CBCP backs silent protests vs extrajudicial killings

The social action arm of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines is backing the “silent protests” held by two archdioceses against a spate of extrajudicial killings in the past months.

The National Secretariat for Social Action (NASSA), Justice and Peace also urged other dioceses in the country to follow the silent protests conducted by the archdioceses of Jaro and Nueva Segovia.

NASSA executive secretary Fr. Edwin Gariguez said they are supporting the activities held by the Archdiocese of Jaro in Iloilo and the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia in Ilocos Sur.

“Killing of drug traffickers without due process, even in the name of a just cause, is morally unacceptable,” Gariguez said in a statement.

He added that while they are supportive of the government’s anti-illegal drug campaign, “the method being used is unjustifiable.”

What is alarming, Gariguez stressed, is that the poor are most vulnerable to the loss of life, as well as the destruction, violation and suppression of their rights.

It may be recalled that the Archdiocese of Jaro conducted silent protests by having at least 97 parishes put up streamers, which call for respect of life and an end to the killings.

In a related development, the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia also held similar actions in Ilocos Sur to condemn the extrajudicial killings.

Since President Rodrigo Duterte assumed his post in June, almost 6,000 people have been killed in police operations and summary executions amidst the government’s Oplan Tokhang.

Gariguez noted that majority of those killed were poor people in slum areas.

“President Duterte’s claim of ensuring and protecting those who have less in life becomes merely a lip service should the State continue to violate and disregard the rights of the poor,” he said.

He added, “We support and encourage all forms of campaigns by the dioceses to stop the extrajudicial killings and other morally unacceptable acts of the government.”

The NASSA, the CBCP’s social action arm, is composed of all the social action centers in each of the 85 archdioceses and dioceses all over the country. RAM/rga

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