Catholic lay group condemns killings

Catholic lay community in Cebu manifests to fight "moral darkness" amid the rampant killings and violence in the metropolis.

Lay leaders, on the other hand, have challenged other Catholics to shun spiritual apathy and indifference, calling the "sleeping" Church community to wage war against the worldly ideology of low regard to human life.

Various parish lay groups and several faithful signed a manifesto on August 18 signifying their support for a huge spiritual movement that wants to suppress unjust and unresolved killings.

The manifesto stated that the lay organization strongly condemns killings that apparently result from the government's campaign against drugs.

Moreover, the local authorities are urged to hold impartial investigations and immediately resolve the killings. The government forces are asked to stop the extrajudicial killing scheme that has been used to stop the drug menace.

Nearly one thousand local Catholics, even from far islands in Cebu, participated in the monthly lay caucus organized by the Cebu Archdiocesan Commission on the Laity held on August 18 (Saturday) at IEC Convention Center (IC3) in Cebu City.

The commission's chairperson, Fe Barino, in her speech, said that if only every Catholic expresses a collective message and resists the unusual norm, the Church-led action will bring a great impact.

But some members of the local Catholic Church community, which Barino described as a "sleeping giant," seemed to be apathetic and uninvolved.

She invited everyone to engage in the prayerful movement as killings had been alarming in number while dead body counts continue to pile up.

As part of the program, attendees listened to the onehour talk of Alejandro "Ale" Aguspina that discussed "spiritual warfare." They also took a stand and joined the call to end the spate of killings here.

Aguspina said rather than being impassive, Catholics should fight, not human beings, but evil forces in this moral battle.

Christians should choose to become Church militants to defeat what seems to be morally evil knowing that one will overcome this through God.

"Do not be weakened. Fight back evil and resist sin... This culture of death is not of the Lord. But rather He gives hope that we will be victorious," he said.

But for people to peacefully counter violence, the commission believes on prayer as a greater weapon than guns.

The participants also read all together the Oratio Imperata or the special prayer that seeks divine intervention to stop the killings earlier released by the Cebu Archdiocese.

This is set to be recited during Masses starting today.

The commission also offered prayers and lit candles for those who were killed and the families that are mourning.

The catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that human life, even of suspected criminals, is sacred and has dignity as it is God's gift and therefore, should be respected and protected. Killings and murders are highly condemned.

Barino said the commission disagrees to any form of killing and seemed bewildered by the president's directive to give reward to those who can kill rouge policemen.

But she said the people will continue to pray for the president that he be enlightened and guided to do the right thing for the country.

INTERNAL CLEANSING

Meanwhile, the Police Regional Office (PRO) -7 stressed out that with or without bounty, they will still continue doing their job in running after erring police in their organization.

President Rodrigo Duterte announced on Friday evening that he will be giving up to P5 million bounty to 'ninja cops' killed by law enforcers.

“With or without sa reward nga ihatag ni president, ang atong internal cleansing magpadayon. Mamahimo na mi anang bounty hunter kung mupatol mi. Ang amua is trabaho lang may reward or wala. We will just do our job and enforce the law without expecting in return,” said Police Supt. Reyman Tolentin, PRO-7 Spokesperson.

In 2016, Duterte also offered a P2 million reward for ‘ninja cops.’

Duterte said that policemen involved in illegal drug activities and kidnap-extortion modus are pulling down the government’s fight against all forms of criminalities and illegal drugs.

Tolentin added that PRO-7’s effort, particularly in internal cleansing, has been doubled to assure that the organization did not keep scalawags.

“I cannot say nga daghan pa sila hangtod karon pero naa ta’y nangadakpan sa tabang na sad sa atong Counter Intelligence Task Force (CITF),” Tolentin said.

However, he added that despite their efforts there are still a few of their men who followed a different path, which according to him, they will never stop running after.

“Dili man gyud tanan perpekto. Naa man gyud nay mga badlungon nga police. Mao nga ato gyud silang pangitaon. Panghingusgan gyud nato ang internal cleansing,” said Tolentin.