Bacolod diocese condemns killings

BACOLOD City – The Social Action Center ( SAC) of the Diocese of Bacolod condemned last week’s killings of drug suspects.

SAC head Fr. Chris Gonzales said illegal drugs are destroying society but he questioned if killing is the way forward.

Gonzales said the Catholic church does not believe killing drug suspects is the solution.

“Ngaa ga- enter into drug trafficking ang mga [ tawo]? It’s because they are losing hope. So ang obra naton tani is…how do we give hope,” Gonzales pointed out.

Gonzales said everyone should help each other address the root cause of illegal drugs.

“This is a societal problem.

Sugod kita siguro how do we manage our households, ang aton pamilya, good education,

amu ‘ni nga mga bagay,” he said. “Kay kung pamatyon man lang naton kag ang aton society

amo man gyapon, then the [ illegal drugs] problem will never be solved.”

G o n z a l e s s a i d t h e government, especially those assigned in keeping the peace, have a big problem to deal with, although the church will not put pressure on the police as everyone should be involved.

Last week, authorities recovered two severed human hands in a plastic container with ingredients for a stew or linâgâ in Barangay 2.

The container also came with a list of 22 individuals allegedly involved in illegal drug activities.

A few days later on Jan. 27, 22- year- old fish vendor Henry Paul Bombate was found dead hogtied and riddled with gunshots all over his body at an empty lot in the city’s Barangay Mansilingan.

Bombate was arrested in 2019 for a drug-related charge and was freed just six months ago./