CEBU, Philippines - Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma will not allow priests to join in the Tokhang operations of the police against illegal drugs.
The prelate admitted having turned down some priests who have asked permission from him to join in the anti-drug campaign of the police.
The Church, according to Palma, will instead be at the forefront in the drug rehabilitation program as their way of support to President Rodrigo Duterte's "War on Drugs."
Palma, however, said he still does not know what to do with clergy members defying his order.
"One priest asked if he could join and I said no," he cited a request from a priest in Cebu.
Worried over security concerns as well as impropriety of priests to be in police operations, Palma said Tokhang is gaining a negative reputation and that the involvement of priests will have many implications and questions from the public.
"It is not for the interest even of people and the church for that matter. It is not the area of our calling," said Palma.
"The president is right in saying that drug has proliferated and they want to stop the drug trade. They are right in that sense. Tokhang was an approach to call for people to surrender but it has developed into something that is unpalatable and no longer good for (some) people," Palma explained.
The archbishop said that the government was not able to explain fully the deaths of around 7,000 people since Tokhang operations have started.
Palma said he is not buying the "5,000 repeated explanations" from the police that many killed because they retaliated. He said these explanations were no longer believable.
Palma said they will instead expand the rehabilitation programs that they have already started since last year. (FREEMAN)