Kalookan Archbishop Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David criticized Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano after the latter linked the bloody war on drugs of the Duterte administration to being "pro-life."
Cardinal's Reaction to Cayetano's Post
The cardinal's reaction stemmed from a post by the senator last week, where he called the drug war a campaign for human rights and pro-life. Cardinal David questioned how the senator could say this in the face of thousands of widows and orphaned children who lost loved ones without due process.
Details of Extrajudicial Killings
The cardinal added that victims were not only shot; many were abducted, tortured, and left on the streets with plastic bags over their heads and packaging tape around their necks.
Warning on International Law
David warned that the senator's statement has serious implications under international law. He said statements that legitimize extrajudicial killings are not covered by protection for free speech and could be considered incitement or aiding and abetting crimes against humanity under Article 25 of the Rome Statute.
Cardinal David has been a vocal critic of the Duterte administration's war on drugs.
