Social justice 16/05/13 Filipino priest warns of 'dark prospects' under Duterte - Expect a spike in the number of extrajudicial killings, Redemptorist says

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Filipino priest warns of 'dark prospects' under Duterte

Expect a spike in the number of extrajudicial killings, Redemptorist says

Philippine president-elect Rodrigo Duterte speaks during a campaign rally in Manila. (Photo by Vincent Go)

Ronald Reyes, Manila
Philippines

May 13, 2016

A Filipino priest has warned of "dark prospects" for the Philippines following the election of Rodrigo Duterte as the country's next president.

"He may have the political will, but he lacks the vision, compassion, integrity, and emotional intelligence necessary to effect genuine change," Redemptorist Father Amado Picardal said.

The priest recently revealed that a death squad operating in the southern city of Davao, where Duterte has been mayor for the past two decades, was responsible for the deaths of some 1,424 people between 1998 and 2015.

"It is doubtful if he can effectively and single-handedly eliminate criminality and corruption," said Father Picardal, who heads the Philippine bishops' Commission for Basic Ecclesial Communities.

Duterte vowed to eliminate crime and corruption in the first six months of his administration.

"He himself has been accused of being a criminal and as corrupt as other politicians with the extrajudicial killings and allegations of hidden wealth," said the priest.

Father Picardal warned against a "worst-case scenario" once Duterte starts to implement "his kind of change" after his inauguration on June 30.

The priest said the new president is expected to do what he has been doing in Davao. "This means organizing and multiplying the death squads," he said.

"There will be a rising number of extrajudicial killings," said Father Picardal.

Duterte himself said there would be no need to build new prisons when he becomes president. "Build more funeral parlors," he told the media during one of his campaign sorties.

The priest also warned against Duterte's reported plan to enter into an alliance with communist rebels.

"A revolutionary coalition government with the communists will provoke a counter-revolution," said Father Picardal.

The priest urged Filipinos to pray that the country "will be spared from this catastrophe."

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