Church active in campaign against illegal drugs, priests say

MANILA, Philippines -- The church is doing something. 

That is the main point representatives of the Catholic Church stressed after President Rodrigo Duterte savaged an institution that predates the nation for criticizing the war on drugs without helping address the problem.

"Anong ginawa ng simbahan?" Duterte asked in a speech in Malacañang last Thursday, adding that if the church wanted to stop drugs in the country, "all you have to do is to preach." 

According to Father Rex Arjona, executive director of the Social Action Center of Legazpi in Albay, the church is always there to help, although it does not always publicize the fact.

"Yung churches naman ay may mission din na tumulong. Pero pagdating sa direct delivery of the services, we are always complementary to the government," Arjano told Philstar.com in a phone interview.

Intervention and information

The Social Action Center is the advocacy and humanitarian arm of the Diocese of Legazpi. It started the Harong Paglaom program in December 2016. Under the program, parishes from different barangays are turned into places that provide care and rehabilitation to drug users. 

Arjano said one parish is providing care for 20 substance users while another is helping 50, all of whom were surrenderees in the government's Oplan Tokhang.

However, Arjano said that although they are open to anyone, their priority is on cases that the government has assessed as mild or moderate. 

The Dangerous Drugs Board, which sets government drug policy, recommends community-based interventions and rehabilitation for mild users, who account for around 90 percent of users of illegal drugs.

More serious dependence can mean being given out-patient rehabilitation or, in severe cases, in-patient treatment at rehabilitation centers.

"Kailangan sila (users) i-assess kung ano ba sila: severe, moderate or mild. Doon tayo nakatutok sa mild and moderate," Arjano said.

He added that SAC Legazpi also plans to launch its Circles of Discernment, a program to persuade parishioners to stay away from drugs. The program launch had to be pushed back to "most likely February" because the church had to help with relief efforts after Typhoon Nina hit the region in December.

"We have direct intervention for substance users, and then meron din information campaign na hindi na information, more like reflection session dahil gusto natin palalimin ang usapan with the general public," Arjano said. 

Father Edu Gariguez of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines, meanwhile, said that even before President Duterte took office, the church already had an apostolate, or religious activities, to address the the danger of illegal drugs. 

He added that the church recognizes the extent of the drug problem in the country. 

"Mas lalo ngayon nakita yung pangangailangan, mas lalo natin dinoble yung effort para matugunan," Gariguez told Philstar.com in a separate phone interview. 

He also asked for the public and the president to be fair, and expressed his hopes that the efforts of the church will be recognized. 

Gariguez said that while not all of the parishes in Manila are involved, there are dioceses that have launched programs to help in the rehabilitation of drug dependents. 

"[M]araming initiative, lalo't higit ngayon para makipag-tulungan dito," he said.

Gariguez added that rehabilitation for drug users is important to give them the chance to change. 

'The church is on the side of life'

While the Catholic Church will not tolerate the use and distribution of drugs, Gariguez said that as long as drug users approach the church to seek help, it will be there to to do so. 

"Yun ang basic principle, the church is a place for refuge for all those people who are troubled," Gariguez said. 

"We are on the side of life," Arjano, for his part, said. 

Arjano said that while the church recognizes the that illegal drugs destroys lives, "indescriminate killing is far worse evil than illegal drugs." 

Gariguez added beyond the issue of extrajudicial killings, the church also gives importance to the life of the unborn, as well as the life of the environment. 

"Siguro hindi lang ito Christian. Kahit sa ibang mga mainstream religion, yung pag papahalaga sa buhay, yung dignity of human life, is a universal principle not only for Christians," Gariguez said.