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United Methodist Elder and Philippines Social Justice Activist Is Exonerated from Attempted Murder False Charges

United Methodist leaders of the Philippines Regional Conference Board of Church and Society (PRC -BCS) offer their official statement in response to the case dismissal of attempted murder charges against former UMC District Superintendent Rev. Glofie G. Baluntong by the Regional Trial Court.

Philippines Regional Conference Board of Church and Society, January 18, 2026
Rev. Balongong press conf
Rev. Glofie Baluntong (2nd from Left) in a press conference addressing human rights issues in Mindoro, Philippines. On Rev. Baluntong's right is Amirah Lidasan of Sandugo, a Moro-Christian Alliance in the Philippines and on Rev. Baluntong's left is Tinay Palabay of Karapatan, a Human Rights watch organization in the Philippines.

So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. (Galatians 6:9, NRSVUE)

We welcome with praise and thanksgiving to our God for the dismissal of a trumped-up case of attempted murder against Rev. Glofie G. Baluntong by the Regional Trial Court, Batch 43, Oriental Mindoro last December 8, 2025. This is after the dismissal of the prosecutor last October 6, 2022 on the case of violation of Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 due to lack of evidence.

We condemn the lies of the soldier who claimed he was a “victim” of a gunshot wound from an encounter between the Philippine Army and the New People’s Army(NPA), the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines. We denounce the prosecutor’s accommodation of falsehoods concerning the circumstances related to the case.

According to the court’s resolution, the inclusion of Rev. Baluntong’s name, as well as those of the other accused, came only from the so‑called order of battle, and it was not truly clear that the “victim” saw who allegedly shot him. The “victim” was also unable to prove through medico‑legal that he sustained a gunshot wound.

We also recognize those who took part in this journey through prayers and giving of moral, material and spiritual support.

Rev Balatong Human rights day

Photo above: (Left to Right) Rev. Glofie Baluntong at the December 10, 2025 Human Rights Day Rally at Plaza Lawton in Manila, Philippines, with a Mangyan youth from Mindoro and a leader of Mindoro Youth for Environment and Nation (MEYN).

The Human Rights Day Rally is an annual gathering of various sectors (including church people) to call out human rights violations by the Philippines government.

In 2025, the Human Rights Day Rally emphasized massive corruption of many (if not all) infrastructure projects by the Philippines government, which were exposed in the middle of 2025. Mangyan is one of the many indigenous people/communities in the Philippines impacted by the corruption.

Our Call to The Government of the Philippines:

  1. End the vilification and the filing of trumped-up charges against individuals and organizations, including members of the church who uphold peace in society, human rights, and environmental justice;
  2. Repeal repressive laws, especially the Anti-Terror Law, which has been weaponized to suppress, intimidate, and attack advocates of environmental protection and human rights;
  3. Abolish the NTF-ELCAC, a principal government agency with a long record of repression, baseless accusations, and the dissemination of falsehoods funded by the people’s money;
  4. Resume and enforce the stalled Peace Talks between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) in order to put an end to poverty, the destruction of the country’s natural resources, and the various forms of violence regarded as causes of armed struggle.

We urge the member of The United Methodist Church, together with other faith community, to persist in prayer, exercise discernment, and take a stand for peace founded on justice.

logo PRC BCS

For the Board of Church and Society, Philippines Regional Conference leaders PRC BCS