'Don't fear death for we will all go there'

"The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time."
 -- Mark Twain

By Alex P. Vidal

FAIRFAX, Virginia --  A septuagenarian Fil-Am religious leader has called on all faithful in the Philippines and the United States to unite and rally behind President Rodrigo Duterte as the latter faces the "difficult" task of solving both the insurgency and terroristic problems in his first year in office.

EVANGELISTA

"I support the style of President Duterte. I can connect with his brand of leadership. We all need to support him," suggested Mariano C. Evangelista, preacher and head of the Falls Church-based Christian Evangelization Ministry.
Evangelista, 83, one of the first Filipino civil service recruits to serve in Vietnam War in 1964, said religion is not a hindrance to serve God and the country.
Duterte has to succeed as president because the Filipinos' problems on ISIS-backed Maute terrorism and the insurgency from the left are not ordinary, warned Evangelista, an Ilocano who has lived in the US for at least 30 years.

ENGAGE

Maute rebels continued to engage government troops in bloody battle in Marawi City and refused to surrender. The gunbattle has been raging for over three weeks now and killed hundreds of protagonists from both sides, including civilians caught in crossfire.
Duterte has decalred Martial Law in Mindanao.
The peace talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA) are also in jeopardy amid efforts from both sides to resume them.

"You maybe a born again, a Baptist, a Catholic, a Hindu, a Buddish, a Muslim, a Seventh Day Adventist, a Mormon, or an Iglesia (Ni Kristo), God doesn't discriminate," sighed Evangelista. "We all need to unite. Let us not fear death because we will all go there anyway. That alone can give us salvation and peace of mind."
He said he believed in the statement of fomer US President George W. Bush who reportedly claimed in a TV interview that "the Philippines is the richest country in the world."

RICH

"I knew what President Bush meant. He meant that the Philippines is the richest in the world because of the bullions of gold that have been hidden in various islands during the World War II," Evangelista, a highly-respected community leader in Falls Church, Virginia, explained,
"Until now, the gold bars are still there (in the Philippines) and thousands have died just to protect their secret locations."
According to Evangelista, the late President Ferdinand Marcos knew some of the codes where the bullions of gold were hidden.
"That's why Marcos was already rich even before he became president," he argued. "He was ousted not by the People Power as what we all have seen on TV in 1986. He was ousted by a powerful person because Marcos knew too much and refused to be manipulated."