Lacson: Police must secure priests getting death threats

Sen. Panfilo Lacson. (File photo by CATHY MIRANDA / INQUIRER.net)

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Panfilo Lacson said on Saturday that the Philippine National Police (PNP) must secure religious leaders who had been receiving death threats.

“Responsibilidad ng PNP yan, ng law enforcement — siguraduhing walang mangyayari sa mga obispo at mga citizens. Serve and protect nga, eh,” Lacson, a former chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) said in an interview with AM radio station DWIZ.

[That’s the responsibility of law enforcement — to make sure that nothing bad will happen to bishops and other citizens. The police motto, after all, is to “serve and protect.”]

Lacson was reacting to the remark of President Rodrigo Duterte that he had received a text message from Manila Archbishop Luis Cardinal Tagle stating that Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David and other priests had received death threats.

On hearing the news, the President urged the public to not harm bishops and priests, saying his arguments with the Catholic Church was “personal.”

“Ang sagot ko ganito: Yang aming away ko sa Katoliko, amin lang yan. Personal. Kayong mga adik, huwag ninyong totohanin ’yung pukpokin yung bishop at kardinal. Hindi sila kasali sa political ruckus,” the President said in a speech on Monday.

[This is my answer: My quarrel with the Catholic Church is personal. You addicts, don’t hit the bishops and cardinals. They’re not part of this political ruckus.]

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Lacson also took issue with the President’s remarks, saying it should be clear whether his statement was a joke as other people might take it seriously.

“Minsan kasi nakakapagsalita siya akala mo totoo ang dating sa mga tao. ‘Pag sinabing harangin niyo ang mga obispo, maraming pera, yan patayin mo,” Lacson said. “Halimbawa na police na siraulo baka ‘ma-promote ako pagpumatay ng obispo.’ Eh delikado.”

[Sometimes he says things that might sound true to people. For example, he might say: Confront bishops, they have a lot of money, kill them. Some crazy cop, for example, might think: “I might get promoted if I kill a bishop.” That’s dangerous.]

The President had previously renewed his attacks against bishops, saying useless religious leaders should be killed. /atm

READ: Another joke? Duterte says Catholic bishops useless… kill them