Catholic church leader says Philippines “in chaos” after massive killings of drug suspects

August 20, 2017

The Philippines is in chaos, the leader of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines said on Sunday.

CBCP President Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas made the statement amid the massive killings of individuals allegedly involved in illegal drugs, including a 17-year old boy, last week.

In his Pastoral Exhortation, Villegas condemned anew the continued incidents of unexplained killings involving suspected drug pushers and users.

With the death of 32 people in Bulacan province recently, he wondered how life would improve.

He also wondered why other people did not feel that something wrong has been happening already.

"The country is in chaos. Something wrong is happening in the country," Villegas said.

Villegas noted the high number of parents, husbands, wives, and children who have been orphaned by their loved ones due to the extra-judicial killings.

In contrast, the prelate said those behind the killings have been applauded, with some even getting rewarded.

Villegas also said apparently there was no widespread outrage over the said killings.

Manila Archbishop Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, in a separate statement, lamented the societal division caused by the ongoing war versus illegal drugs.

In a letter read in all masses in the Archdiocese of Manila on Sunday, Tagle rued the effects of the administration's efforts to eliminate the drug menace after it divided the public to those agreeing and opposed to it.

"All Filipinos agree that the menace of illegal drugs is real and destructive. We must face and act upon together, as one people. Unfortunately, it has divided us," said Tagle.

He expressed belief that one of the reasons why such a division has been created is because of one institution wrongly believing it has the best solution versus illegal drugs.

Over 90 people were killed in Bulacan, Manila and Caloocan in a span of less than one week last week amid the administration's intensified campaign against illegal drugs.

President Rodrigo Duterte has openly said that he would defend the policemen who have been following his orders to address the proliferation of illegal drugs in the country.

In a speech last week, Duterte even lauded the anti-drug operations in Bulacan as he urged the policemen to kill more individuals involved in narcotics.

Critics, however, questioned Duterte's toughness against small time individuals allegedly involved in illegal drugs, while apparently not acting much on the alleged corruption in the Bureau of Customs, particularly after the P6.4-billion worth of shabu from China managed to pass the agency's check.

Duterte's son, Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, has also been dragged into the controversy at the BOC. DMS