Bato does a Duterte, hits CBCP for criticizing drug killings

Philippine National Police Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / NINO JESUS ORBETA

Sounding like his boss, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa dished out harsh remarks against the Catholic Church and its bishops for raising concern over the rampant killings in the name of President Duterte’s war against drugs.

Asked about the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP)’s pastoral statement on the drug killings, Dela Rosa said: “Anong gusto nila, pabayaan na lang namin ang problema sa drugs (What do they want, that we neglect the drug problem)? You know, please tell them I can communicate with God without passing through them.”

READ: Duterte:  Catholic Church ‘full of shit’

Like Duterte who has been  vilifying the Church in his speeches, Dela Rosa hit Catholic priests and bishops as he defended the PNP’s efforts to eradicate drugs in the country.

“Bakit, masabi mo ba ‘yung Church, pari mismo they are perfect? Wala silang ginagawang kalokohan? Hindi ko sila inakusahan but my relationship to God is direkta pa but I still go to Church because I respect the Church,” he said in a press conference at Camp Crame on Monday.

(Why, can you say that the Church and the priests are perfect? That they’re not doing any mischief? I’m not accusing them but my relationship to God is direct yet I still go to Church because I respect the Church.)

Just like the police organization, Dela Rosa said the Church also has erring leaders.

“‘Yung mga pari na bishops na ‘yan, I believe in God, Katoliko ako. Kapag sinasabi natin na PNP hindi perfect, merong sindikatong pulis,” he said.

(Those priests and bishops; I believe in God, I’m a Catholic. When we’re talking about PNP, it’s not perfect, there are syndicates.)

“Hindi naman lahat ng pari masama. So ganun din dapat ang pagtingin nila sa amin. Hindi lahat ng pulis masama,” Dela Rosa added.

(Not all priests are evil. So they should look at us the same way. Not all police are evil.)

Over the weekend, the CBCP issued a pastoral letter condemning the rising number of killings amid the President’s campaign against drugs. The church leaders also noted the “reign of terror” in places of the poor, many of whom are casualties in the brutal war.

READ:  CBCP: Illegal drugs, summary killings are wrong

CBCP President and Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas agreed that the illegal drug problem needs to be stopped but “the solution does not lie in the killing of suspected drug users and pushers.” JE/rga