Bishops back Rody but urge respect for life

AN INTERFAITH group of bishops on Monday urged the government to “examine the correctness” of its approach to eliminating the drug menace even as it expressed support for President Duterte’s war against illegal drugs.

“There is a need for a deeper analysis on why the drug problem is thriving and who benefits from this,” said the Ecumenical Bishops Forum (EBF), a fellowship of bishops of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP), United Methodist, Episcopal Church in the Philippines, Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI) and the Catholic Church.

Its statement yesterday was signed by  UCCP executive secretary Bishop Elmer Bolocon and co-chairs Catholic Bishop Emeritus Deogracias Iñiguez Jr. and IFI bishop Felixberto Calang.

Almost 1,000 persons have been killed in summary executions, while some 700 have died in police operations since Mr. Duterte assumed office on June 30.

In its statement, the EBF said the campaign against illegal drugs, criminality and corruption “may be considered a success thus far” in the first 50 days of the Duterte administration.

The bishops said they wished the President well in his antidrugs campaign, as his success was the success of the Filipino people.

They, however, warned the President against disregarding human rights, stressing that the anticrime campaign could succeed with actions within the parameters of the law.

“We wish to caution the President then to respect the human rights of the people. Life which comes from the Creator is precious―it has to be preserved as much as possible,” the EBF said.

“The extrajudicial killings that are happening, we believe, won’t solve that problem but exacerbate it as most of those killed were small-time and poor people,” the bishops said.

They noted that the government officials, judges and policemen tagged by the President in the narcotics trade “seem to be getting a special privilege―they remain very much alive.” Julie M. Aurelio