evangelization were two opposing entities in terms of
principles and philosophies. Their points of contacts created frictions.

Civil Spanish authorities and ecclesiastical leaders had opposing principles. Ecclesiastical
leader was trained under Francisco Vitoria and Bartolome de Las Casas which were both fighters
of human rights. Spanish leaders in the contrary aimed to colonize the land at the expense of the
natives’ dignity and human rights. Colonization was driven by Spain’s interest in the natural
wealth of the land.

History has always revealed of the land’s massive gold deposits not to mention the large
deposits of other minerals of the land. Violations of human rights and violence were inevitable
parts of colonization. Many helpless natives were oppressed and killed. Some were even made to
appear as thieves and judged to have committed crimes they did not really commit. The Church
could not do anything about it even though ecclesiastical principles were violated and
transgressed.

II. Reflection

Injustices committed during the 16th century Philippines and in the following centuries
were almost the same. Innocent people get killed or were made scapegoats of crimes they did not
really commit. The weak as always fall as victims of the shenanigans of the powerful and the
influential. This is a painful reality in a cruel world such as where we live in. It seems that there
is no real justice among human beings and if there is, it is used only to enhance the positions of
the rich and the powerful. It seems that real justice comes only from God who sees the miserable
conditions of the unfortunate.
 Today, the Church is still trying to maintain its strong influence over the state but it failed
with our new leaders. It seems that the current ecclesiastical influence that the church enjoyed
over the government over the years has weakened tremendously. Our government today is not
easily compelled by the Church. The government stands firm on its ground in making decisions
for the good of the people unmindful of what the Church would do or say.

I really believe in the separation of the Church and the State. The Church is responsible
only for the spiritual well-beings of the people. Its duty is to create citizens who are spiritually
strong in the light of God so as to make them good citizens of the country. The state creates laws
and implements them for the welfare of the citizens and to punish those who violate them. The
Church should lay their hands off the affairs of the state because they both have distinctive rules.
The Church then should just take care of the spiritual needs of the people and the state Is
responsible for the citizen’s temporal needs in the light of the existing law.

Reference:

Piscos, J. L. (2017). Human Rights and Justice Issues in the 16th Century Philippines.
https://www.academia.edu/42223051/Human_Rights_and_Justice_Issues_in_the_16th_Century
_Philippines