Jan. 14, 2021
Catholic News Agency
A Catholic priest in the Philippines is set to stand trial on sedition charges, stemming from his public objections to President Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-drug policies.
Father Flaviano “Flavie” Villanueva, a priest of the Society of the Divine Word, is “set to stand trial” on charges of "conspiracy to commit sedition,” which the government laid on him last year, the BBC reported this week. He denies the charges against him.
During February 2020, the Filipino government dropped all charges against four bishops and two priests who were accused of attempting to overthrow the president, as prosecutors admitted that there is no evidence linking the six clerics to a plot to attempt to overthrow Duterte.