STOP KILLING, CHURCH ASKS
WHILE SUPPORTING PROGRAM AGAINST DRUGS
Archbishop Jose Palma addresses 500 recovering drug dependents helped by Surrender to God program Top police officials based in Cebu say they, too, “denounce the killings to the highest level”
We don’t advocate killing as a solution to the illegal drug problem, and we also strongly denounce it to the highest level. SUPT. REYMAN TOLENTIN
Stop law enforcers from killing drug addicts.
This was the appeal of Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma to the government, and he asked the authorities to give drug addicts a chance to recover.
Palma made the call in front of more than 500 recovering drug surrenderers during the Be Intimate with God (BIG) Day organized by the Archdiocese of Cebu Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services (ACCCRS) and the Surrender to God (SuGod) yesterday.
Held during the second anniversary of SuGod, the activity welcomed recovering drug surrenderers. SuGod has facilitated community-based drug rehabilitation programs as part of its ministry.
Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 spokesperson Supt. Reyman Tolentin said that they are one with the archdiocese in opposing the killings.
“We don’t advocate killing as a solution to the illegal drug problem, and we also strongly denounce it to the highest level. In line with reasonable and necessary force to compel an imminent danger, intentional killing is not part of police work,” he said.
Tolentin said that police officers are directed to protect human rights even at the expense of the lives of their own men and women.
“It is our mandate to observe the rule of law, and observe human rights of all offenders though we may lose our very own instead of lawbreakers,” he said.
Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) director for administration Supt. Artemio Ricabo also said that they are pro-life.
“Look at our operations. We have many arrests but there were no deaths,” Ricabo said.
He said they don’t encourage killing drug personalities and that their drug enforcement unit (DEU) operatives always undergo seminars from the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to make sure they avoid armed encounters which might result to death.
“I always remind them that using the gun is always the last recourse. If the subject doesn’t have the capability to hurt our men or will surrender, there is no need to use that (gun),” Ricabo said.
“We approve of the program against drug users, but we proclaim that we don’t approve of the killings against them. This is not the solution against illegal drugs,” Palma said in his homily yesterday.
Drug addicts, he said, should have a chance at renewal.
“A human being has always the chance to become a better person. Change is possible and change can happen for the better,” Palma said.
Palma made the comment less than a week after President Rodrigo Duterte declared that majority of law enforcers in Cebu are drug addicts.
Palma said he is happy that there are those who are willing to reach out to drug addicts to help them in their recovery.
He also urged recovering drug users to allow friends and family to accompany them in their road to recovery.
Palma also praised the work of SuGod and other faith-based drug rehabilitators for sharing their time for recovering drug addicts.
Fe Barino, Commission on the Laity (COL) head and SuGod executive director, said the activity they organized yesterday aims to tell the public that there is a less violent way to solve the drug problem currently hounding the country.
“Killing is not the way to solve addiction, but recovery,” Barino said.
On their second year, SuGod has not only helped in facilitating the recovery of drug surrenderers but has also trained them to become facilitators for other drug recovery programs, Barino said. /