Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo. (File photo from Philippine Daily Inquirer)
The Church stayed true to its usual practice of not identifying candidates to reject or accept in the May elections, but issued two don鈥檛s that appeared to target candidates being endorsed by President Duterte.
Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo said although the Church would not dictate who people should vote for, it was discouraging voters from picking candidates who supported the Duterte administration鈥檚 push to restore the death penalty and lower the age of criminal responsibility.
Pabillo, during the third Walk for Life campaign by the Church, said voters should go for candidates who valued life and respected human rights.
In a homily Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Manila Archbishop, said life is 鈥渘ot a commodity鈥� but a gift from God.
Empathy
Tagle steered clear of politics, saying 鈥渨e hope that our society will have a heart that beats empathy.鈥�
Pabillo said Mr. Duterte appeared to misunderstand the Church鈥檚 role when he said priests should not use religious authority to criticize the government.
Pabillo said Church officials who criticize 鈥渁re not criticizing the administration as an administration, but its policies.鈥�
鈥淭he problem is when he takes things personally,鈥� Pabillo said referring to the President.
In Cebu City, Archbishop Jose Palma urged people not to lose hope amid the continued killings in the city and province.
鈥淲e believe we can鈥檛 end the killings by ourselves,鈥� Palma said during homily, shortly after at least 1,000 people joined the Walk of Life.
God鈥檚 grace
鈥淲e need God鈥檚 grace,鈥� he said.
He said the spate of killings in Cebu must not stop people from praying.
鈥淢any are killed and yet we should not waver in seeking God鈥檚 help. Let us continue praying,鈥� he said.
In August last year, the 68-year-old prelate issued an Oratio Imperata for an 鈥渆nd to the spate of killings in Cebu.鈥�
Impunity
In January 2019 alone, at least 15 persons were killed in shootings in Cebu based on a tally made by the Inquirer. Majority of these killings are unsolved.
Last year, at least 253 persons were killed in shootings.
Of those, 184 were gunned down by unidentified assailants while the rest were killed in police operations.
The killings, said Palma in a previous interview, have 鈥渞eached a level wherein respect for human life is lost while the culture of impunity reigns.鈥� 鈥擶ith a report from Ador Vincent Mayol