MANILA (UCAN): “How may we describe the present social condition of our nation? It is like a valley of death with the killing of drug users and opponents, death by governance without vision, death by shameless corruption that seems to break all records Killings! Murders! Deaths!” Archbishop Marlo Peralta of Nueva Segovia, Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan and Archbishop Ricardo Baccay of Tuguegarao province, the Philippines, said in a strongly-worded joint pastoral statement on September 12, condemning the country’s socio-political situation
They claimed that over 30,000 impoverished Filipinos have been killed in the campaign against illegal drugs and also pointed to a number of unsolved murders of journalists and government critics since Duterte became president in 2016.
“Journalists have been killed, political opponents have been murdered, court judges have been assassinated, priests have been shot and critics have been bullied and threatened. The killers are at large and the blind supporters of these murderers applaud the killers,” they said.
The three archbishops voiced support for medical health workers who they said had fallen victim to government corruption, referring to an alleged 47.4 billion peso [$7.3 billion] fraud from within the Health Department that deprived health workers battling the Covid-19 pandemic from receiving promised benefits and bonuses [Sunday Examiner, August 22].
“The heroic medical health workers risk their safety and some have even perished with their PPEs [personal protective gear] on. While other nations have risen from the pandemic, our death toll continues to rise,” the archbishops said.
The heroic medical health workers risk their safety and some have even perished with their PPEs [personal protective gear] on. While other nations have risen from the pandemic, our death toll continues to rise
“Bullets kill. Viruses kill. Governance without direction kills. Corruption kills. Trolls kill with fake news. Hunger kills. When will the killings stop? The poor pay for the corruption of the powerful, while the nation is sinking in debt,” they said.
They urged Catholics to have faith and that evil would be overcome by good.
“Are we facing a dead end and are we helpless? No. We overcome evil by the power of good. This is not the time for despair but courage. This is not the time to be quiet but to stand up for God. Against the tide of murders and plunder, let us bear witness to truth and life,” they said.
The archbishops urged Filipinos to atone for national and personal sins by praying the rosary and saying the novena to the Divine Mercy.
