Catholic clergy in the Philippines divided over drug war

The ongoing drug war in the Philippines is presenting a tough challenge to the Catholic clergy who is now divided over the issue of killings that resulted from President Rodrigo Duterte's campaign.

More than 3,600 have been killed in drug-related cases since President Duterte took office on June 30. Some have died at the hands of the authorities but others have been killed by suspected vigilantes.

The dozens of clergymen interviewed by Reuters have admitted that they did not know how to respond to the killings that are widely supported by Filipinos who are also Catholics.

Fr. Luciano Feloni, a priest in a northern district of Manila, stated that opposing the drug war is dangerous in some locations. He is currently running a drug-rehabilitation program in a community where at least 30 people, including a pregnant woman and a child, have been killed.

"There is a lot of fear because the way people have been killed is vigilante-style so anyone could become a target ... There is no way of protecting yourself," Feloni told Reuters.

Another priest who wished to remain anonymous feared that anyone who questioned the killings could possibly suffer the same fate as the drug pushers and addicts killed in the campaign.

Some priests expressed their support for the war against drugs.

"Are the means unnecessarily illegitimate?" said Fr. Joel Tabora, a Jesuit priest in Davao. "People are dying, yes, but on the other hand, millions of people are being helped," he added.

Fr. Francis Lucas, a priest at the San Felipe Parish Church in Manila, has noted the waning influence of the Church.

"How come everybody wants the Church to act when others don't?" Lucas told Reuters. "Yes, we have influence but times have also changed," he added. 

Retired Archbishop Oscar Cruz, who is also the head of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), noted the efforts of some clergymen to provide asylum to some individuals.

"There are cases where asylum is being sought and given, which are not brought to the attention of media ... especially during these times when life is cheap and summary execution is a way of living, and extra-judicial killing is a matter of course," Cruz told Reuters.

He believed that the Church is being prudent in speaking out against the drug war because of its popular support among the people.

In a separate report by the Manila Bulletin, Church leaders have expressed their satisfaction for Duterte's first 100 days in office. They noted the president's sincerity in his efforts to bring about change in the country.