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Heart and Soul: Duterte's Drug War

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The cost of the war on drugs in the Philippines

07/04/2017 GMT

Duterte's Drug War

BBC World Service - Heart and Soul, Duterte's Drug War

The clash between the Catholic church in the Philippines and the President over drugs

Over 7,000 drug users have been killed in the Philippines since President Duterte took over. Why is the once powerful Catholic church seemingly powerless to do anything about it?

The Philippines is a devoutly religious country, with more than 86% of the population Roman Catholic – and it has huge drug problem.  President Rodrigo Duterte, himself a Catholic, has been waging a controversial war on his country’s drugs problem since he took office in 2016. 

Rebecca Henschke explores the fall out President Duterte’s controversial war on drugs is having on both the Church and Catholics in the pews.  She visits drug rehab and prevention centres which are part of the Sanlakbay program that the Catholic Church has set up in response to the influx of thousands of drug surrenderees giving themselves up.  

Duterte feels that after years of sexual abuse, much of which was covered up the Catholic Church, it has lost its right to comment on moral issues and many of the people who support him agree

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