One Voice says crimes done to the victims of the drug war, a crime that endangers us all
The ecumenical group “One Faith. One Nation. One Voice" said President Duterte must face accountability for the widespread killings under his anti-drug crackdown.
“We at One Voice cry out for justice for the victims of the Duterte regime,” CBCP News quoted the group's statement.
“We demand that Duterte and those who orchestrate and execute these state-sanctioned murders be held accountable,” added the Christian leaders.
The group issued the statement after the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor requested authorization to open a full probe into the spate of killings as a result of the drug war, saying crimes against humanity could have been committed.
One Voice said the government’s “war on drugs” is “evil” because it is orchestrated by powerful people in the government against those who have been disempowered and oppressed.
The group said the killings committed in the drug war are not just an attack on the victims but also “a crime that endangers us all."
“It is evil as it is organized killing by people elected to power whose mandate is to uphold and defend the dignity and life of every Filipino,” the church leaders said.
“May our calls for justice reverberate as we seek life and dignity for the people of our nation, and may we become one as a people as we pursue just peace and common good for all,” they added.
The signatories of the statement are Bishop Broderick Pabillo of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), Bishop Reuel Marigza of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP), Bishop Rhee Timbang of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI), among others.