NAN-F-26
Prayer
Manila, Sept. 12, 2017 (dpa/NAN) Philippine Catholic bishops have called for an end to spate of killings in the country as they set 40 days prayer for thousands slain in President Rodrigo Duterte’s campaign against illegal drugs.
The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Tuesday urged the Filipino faithful to offer daily prayers and light candles for the victims of the drug war and the conflict in the southern city of Marawi from Sept. 23 to Nov. 1.
It also called on all dioceses to toll their church bells at 8 p.m. each day during that period as a remembrance for those killed.
“For the good of the country, stop the killings, the toll of `murders under investigation’ must stop now.
“For the sake of the children and the poor, stop the systematic murders and spreading reign of terror.
“In memory of those killed, let us start the healing of our bleeding nation,” Archbishop of Socrates Villages, the CBCP’s president said in a statement.
The CBCP issued the statement after the killing of three teenagers in alleged police operations linked to the campaign against illegal drugs last month.
More than 3,000 people have been killed in police operations against drug suspects since Duterte came into office on June 30, 2016.
The Police said that those that were killed fought back when arrested.
Authorities are also investigating the deaths of nearly 11,000 other people to determine if their killings were related to illegal drugs and carried out by hired or vigilante killers. (dpa/NAN)
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Edited by Celine-Damilola Oyewole/Grace Yussuf