Absent voices
A huge majority of the population — as much as 88 percent — continued to support him, knowing he was allowing suspects to be killed as part of his so-called war on illegal drugs. They carry some of the guilt.
Absent were the many voices of those who are supposed to uphold Christian values and the sacredness of every life. In 2017, there were 90 active bishops and around 40 honorary members of the Catholic hierarchy in the Philippines. Many of them remained silent, fearful of Duterte’s threats to expose their supposed “sins.” Just a few stood up against the extrajudicial killings (EJKs).
Among the bishops who spoke out were Pablo Virgilio “Ambo” David of Kalookan, also one of Duterte’s most prominent critics; Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan, Pangasinan; Broderick Pabillo of Taytay, Palawan; and Gerardo Alminaza of San Carlos, Negros Occidental.
Bishop David said his diocese was being turned into a “killing field”; Bishop Pabillo accused Duterte of blasphemy and urged legislators to stand firm in investigating the EJKs; and Bishop Alminaza said the killings were part of a systematic policy, not random violence.
Other notable dissenters were Bishop Ruperto Santos of Balanga, Batangas; Bishop Arturo Bastes of Sorsogon; Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo of Kidapawan, Cotabato; and Bishop Teodoro Bacani of Novaliches.
In 2019, the government filed charges of inciting sedition, cyberlibel and obstruction of justice against Bishops David and Bacani, Archbishop Villegas, and Bishop Honesto Ongtioco. These charges were eventually dropped in 2020 for lack of evidence.
Duterte also made appalling suggestions that “useless” bishops should be killed or “decapitated.” Many received death threats, and three priests were murdered — Fathers Marcelito Paez, Richmond Nilo and Mark Ventura — as a result of the anti-Church campaign.
Other priests took a brave stand through their words and actions, helping the families of victims, such as Fr. Flaviano “Flavie” Villanueva, who was later recognized with the Ramon Magsaysay Award for his work.
Another priest, Fr. Albert Alejo faced sedition charges alongside the bishops. Fr. Robert Reyes led protest funeral processions for the slain victims. Several other priests helped the victims’ families by providing shelter and protection in churches and convents.
On Feb. 5, 2017, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines eventually issued a unified statement against the “reign of terror” caused by the war on drugs.
The courageous stand of these bishops and priests against this reign of terror was also a lonely one. We wonder what the rest of the clergy were doing while thousands of their flock were being slaughtered. There were 10,365 priests serving approximately 92.6 million Catholics at the time. Those silent and oblivious to the message of Jesus of Nazareth to stand against and fight injustice and human rights violations in word and deed have much to answer for.
If the Catholic Church in the Philippines as an institution is content to only offer the sacraments as the path to eternal life without faith in action for justice, it is, as Saint James had famously declared, dead.
The hundreds of committed Filipino defenders of human rights, protectors of creation, children’s rights advocates, and the unjustly imprisoned who speak and proclaim prophetically the truth, work for justice in word and action, and suffer persecution for their faith are the true Christians./PN
