By: Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos
Malacañang and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) welcomed the Church’s move to assist rogue cops who wish to change their ways but asked the institution to be discerning.
This after it was reported that police involved in extrajudicial killings are seeking the assistance of the Church so they can turn over a new leaf.
Assistant to the Presidential Spokesperson China Jocson, during the Mindanao Hour/Bangon Marawi press briefing Friday, said Malacañang welcomes this move of the Church but hopes the institution would exercise due diligence.
“We welcome the efforts of the Church to help these rogue cops to mend their ways,” Jocson said, reading off from the statement of Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella.
“We hope the Church exercises due diligence as there are drug protectors, kidnappers, kotong (police who take bribes), and ninja cops who want to destroy the ongoing campaign against illegal drugs,” she added.
“Furthermore we urge a certain objectivity to avoid being used by said aberrations,” she continued.
Meanwhile, AFP spokesperson Maj. Gen. Restituto Padilla said that the Church should avoid human error by being discerning when dealing with supposed rogue cops as their intentions may not be pure.
“We would like to forewarn the Church to just be discerning. It could be possible that not all who seek the help of the Church, saying they are seeking help because they want to mend their ways, may not who they say they are,” Padilla said during the same press briefing.
“We just want to inform the Church that we do welcome the efforts of the Church as part of the community to assist, but be discerning in the process so that we may be able to get the real individuals who really are sincerely on the way to mending their ways and not those who are merely using that as an escape route,” he added.
Padilla also recognized that the Church will be very careful because they have their own principles to follow.
However, he also noted of some priests who are unable to stay true to their religious vows.
