President Rodrigo Duterte's War on Drugs: How Philippine Christian Organizations Resisted Extrajudicial Killings

This article was submitted as a paper for Exploring Religion. Freedom Lapuz, all rights reserved. This article may not be used to train AI.

President Rodrigo Duterte’s right-wing populist approach in eliminating crime in the Philippines famously included his ‘war on crime’ operation in marginalized Filipino communities. Often referred to as ‘tokhang’ (a combination of the Cebuano words ‘toktok’ which means knock, and ‘hangyo’ which means plead)- Christian organizations in the Philippines and major religious leaders resisted President Duterte’s course of actions. Ditsi Carolino’s film ‘Huwag Kang Papatay’ (Thou Shall Not Kill, or Don’t Kill) “exemplifies a non-Jesus but ‘almost’ Jesus film”[1] that uses Matthew 2:1−18, 6:9−13, and 27:27−50 to contextualize the anti-empire message of the passages, as well as using it as an allegory for President Duterte’s Philippine government. The 13-minute documentary follows Carolino alongside Gladys Llanes and Fr. Danny Pilario as they traverse through the slums, follow families that lost loved ones due to the tokhang, and interview people who have witnessed the extrajudicial killings (EJKs). Ma. Marilou S. Ibita’s article that analyzes this film thoroughly expands on the Matthew verses, and shares different opinions from theologians of different background. President Duterte’s actions were also resisted by a variety of different Christian organizations in the Philippines. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) advised Filipino Catholics to denounce Duterte’s methods and refers to the EJKs as unholy. Father Daniel Pilario questions the country’s society and questions the supporters of President Duterte’s empathy. Cardinal Pablo Virgilio “Ambo” David campaigned for the end of EJKs and provided rehabilitation programs and shelters for those who are being hunted by the Philippine National Police (PNP). These acts of resistance against President Duterte’s government have helped change Filipinos who were on the fence about the tokhang, and other Christian and non-Christian religions aligned themselves with these views. The war on drugs campaign that terrified marginalized Filipinos for years remains to be one of the most regretful times of Philippine history. The fixation of killing people in poor communities developed the stance of Christian organizations to resist the government’s actions. President Duterte’s war on drugs was contested by a variety of Christian organizations due to its extrajudicial nature of murdering marginalized Filipinos by critiquing his actions via film, using biblical passages to reject the government’s course of action, and by using churches as a safe haven for those who are pursued by the police.

        Carolino’s film ‘Huwag Kang Papatay’ is not a documentary film to be marketed and or monetized, but rather, it is a film to be studied and analyzed through a biblical perspective. The main purpose of the documentary is to “tell the challenge to the Roman Catholic Church in the early months of the so-called ‘War on Drugs’ or ‘Drug War’”[2], and to humanize the marginalized people who are affected by the tokhang. Statistics show that the EJKs occurred everywhere. Most victims were publicly killed on the “streets (27%), in or around private residences such as their own homes (24%), and some were killed or found dead inside a vehicle (9%)”[3]. Families of the deceased caused by the tokhang pleaded to both religious institutions and to the government to end the war on drugs due to a large portion of these casualties being EJKs. Despite these horrific events occurring everyday, some members of the Roman Catholic Church still “openly or quietly endorsed tokhang”[4]. Their reasoning for this immoral support of killings was due to their loyalty to President Duterte closely resembling a cult like following. The president’s “framing of drug addiction through the lens of criminality and morality politics”[5] resonated with a lot of Filipinos and believed that the tokhang is the only answer to achieve peace. This support for EJKs did not reflect all Filipinos. Many openly resisted the tokhang, while others supported the resistance covertly. Most importantly, the Roman Catholic Church chose the side of the oppressed and “issued an official stance. . .on the grounds of compassion”[6]. Carolino’s film resonates with the statement the Roman Catholic Church gave. The documentary “includes recontextualized interpretations of Jesus’ story found in Matthew 2:1−18, 6:9−13, and 27:27−50”[7] as an anti-oppressive stance against tyrannical empires. It is clear that the film does not address the drug problem of the Philippines as a result of criminal activities- it addresses it instead as “a multi-faceted public health issue”[8]. Throughout the film, Fr. Pilario accompanied the families that have lost loved ones from the war on drugs. The crew visits a wake that shows a family mourning a person who was wrongfully murdered by the PNP. Unfortunately, only a few people “expressed their solidarity and condolences with the family for fear of reprisal or of being identified”[9] with the deceased. The documentary uses these scenes to portray the meaning of Matthew 2:1−18, 6:9−13, and 27:27−50. David M. Rhoades from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago claims that the words of Matthew 6:9-13 embodies resistance especially when “read. . . recited and performed”[10]. Furthermore, Rhoades explains that the verse is a direct contrast of the “ritual, power and politics between the Roman Empire”[11]- an analogy for President Duterte’s government. Another perspective from Warren Carter of Phillips Theological Seminary claims that Matthew 6:9-13 contrasts “God the Father in heaven with the emperor, and the petitions are meant to respond to their needs that are not fulfilled by the earthly Roman Empire”. In the context of the documentary, this can be interpreted as President Duterte’s falling short of his promises to the people of the Philippines and his power means nothing compared to the God of Israel. The Philippine government’s obsession of eradicating crime and associating that fixation with EJKs is unholy and goes against the teachings of Jesus Christ. The documentary gives the audience a chance to connect to the victim’s families with empathy and understanding. Its recontextualized use of the Matthew verses invites the audience to connect the oppression done by the Romans to today’s oppression in the Philippines. Carolino’s film succeeds in portraying marginalized people as a community that lives in terror, and questions the morality of President Duterte’s government.

