Philippine Church in ‘show of force’ vs drug killings
About 10,000 have gathered in the biggest rally yet against extrajudicial killings in Duterte’s drug war
Thousands of Catholic faithful gathered in the Philippine capital on Saturday in a “show of force” to stop extrajudicial killings in President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war.
More than 6,000 people have died since Duterte took office seven months ago and ordered an unprecedented crime war that has drawn global criticism for alleged human rights abuses, but is popular with many in the mainly Catholic nation.
I am alarmed and angry at what’s happening because this is something that is regressive. It does not show our humanity
In the biggest rally yet against the killings, members of one of the nation’s oldest and most powerful institutions chanted prayers and sang hymns as they marched to condemn a “spreading culture of violence”.
“We have to stand up. Somehow this is already a show of force by the faithful that they don’t like these extrajudicial killings,” Manila bishop Broderick Pabillo said before addressing the crowd.
“I am alarmed and angry at what’s happening because this is something that is regressive. It does not show our humanity.”
Duterte, 71, has attacked the Church as being “full of shit” and “the most hypocritical institution” for speaking out against a campaign that he says would save generations of Filipinos from the drug menace.