As the body count rises in the Philippines' war on drugs, a Catholic priest is trying to create a space where healing takes precedence over killing.
On September 1, 20 drug users surrendered to police under the watchful eye of Fr Luciano Feloni, an Argentine priest who is pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Caloocan City, on the edge of Manila. Another 20 were expected to surrender under a program the parish has dubbed "Healing, not killing."
The mass surrender - which Fr Feloni orchestrated in coordination with the police and local political leaders - comes as drug users and pushers are being killed throughout the country in response to an all-out assault on drugs by newly elected President Rodrigo Duterte. Fr Feloni said the killings began in the days leading up to Duterte's inauguration on June 30. Since then, between three and five people in his parish have been killed every week. One victim was shot in front of the parish church immediately following Mass.
