Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines has been forced to suspend his controversial war on drugs just days after Catholic Church leaders issued fresh attacks on the campaign of murder.
Amid reports that police units tasked with undertaking the president’s campaign are riddled with corruption – prompting criticism from Mr Duterte – police chief Ronald dela Rosa announced this week that the anti-drugs campaign is to be suspended as investigators root out corrupt officers.
Since Mr Duterte held true to a campaign promise in July to unleash a violent offensive against drug dealers, some 7,000 people have been killed.
Those killed by police – totalling 2,250 – are routinely described as having resisted arrest. The remaining number of those killed were reportedly targeted by vigilante groups.
However, the kidnap for ransom and subsequent murder of a Korean businessman in October served to reveal that police officers were actively engaged with and even directing the vigilante groups.
Reality
This reality led Jerome Secillano, a spokesman for the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, to state, just days before the campaign’s suspension, that it was “not any more in accord with the legal processes, and the moral norms are being violated and so now is the time for the Church to speak up”.
His message was echoed by conference president Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan, who stated, “I am ashamed of the things I read about the Philippines in the international media and more ashamed of what I hear from our leaders”.
The latest Church voices built on repeated criticisms levelled by prelates and priests throughout the latter half of 2016 against the daily raft of extrajudicial killings and impunity for police in the campaign.
For his part, Mr Duterte renewed his own verbal attacks on the Church in the Philippines, accusing it similarly to the police of being “corrupt”.
Tirade
In a foul-mouthed tirade – just weeks after he had sent a letter of goodwill to Pope Francis – Mr Duterte accused members of the hierarchy of womanising and declared the Church “is full of s**t”.
“You all smell bad, corruption and all,” the president said.
Challenging the members of the hierarchy to resign, Mr Duterte said that if they did so, he would also step aside.
Despite his bluster, the suspension of the anti-drugs campaign is a blow to President Duterte, who has built a reputation as a strong leader on foot of a willingness to back the killing of those suspected of drug activities.