Three more Catholic priests critical of the bloody war on drugs of the Duterte administration yesterday said that they have been receiving death threats like Caloocan City Bishop Pablo David.
Fathers Robert Reyes, Albert Alejo, and Flavie Villanueva appeared before the media at the St. Vincent School of Theology in Tandang Sora, Quezon City to expose the threats against them.
“We would like to thank the President because he is having us watched right now. But we are being watched not for our protection but to have us killed,” Reyes said in a press briefing in Quezon City. “Kidding aside, we do not feel safe right now. I, Fr. Flavie, and Fr. Bert have been getting a series of (text) messages that aim to threaten us,” he added.
“I don’t want to die. I have a 90-year-old mother,” Reyes said. “I hope nothing will happen to us.”
Alejo, a Jesuit priest, said he received text messages last Feb. 10 which include expletives and threats that he will be killed. He said priests do not feel safe anymore.
Alejo called on the government to stop its senseless killings. “Kasabay ng aming paglabas ay isa pong panawagan. Itigil na po ang pagpatay. Itigil na rin po ang paniniwala na ang solusyon sa lahat ng problema ay pagpatay. Kapag maraming pinapatay, dumarami rin ang pumapatay, dumarami rin ang sumusunod sa mga nag-uutos na pumatay,” Alejo added. (Leslie Aquino and Alexandria Dennise San Juan)
