MANILA, Philippines — Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. has taken aim at Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano for repeatedly citing Bible verses while defending statements linked to the previous administration’s war on drugs, saying the rhetoric appears inconsistent with both Christian teachings and constitutional principles.
Abante, a Baptist bishop and chair of the House committee on human rights, said Cayetano — who is also a lawyer — should be fully aware that the 1987 Constitution, like the Bible, upholds the sanctity of human life.
He stressed that public officials are not exempt from accountability and emphasized that the Philippines is governed by laws that protect life as a fundamental value.
The lawmaker also questioned Cayetano’s frequent use of scripture in public remarks, arguing that it conflicts with defenses of the anti-drug campaign, which has been widely criticized by human rights groups.
Abante cited Proverbs 6:17, which condemns “hands that shed innocent blood,” to support his argument that unlawful killings cannot be justified under any moral or legal framework.
Cayetano, for his part, earlier defended the anti-drug campaign in a Facebook Live session, calling it a “pro-life” effort aimed at addressing the dangers of illegal drugs. He said the government does not condone extrajudicial killings and that enforcement must always follow due process.
He also acknowledged differing views on the drug war, including allegations that innocent people were killed during operations, but maintained that the campaign should be understood within a broader human rights context.
Abante rejected this framing, saying both drug-related deaths and unlawful killings without legal basis are human rights violations, and stressed that accountability and due process should remain central.
Once an ally of former president Rodrigo Duterte, Abante has since taken a more critical stance after congressional hearings that examined alleged irregularities in anti-drug operations.
He said testimonies from families of drug war victims influenced his reassessment of the campaign and strengthened his push for stronger human rights oversight in legislative investigations.
Abante also pointed to allegations raised in House quad committee hearings suggesting that financial incentives may have encouraged some police operations during the drug war.
Former police officials Edilberto Leonardo and Royina Garma testified that a reward system allegedly existed under the Duterte administration’s anti-drug campaign, with cash incentives reportedly given for killings of drug suspects.
Garma further described the so-called “Davao template,” which lawmakers say may have influenced the structure and execution of anti-drug operations.
Lawmakers warned that if proven, these allegations raise serious questions about accountability and the protection of innocent lives during the campaign.
ia/xf
