8:08 AM
Archbishop Socrates Villegas questioned the government's anti-illegal drive campaign, saying that the rise in the number of killings may have encouraged tolerance of murders, do it yourself justice system, and apathy.
"Lay aside the bishop’s robes and the CBCP position. I am only a human being. My humanity is in grief. I am in utter disbelief. If this is just a nightmare wake me up and assure me it is not true. This is too much to swallow," the prelate said in a statement posted on the websites of CBCP news Radyo Veritas on Friday.
"Lay aside the bishop’s robes and the CBCP position. I am only a human being. My humanity is in grief. I am in utter disbelief. If this is just a nightmare wake me up and assure me it is not true. This is too much to swallow," the prelate said in a statement posted on the websites of CBCP news Radyo Veritas on Friday.
The anti-illegal drugs campaign is the centerpiece of President Rodrigo Duterte's political platform since he announced his candidacy.
Recently, Duterte pledged to go after drug lords, local government officials who are involved in the illegal drugs trade, as he also encouraged citizens to participate in the campaign.
Based on data gathered by the GMA News Research that since June 30 or when Duterte assumed office, there have been 479 drugs-related deaths and 40 percent of these are cases wherein perpetrators have not been identified.
Recently, Duterte pledged to go after drug lords, local government officials who are involved in the illegal drugs trade, as he also encouraged citizens to participate in the campaign.
Based on data gathered by the GMA News Research that since June 30 or when Duterte assumed office, there have been 479 drugs-related deaths and 40 percent of these are cases wherein perpetrators have not been identified.
The nationwide campaign was criticized by the ranking Catholic official.
"You will tell me “Let us give the anti-drug campaign a chance”? The youth need a safe and wholesome environment without the menace of drugs. We share the dream. Spare our children and youth from the evil of drug abuse. It is a great dream for young humanity," Archbishop Villegas said.
The bishop raised even more questions including whether the killings are the means to end the drug menace and whether the children are indeed safe from harm.
Villegas, the incumbent CBCP president asked: "Are we providing our children a safe haven, by teaching them by our tolerance of murders, that killing suspected criminals without fair hearing is a morally acceptable way to eradicate crime? From a generation of drug addicts shall we become a generation of street murderers? Will the do-it-yourself justice system assure us of a safer and better future?"
"You will tell me “Let us give the anti-drug campaign a chance”? The youth need a safe and wholesome environment without the menace of drugs. We share the dream. Spare our children and youth from the evil of drug abuse. It is a great dream for young humanity," Archbishop Villegas said.
The bishop raised even more questions including whether the killings are the means to end the drug menace and whether the children are indeed safe from harm.
Villegas, the incumbent CBCP president asked: "Are we providing our children a safe haven, by teaching them by our tolerance of murders, that killing suspected criminals without fair hearing is a morally acceptable way to eradicate crime? From a generation of drug addicts shall we become a generation of street murderers? Will the do-it-yourself justice system assure us of a safer and better future?"
In the statement that Villegas says is "from a human being" -- sans titles and position in the Catholic hierarchy -- "I pray that humanity be restored. I pray that decent humanity rise up to defend those who now live in fear that they will be next to be killed."
And to his bashers and haters, "I have gotten used to be being bashed and “killed” on social media. A part of me has died a hundred times in every killing I have seen these past weeks. What is another death for me? In this valley of death, I grieve. In the life after, I will rejoice. Barbarism will not have the last laugh. Reason will prevail. Humanity will win in the end."
And to his bashers and haters, "I have gotten used to be being bashed and “killed” on social media. A part of me has died a hundred times in every killing I have seen these past weeks. What is another death for me? In this valley of death, I grieve. In the life after, I will rejoice. Barbarism will not have the last laugh. Reason will prevail. Humanity will win in the end."
Source: gmanetwork
Share this story!
Visit and follow our website: Trending News Global
© Trending News Global
Loading...
nobody wants the body counts? And maybe we have the same aspirations, of peace and harmony among us.But i only have one question. why is the church is so hypocritical of this killings of these criminals and seem un perturb to the death of our law enforcers and civilians who were the victims of these drug menace? Or you want to relieve the EDSA of 1986 whereby the members of the church were the front runners of anti government protest, not only in Manila but even to the farthest barangay of Mindanao,calling for the citizenry to uprise against the government? You have been manipulating the faith of the people for your cause. Whatever that might be, and you been partner with the corrupt institution who were numb and callous to the suffering of the citizenry, yet still you pronounce the evil of our governance not seing your own misgivings committed by members of the church hierarchy, mostly of which were sexual violations of our young who see the church as their path for spiritual salvation?
ReplyDelete