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Bishop sees 'obsession' with military action causing human rights violation
Archdiocese of Manila apostolic administrator Bishop Broderick Pabillo said last Thursday that the government's "obsession" with military solution to social problems has resulted in violence and human rights violations.
Pabillo's criticism on government's “unnecessary use of force” to achieve its goal came on the heels of the slay of nine activists, and the arrest of six others in simultaneous raids in Calabarzon last Sunday.
In an article on CBCP News
, Pabillo was quoted as saying, “Seemingly, the government is obsessed with using a military solution to address the problems of our country. It disregards the reason for its existence —to protect the dignity and rights of its citizens towards solidarity and common good.”Also, the bishop pointed out that the same militaristic approach employed by the present administration's drug war has failed to stop illegal drugs trade in the country that has left thousands dead.
“It [military approach] even saw the entry of billions of pesos worth of drugs, with no heads rolling,” Pabillo said.
“It is the same scheme being used in arresting the activists, thus, extra-judicial killing continues,” he added.
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Furthermore, he noted that the bloody Calabarzon raids on March 7, now dubbed "Bloody Sunday", occurred just two days after President Rodrigo Duterte told security forces to “kill” armed communist rebels, without regard for human rights."
Moreover, he was quoted as saying that this military approach always victimizes the poor. “Targeting and killing activists only exacerbates the injustices committed against the poor.”
At least nine activists were killed while six others were arrested in simultaneous police operations in Calabarzon on Sunday, the Police Regional Office 4A said.
Six of the fatalities were reported in Rizal, two in Batangas, and 1 in Cavite. Also, six people were arrested including three in Laguna and another three in Rizal.
The police insisted that the operations were court-sanctioned, and that the slain subjects of the search warrants being served resisted arrest.
To ensure an "impartial" investigation in to the bloody raids amid cries for justice, the Justice Department will lead a probe the President ordered the National Bureau of Investigation to undertake. —LBG, GMA News