THOMASIANS MUST become agents of liberation as freedom could be achieved not only by being released from physical captivity but by standing strong in their faith in the face of trials and suffering, a UST administrator said.
In his homily during the mass for the 80th anniversary of the Santo Tomas Internment Camp liberation, UST Secretary General Fr. Louie Coronel, O.P. urged Thomasians to persevere in their mission and to fight for peace if they truly seek to honor those who were chained to historical injustices.
“We live in an era where captivity exists not in physical camps but in the chains of injustice, poverty, hatred and despair. If we are truly to honor the past, we must become agents of liberation of our time,” Coronel said on Thursday, Feb. 6, at Buenaventura Garcia Paredes, O.P. building.
“If we are really true followers of Jesus Christ, we must follow his great mandate, to stand for truth, and work for justice and peace and never grow weary in the mission that the Lord has given us,” he added.
Citing the “tria haec” or the three statues representing faith, hope and love, Coronel said the virtues had played an essential role as World War II internees at the Santo Tomas Internment Camp faced hardships.
Over 3,000 civilians were interred in the UST campus in January 1942, the country’s largest internment camp during the Japanese occupation in Manila. Several internees nearly died of hunger by the time they were released from confinement in 1945.
According to Coronel, it was the “spirit of community” that united the civilians in the face of cruelty and oppression.
“Despite the cruelty of imprisonment, they chose to care for one another, share what little they had and lift each other up. Parents sacrificed for their children, friends risked their lives to provide for the weak and the spirit of community held them together when war threatened to tear them apart,” he said.
The secretary general said Thomasians should not merely speak about these virtues but live them with “unwavering resolve.”
“The gates of Santo Tomas were open, and the suffering of the internees turned into jubilation. Their jubilation was not only the work of soldiers, it was the fulfillment of faith that never wavered, hope that never faded and love that never abandoned them,” he added.
The mass is part of the 80th anniversary commemoration of the Santo Tomas Internment Camp liberation themed “Liberation’s Legacy: Honoring the Past, Shaping the Future.” The event began with a wreath-laying ceremony held at the Plaza Mayor.
Among those present at the commemoration were representatives of the University and national and international agencies, namely the National Historical Commission, Department of National Defense-Philippine Veterans Affairs Office, US Embassy, City of Manila, American Battle Monuments Commission and Philippine Veterans Bank. F
