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Religious group link to prison drug, prostitution racket denounced

Church official urges arrest of those responsible for Philippine national prison scandal
Religious group link to prison drug, prostitution racket denounced

Thousands of illegal drug offenders have surrendered to authorities since President Rodrigo launched his anti-illegal drugs campaign when he assumed office on June 30. (Photo by Robert Gines)

Published: August 03, 2016 08:59 AM GMT
Updated: August 03, 2016 09:05 AM GMT

A church official in the Philippines has urged authorities to "arrest, prosecute and put behind bars" any religious group with links to the trade in illegal drugs.

"No one should be above the law," said Father Jerome Secillano, executive secretary of the public affairs office of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines.

The priest made the statement after the country's Justice Secretary claimed a religious group has been taking drugs and prostitutes into the country's national prison.

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre last week said he received information that some religious personnel preaching inside the prison "are conduits of illegal drugs and prostitution."

Aguirre said the religious group has even a chapel inside the prison facility. Religious activities have since been banned inside the facility following the official's announcement.

Father Secillano said the Justice Secretary was "right" in not allowing religious groups to hold illegal activities under the guise of proclaiming the faith.

"They should be stopped from fooling people," said the priest. "[Religious groups] are expected to help reform prisoners and not condone anomalous lifestyle," he added.

Meanwhile, some 300 international non-government groups issued a statement on Aug. 2 condemning the "alarming surge in killings of suspected drug users or dealers in the Philippines."

The groups led by Human Rights Watch called on the International Narcotics Control Board and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to call for an immediate stop to the killings.

A tally made by a Philippine daily estimates that 465 suspected drug dealers and users were killed by police and unidentified vigilantes between June 30, the day President Rodrigo Duterte assumed office, and Aug. 1.

Duterte identified illegal drugs as one of the country's top problems and vowed that his government's anti-drug battle will be relentless and long-term.

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