A priest consoles an illegal drug user who surrendered to authorities in Quezon City. (Photo by Robert Gines)
At least two Catholic bishops have urged dioceses and parishes around the Philippines to open their churches and start rehabilitation programs for drug addicts.
The prelates made the call amid a government war on illegal drugs in which about 1,000 suspected drug users and pushers have been killed, according to rights groups and police.
"As a church we cannot remain indifferent to this reality," said Archbishop Antonio Ledesma of Cagayan de Oro in the southern Philippine island of Mindanao.
Archbishop Ledesma condemned the spate of killings, saying, "The problem with drugs has reached the level of a calamity and an emergency situation."
"It is systemic, having its roots in poverty … greed, and abuse of power. It has become a plague afflicting the whole society," said Archbishop Ledesma.
The prelate urged the clergy in his archdiocese to open "available facilities" such as churches and parish halls for community-based recovery programs.
"The church with her charism in moral and spiritual matters can be a safe oasis for silence, prayer, reflection and sharing through retreats and recollections," said Archbishop Ledesma.
Quoting Pope Francis, the prelate said "communities of faith are called to become 'islands of mercy' and 'field hospitals.'"
"In as much as the problem is systemic, we want to address it communally and systematically," he said.
Bishop Renato Mayugba of Laoag in the northern Philippines, however, said it would be difficult for a parish or a diocese to establish a rehabilitation center.
"A serious rehabilitation center need funds," said Bishop Mayugba. He said Catholic ecclesiastical provinces should help each other.
"It is easier for us to build a regional center if juridical jurisdictions will help each other," he said, adding that maintenance of the centers would be difficult.
"One option is for medical practitioners to organize medical teams to work for the rehabilitation of drug users," said the bishops.
A Philippine senator estimated that it would take a century to rehabilitate all 600,000 drug users who have surrendered to authorities in recent weeks if the number of rehabilitation centers in the country does not increase.
"The expansion of the drug war must trigger the expansion of our drug rehabilitation system," said Senator Ralph Recto in a statement.
The Philippines has only 45 residential treatment and rehabilitation centers, 18 of which are government-funded and 27 are privately owned, according to the Dangerous Drugs Board.
The senator said there are only a total of 1,670 beds in government-run centers, and 1,546 beds in privately owned ones. With the current ratio, he said 778 would-be patients would be competing for one bed in government-run centers.
In Metro Manila alone, there are less than 900 beds available in government and private centers. In the entire Mindanao region, which has a population of about 23 million, there are only 315 beds in rehabilitation centers.