Fr. Atilano Fajardo, director of Public Affairs Ministry of the Archdiocese of Manila, officially announced the upcoming launch of “Huwag Kang Papatay” (Don’t Kill) campaign happening tomorrow, Jul 25.
President-elect Rodrigo Duterte, who encourages the killing of drug lords and pushers, is also set to deliver his very first State of the Nation Address (SONA) tomorrow at 3:00 p.m.
According to Philippine Star, the campaign “aims to condemn the Duterte administration’s all-out war against illegal drugs.”
“Let us pray for our brothers who have been killed. Let us pray not only for the SONA, but also for the souls of those who have been killed,” Fajardo said in the PhilStar report.
“But with these things happening, we do not see any love because these people are now dead and could no longer ask for apology and opportunity to change their lives,” Fajardo said, adding that the campaign would be a good way “to show our love for the Lord.”
Despite the ongoing observance of the Year of Mercy, a total of 331 people have been killed by authorities and unidentified vigilantes who have joined the government’s bloody war on drugs.
According to the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s The Kill List , as of Jul 21, there are 378 recorded drug-related killings since May 10, the day after the national elections.
Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police (PNP) data shows that at least 200 people have been killed in drug-related operations between Jul 1 to 20.
The launch will be concluded with a mass at 5:00 p.m. at the St. Vincent de Paul Church inside the Adamson University campus on San Marcelino street, Manila. Those who will attend the mass are encouraged to wear black or white shirts, preferably printed with the words “Huwag Kang Papatay.”
