The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has called on both the Church and the government to step up their fight against the proliferation of illegal drugs, saying drug addiction and trafficking have destroyed communities worse than natural disasters.
In a pastoral letter, reelected CBCP chief Archbishop Socrates Villegas said everyone, even drug-dependents themselves, had a responsibility to curb the perennial problem of drug abuse.
Citing the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Assistance to Health Care Workers, Villegas said that “while the drug-dependent cannot be blamed completely for the addiction, neither is it right to hold him or her as a blameless and helpless victim.”
“Drugs feed the evil in a person and present an alternate reality that further isolates him or her from life. Those of who manufacture and peddle drugs destroy persons and communities, in a much worse way than natural calamities,” he said.
Noting that there is a social dimension to drug dependency, the Lingayen-Dagupan archbishop said the society should not settle with the present situation and must reach out instead to addicted persons who need guidance and assistance.
“Every individual is free to make decisions, and while we are faced with life’s frustrations, hardships, and loneliness, with communities that are no longer held together by faith, many do not turn to prohibited substances. We, your bishops, thus seek to address this matter of individual freedom and discretion,” he said.
While reiterating CBCP’s continued opposition to death penalty, Villegas urged the government to be more resolute in enforcing the law against drug syndicates and cartels involved in drug trades.
“We call for the relentless prosecution of those responsible for trafficking in drugs and for those who traffic persons to be their drug mules,” he said.
Calling for sustained pastoral programs intended for the youth, Villegas also admitted the initiatives of the Church itself were not enough to combat illegal drugs.
“The dioceses and parishes must invigorate and energize their youth ministry to make them more creative, proactive and responsive and come up with judiciously planned activities and programs for and by the youth with the help of and in collaboration with youth ministers both priests and laypeople,” he said. “There must be an effort by the adult Church people to listen to young people and become familiar with their temper, moods, language and ‘norms.’”
Villegas said the case of Mary Jane Veloso, whose death sentence in Indonesia had been postponed due to a last minute reprieve, opened the eyes of more Filipinos on the evils of drug trafficking.
“Her dire situation showed the existence of malevolent people running cartels and syndicates that recruit the young and prey on the innocent to carry out their crimes and elemental human rights to determine,” he said.
A CBCP official previously said Villegas would write to Indonesian President Joko Widodo to spare Veloso’s life.
READ: CBCP to ask Widodo to save Veloso’s life
Stressing the importance of community vigilance, Villegas said communities should be united in persecuting drug crimes by being on the lookout for one another.
“The community of the faithful should stand as one and be united in fighting this destructive menace and social evil,” he said. “We must be firm in our resolve to eliminate it in our communities so that our young can live toward a healthy, productive, and vibrant future, and our adults not be sidetracked in their quest for fullness of life.”