Filipino Filipino priest Antonio L. Villanueva, known for his work in defense of human rights and victims of the war on drugs, has been awarded the Ramon Magsaysay 2025 award, considered the “Nobel Prize in Asia”.
“I accept this honor on behalf of the innumerable without a roof and the brave widows and orphans victimized by the war against drug According to Asia News.
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The award, created in 1958 and compared to the Nobel, recognizes leaders and organizations in Asia for their “greatness of spirit” and transformative leadership. Together with the Filipino priest, the India Educate Girls NGO and the environmentalist Maldive Shaahina Ali were also awarded.
Critic of the War on Drugs
Fr. Villanueva, a member of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD), has been one of the most strong critics of the policies of former president Rodrigo Duterte, whose war on drugs left up to 30 thousand dead, according to human rights groups.
During those years, the priest dedicated himself to locating bodies, accompanying the families of the victims and guaranteeing decent burials. “The recognition of Fr. Flavie underlines the need to pursue justice and accountability for the crimes against humanity of former president Rodrigo Duterte,” DECLARO A UCA NEWS the general secretary of the Karapatan Human Rights Group, Cristina Palabay.
The lawyer and activist Aaron Pedrosa pointed out, on the other hand, that “the fact that a tenacious critic of the Duterte drugs has been recognized not only validates the basic work, but also the defense of human rights at a time when defenders are vilified.”
A deep conversion
The priest, popularly known as “Father Flavie,” experienced social exclusion in his own flesh. He acknowledged having been a drug user from 14 years to 1995. After a deep conversion, he became a lay missionary, entered the seminar in 1998 and was ordered priest in 2006.
In 2015 he founded the Arnold Janssen Kalinga Center in Manila, to offer “decent care and service” to homeless people. There provides food, clothing, accommodation, showers and spiritual accompaniment.
Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, president of the Episcopal Conference of the Philippines, stressed that Fr. Villanueva is a “brave prophet of our time”. “His testimony embodies the spirit of the social doctrine of the Church and the so -called evangelical to defend the sacredness of life,” said the purple In a statement on August 31.
The prize will be officially delivered on November 7 at the Manila Metropolitan Theater.
Diego López Marina
I was born in 1991. I have a degree in Communication Sciences. Since 2015 I work as a digital journalist. I started my career in the newspaper El Comercio in Peru. In 2016, I began as editor in ACI Press and I perform as a web editor since 2018. From 2024, I write the Newsletter for Social Media. I specialize in Catholic news focused on the defense of life and family, international politics, technology, popular culture and the Vatican.