Cops seek Church’s protection to say no to war on drugs

The Catholic Church in Philippines is disposed to extend protection to the cops involved in extrajudicial killings, who now say their consciences are troubling them. 

Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan in a statement on Monday said some cops are ready to expose all they know about the wave of drug-related killings in the country provided they and their families are given protection.

He said the archdiocese through its “ministry of mercy” is willing to provide sanctuary to the cops, including their families if necessary, after prudently looking into the sincerity of their motives.  “If their preference is to stay with us in the Church, they will not be turned over to the State under its own witness protection program,” assured Archbishop Villegas.

While Cebu Auxiliary Bishop Oscar Jaime Florencio, the concurrent Apostolic Administrator of the Military Ordinariate of the Philippines (MOP), seeking talks with the cops  also said that he wants to help assess the testimonies of the cops.

Bishop Florencio, who has about 150 police and military chaplains under the Ordinariate, said he will also ask his priests if they have received any “feelers” from cops who want to testify against extrajudicial killings. The bishop has urged the chaplains to constantly remind the men in uniform that they are “sent to serve the people and not to condemn and kill them.”

The Administrator of MOP  the ecclesiastical territory for the pastoral care of Catholic military and police personnel, their dependents and civilian employees said that prayer and catechism are the best recourse amid the spate of killings. (cbcpnews)