Priest fears breakdown of peace and order in PHL amid cycle of killings

An official of the Catholic Church on Wednesday expressed fears there might already be a breakdown in the peace and order situation, amid seemingly endless series of killings in the country.

Radio Veritas president Father Anton Pascual, in an interview on radio, said there seems to be a breakdown in the peace and order situation as killings continue, victimizing not only poor drug suspects but mayors, priests, and people with positions in society.

He cited the latest killings of Mayor Ferdinand Bote of General Tinio town in Nueva Ecija, Mayor Antonio Halili of Tanauan town in Batangas,  and in the last few months the murders of three priests in Luzon.

“Kapag nagbabasa ka ng diaryo lalo kang natatakot sapagkat araw-araw maraming napapatay. At ang pinapatay hindi mga ordinaryong tao mga mayor, mga pari. Anong nangyayari sa bansang Pilipinas, mukhang there is a breakdown of peace and order,” Pascual said.

He also asked the Filipino believers to pray that President [Rodrigo Duterte] would focus on the peace and order problem in the country.

Not a priority

In a separate interview on Radio Veritas, UP law professor and former Solicitor General Atty. Florin Hilbay said that solving peace and order problems in the country, apparently, is not the President's priority.

“Parang hindi concern ng Pangulo na lutasin ang problema dahil yung isa lang pagpatay ng isang mamamayan lalo na ng isang LGU official is already problematic, dapat nagra-raise ng concern ang mga pulis at ang ating Pangulo dahil hindi puwedeng hayaan na may pinapatay lalo na isang public official at lalo na kung sunod-sunod.”

He also took notice of President Duterte's "irresponsible statements" regarding the killings of drug suspects.

“Meron siyang supervision over local government, kaya napaka-iresponsable ‘yung mga pahayag ng Pangulo dahil napaka-importanteng role niya is to enforce the law. Hindi puwede yung siya mismo ang nag-e-encourage ng criminal act,” Hilbay said.

Earlier, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines appealed to the Duterte administration to put a stop in the killings of drug suspects, and solve the thousands of "deaths under investigation" in the country so that "healing" could begin. —LBG, GMA News