Berkley Center

Since the Philippines’ president Rodrigo Duterte took office 10 months ago, nearly 8,000 suspected drug dealers and users have been killed in the nation’s “war on drugs.” Despite these allegations of extrajudicial executions, polls indicate that Duterte still has the support of majority of the country. This support does not come from many leaders of the Catholic Church, which has launched a resistance movement against the government’s recent actions. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines released a statement in February, which urged “elected politicians to serve the common good of the people and not their own interests.” Two weeks later, thousands of Catholics marched in the capital city of Manila to call an end to the bloodshed.

This week the Berkley Forum asks contributors, what impact is the Catholic Church having on this situation in the Philippines? Statistics suggest that over 80 percent of Filipinos are Catholic, yet given Duterte’s widespread popularity, many Catholics are likely among his supporters. How can the Church effectively respond to the majority support of Duterte and his “war on drugs” in the predominantly Catholic country?