Priest's 2,000 km run-walk for peace, life, enters 2nd week

A Mindanao-based priest is now on the second week of his 2,000-km journey for life and peace from Davao City to Aparri in northern Luzon. Fr. Amado Picardal said he arrived in Butuan Thursday, and took a one-day rest on Friday to allow his body to recover. "So after seven days I have covered 295 km. (Friday) is rest day. I hope I can recover quickly so that I can continue my journey towards Surigao this Saturday," he said. He said he has received much support from some strangers who offered him coffee, water and juice on his journey. “I walked very slowly, listening to soft, religious music as I prayed and meditated on my feet and witnessed the sun gradually rise on the horizon," he relates on his blog. As of Friday, he said he had blisters in the soles of his feet and a black (dead) toenail. "Without rest I won't be able to recover and I could easily break down, and I won't be able to continue and finish my journey. This is the law of the Sabbath and it applies also to everyone's life journey," he said. Earlier, Picardal said he expects the journey to keep him away from home for 58 days, and plans to take at least 42 kilometers a day of walking and running. “This will symbolize my life as continuing journey and pilgrimage for life and peace," Picardal said in an earlier article posted on the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines news site. “I will even do fasting and will only eat at night. I’m very serious about this advocacy," he added. Picardal said the objectives of his journey are:

* 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.

Picardal will travel through Northeastern Mindanao and Eastern Visayas on the first leg his journey. After that, he will take 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. Picardal said he is confident he will enjoy the experience. “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 said. New CBCP post 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. "Instead of flying, I will just run/walk to Manila and even farther - up to Aparri, the northern tip of the Philippines, then take the bus back to Manila (it will take 58 days to cover over 2000 km). This will symbolize my life as a continuing journey and pilgrimage," he said. — AY/LBG, GMA News