Bato laments ‘demonic’ portrayal of cops in rally

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa yesterday expressed dismay over what he described as a demonic portrayal of police officers at last weekend’s mass action led by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) that called for a stop to the spate of killings in the country.

In a press briefing at Camp Crame, Dela Rosa said it is never their policy to kill suspected drug dealers and users without justification.

“They may have assumed they are on the good side, that they have halos on their head and the PNP are the demons holding tridents,” Dela Rosa lamented. “They apparently look at the police as Satan.”

Dela Rosa claimed drug suspects are only killed in police operations if they resist arrest and pose a danger.

“We only kill to preserve and defend ourselves. But if the depiction is they are the good ones while the PNP are evil, that’s unacceptable,” he said.

In his homily last Sunday, CBCP president and Lingayen- Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas warned Filipinos a cursed retribution awaits the country that kills its own people.

“This is not the Philippines. This is not the Filipino. What we sing is ‘To die because of you’…not to kill because of you…,” he said.

Just like the people who joined the rally, Dela Rosa said they are also seeking justice for victims of unexplained murders.

“We are also looking for justice. It must be investigated if there are indeed (extrajudicial killings) as they are claiming,” Dela Rosa said.

There is no difference between police scalawags and priests who also commit misdeeds, according to the police chief.

“If you are a policeman committing crimes, you will be held accountable before the Lord. If you are a priest committing lies, you will also be held accountable before the Lord,” Dela Rosa said.

Rehab programs in dioceses pushed

Meanwhile, Caloocan Bishop and incoming CBCP vice president Pablo David yesterday pushed for community-based drug rehabilitation programs in dioceses nationwide.

David urged fellow prelates to initiate measures to address the illegal drug menace after the Church-led “Heal Our Land” prayer rally at the EDSA Shrine.

“I am hoping that more dioceses can proactively get involved in starting the healing campaign through communitybased programs aimed at rehabilitating people who are struggling with the disease of substance abuse,” David said in an interview.

The prelate stressed that his diocese is willing to provide assistance to others who would want to open such a program.

“We are willing to share our template of partnership between the Church and the (local government unit) in Caloocan City in this common endeavor,” David said.

The Caloocan diocese had entered into a partnership with the Caloocan LGU’s city anti-drug abuse council (CADAC).

It has led to several batches of patients graduating and, in turn, having been delisted from the government’s “drug watch list.”

David’s call came as the CBCP started its 33-day “Start the Healing” prayer.

During the period which runs until Dec. 8, the faithful are asked to pray the rosary and receive Holy Communion – if possible every day – for the healing of the nation and for the peace of the souls of all those who were killed.

The Church has been vocal in criticizing the war on drugs of the Duterte administration due to killings of drug suspects both by police and vigilante groups.

Villegas led the “Heal Our Land” mass last Sunday, which was intended to pray for an end to the senseless violence that resulted from the Duterte administration’s anti-illegal drug campaign’s alleged extrajudicial killings.

Also present were CBCP-Episcopal Commission on Laity (ECL) Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo, Cubao Bishop Honesto Ongtioco, Antipolo Bishop Francisco de Leon and David.

About 600 people were inside the chapel, while the PNP estimated that 3,500 people joined the procession from the EDSA Shrine to the People Power Monument along EDSA.

Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III yesterday urged the CBCP to also pray for drug addicts.