        Christian organizations in the Philippines have resisted the war on drugs and defied the government’s call to stop protecting their targeted ‘criminals’. Cardinal Luis Tagle expresses his feelings on an official statement towards the tokhang knocking “on the conscience of those who kill even the helpless, especially those who cover their faces, [and] to stop wasting human lives”[12]. In addition, The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has given an official statement to Filipinos to “keep their courage under Duterte’s regime of death, and criticizes the killing of the poor, the rise of illegal drugs, [and] the plunder of public funds”[13]. Due to the Roman Catholic Church being the biggest religious organization in the Philippines, other religious organizations soon followed their stance. Christian leaders also had strong opinions about the war on drugs. Father Pilario questions the path Filipinos are taking by not resisting the tokhang posing the questions: “What has become of human lives? What has become of human dignity? What has become of the embodied God in our human bodies?”[14]. In addition, Cardinal David of the Diocese of Kalookan campaigned for the end of “EJKs, rehabilitation programs to people who use drugs, and raise awareness regarding the culture of violence and impunity in the Philippines”[15]. He was able to cooperate with the municipal government to design a community-Church outreach program that included “drug recovery skills, life skills, family sessions, and case management”[16]. The statements done by Christian leaders and organizations were crucial to convey public opinion. With the majority of people in the Philippines being Roman Catholics- leaders and churches of the religion made it clear that they were against the President’s actions against marginalized communities. Although statements and comments were constantly released to the public by Catholic leaders- they also put it into practice. Creating the church as a safe haven and teaming up with local governments is what caring for the community looks like. Programs to help drug addicts recover showcases that churches believe in rehabilitation rather than incarceration.

        President Duterte’s reign of terror towards the marginalized Filipino communities was strongly condemned by many Christian organizations. Carolino’s ‘Huwag Kang Papatay’, a film humanizing the people who are usually labeled as ‘criminals’, gives the audience a biblical perspective through the verses of Matthew. The strong statements and condemnation of the church helped the public understand that the Philippine government’s war on drugs was foundationally unholy and unethical. The belief in rehabilitation and providing safe spaces for marginalized people without judgement proved that churches genuinely care about their community. The determination of Christian leaders and churches were a key foundation against the tyrannical government led by President Duterte. Their belief in the stories of the bible inspired people to help those in need and resist against the oppressors.

[1] Ma. Marilou S. Ibita, “Filming Biblical Interpretations from the Ground: Anti-Empire Matthean Interpretations in Huwag Kang Papatay (2017) and the Philippine ‘Drug War,’” Religions 15, no. 2 (2024): 1.

[2] Ibita, 1.

[3] Ibita, 2.

[4] Ibita, 2.

[5] Ibita, 2.

[6] Ibita, 2.

[7] Ibita, 2.

[8] Ibita, 3.

[9] Ibita, 11.

[10] Ibita, 12.

[11] Ibita, 12.

[12] Christopher Ryan Maboloc, “An Analysis of the Philippine Catholic Church’s Approach to President Duterte’s Drug War,” International Bulletin of Mission Research 46, no. 3 (2022): 353.

[13] Maboloc, 354.

[14] Maboloc, 357.

[15] Stephanie Ann Puen and Marnie Racaza, “Church as Field Hospital Amidst the War on Drugs: Incarceration in the Philippines and Alternative Pathways of Care,” Concilium 2025, no. 3 (2025): 78.

[16] Puen, Racaza 78.

October 23, 2026