Church prays for next leaders to shun ‘culture of death’

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle has issued a special prayer for the country's leaders to respect human life and shun the "culture of death."

"Bless our leaders with true reverence for human life and unyielding opposition to the culture of death," says the Oratio Imperata for Government Officials issued Saturday.

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines' (CBCP) news website said that the special prayer will be recited in Catholic churches in Manila nine days before the next leaders assume office or from June 21 to 29.

President-elect Rodrigo Duterte and thousands other winners in the last May 9 elections will assume office on June 30.

Fr. Reginald Malicdem, chancellor of the Manila archdiocese, said the special prayer is in accordance to the proposal of the CBCP.

The special prayer also calls for humility, integrity, courage and "spirit of heroic sacrifice" from the country's next leaders.

Duterte had said that he will offer rewards for those who will capture or kill high profile suspected drug lords.

The Philippine National Police had said that a total of 68 suspected drug lords have been killed in police operations from January to June 15.

It said that 29 of the number were killed from the May 9 elections.

PNP spokesperson Chief Superintendent Wilben Mayor said that compared to the previous months, the fatality count from May 9 until June 15 is 200 percent higher.

Mayor could not say if the increased number of suspected drug lords being killed is due to the pronouncements of Duterte.

Duterte had made a promise during the campaigns that he will suppress crime within the first six months of his presidency.

The Commission on Human Rights said it has formed a team that will investigate the latest killings of suspected drug personalities around the country. —ALG, GMA News