One Direction Concert In Philippines To Be Cancelled? CBCP Priest Asks 1D Concert Ban To Prevent ‘Culture Of Youth Being Stoned’

The viral video of band members Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik smoking weed allegedly prompted one official of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) to express his objection to the upcoming One Direction concert in the Philippines.

The One Direction concert in the Philippines, which is set to take place in March 2015, will lead children in the "wrong direction" as per Fr. Conegundo Garganta, the religious group's Episcopal Commission on Youth executive secretary.

 "I think that even the local organizers do not want to have a culture of youth being stoned. That could become a problem for them," Garganta said.

On the other hand, CBCP's president, Archbishop Socrates Villegas, said that the statement was solely Garganta's opinion and not of the whole institution: "This was an individual's position but CBCP is being implicated in it again. I think this is unnecessary exposure of CBCP to adverse reaction."

In a statement sent to Inquirer, he added that smoking marijuana shouldn't make the group detestable: "In the first place, that some members (of One Direction) smoked marijuana or contraband does not make the group itself condemnable."

In the same statement, he clarifies that the institution has nothing but love for the youth: "There has to be a better way of leading them to right path, CBCP loves and reaches out to the youth."

"One Direction has so many followers. We condemn a group they (followers) idolize, you condemn them," added the CBCP head.

Anti-drug groups have likewise suggested that the members should be monitored backstage to make sure that they won't use drugs during the One Direction concert in the Philippines.