Manila, Philippines, Feb 28, 2017 / 17:08 pm
Caught in the throes of a brutal war on drugs, the people of the Philippines are increasingly looking to the Catholic Church to provide refuge and resistance.
Since last summer, more than 7,000 people, usually suspected drug addicts or dealers, have been killed by law enforcement officers in President Rodrigo Duterte's brutal war on drugs. The attacks are often carried out in hit-and-run nighttime shootings by gunmen on motorcycles.
As the death toll mounts, more Catholic leaders and laypeople are taking action.
This week, The Guardian reported that many Catholic priests have been offering their churches as sanctuaries for people on government "kill lists," or to those who believe they will be targeted. The Catholic Church connects these people to an underground network of people who provide refuge and assistance, such as finding employment.