Church groups urge court cases vs drug war

An ecumenical network of Church-based community groups has urged Filipinos to “rise up in support of call for justice,” after a Caloocan City widow has filed a criminal complaint against the policemen who killed her husband and her son.

In a statement, Rise Up For Life and For Rights said it joins the families affected by the government’s bloody anti-narcotics campaign in filing cases against the identified authorities “under this poor planned and implemented police operation.”

“Through court actions, Rise Up seeks to expose the evil being perpetrated upon the poor. We pray the courts will act with haste and show themselves as reliable venues for obtaining justice,” read the statement.

Rise Up said that “too often, government acts against the interests of the poor and the marginalized.”

“We ask the Filipino people to uphold these families in prayer. We must join our voices in breaking the silence that often surrounds drug-related killings,” read the statement.

“We appeal for all Filipinos to advocate for the respect of human rights and get involved [in] rising up for justice. Perpetrators of drug-related killings must be held accountable.”

Rise Up held a protest action outside the Office of the Ombudsman on Tuesday, as the widow of Luis Bonifacio filed her complaint against Northern Police District Special Operations Unit (NPD-DSOU) chief Supt. Ali Jose Duterte, seven other policemen and their informant. RAM