Unsaid Feelings

Unsaid Feeling #35

The heroes are our enemies

(An Editorial on Extrajudicial killings in the Philippines)

Extrajudicial killing is the execution of a person by government authorities without the sanction of the legal process. It was normalized in the Philippines by President Rodrigo Duterte in his war on drugs; making the country have one of the worst track records in the killing of human rights defenders (HRD) worldwide. The 31 killings in the Philippines make up almost 60% of the 52 reported in Asia and the Pacific but it doesn't stop there.

A worsening crisis, a crisis that is not being slowed down, a crisis being faced by countless of people; extrajudicial killings has become the feared norm of the Filipinos. The moment their eyes open, they are already frightened of what information will be broadcasted to them.

The number of the unjust killings have risen abnormally in our country, making it one of the most aghast predicaments in this age. One of the most known cases, Kian de los Santos, at the age of 17 was unpardonable for they have not shown any mercy and even forcefully evinced fake news to the civilians. The truth was only received by his family in courtesy of the released CCTV footage which contradicted all the police reports.

It's vexatiously direful to realize that in this world, the people who we depend our safety on are the people we should avoid. The law enforcers who abuse the power they hold against the civilians who gave it to them in the first place.

They excuse themselves by saying it is to ensure that the country is drug-free, yet by killing thousands of people, they are a bigger threat to our nation. They are utterly criminals that we should imprison. Killing is never the answer. Although we should not blame it purely on the officials for their mistake is not their advocacy on "war on drugs" but their approach and the way they have been enforcing it. The pure intention was evident and I believe they were aptly but to serve no justice to the Filipinos is worse than letting these criminals on the loose.

Amidst all these, there is still hope for the Philippines. The hope that times are going to get better if only we fight this crisis with unity -if we fight for what is right and what is just. There is still light at the end of this conjuncture as long as we don't forget what struggles our countrymen have been through, and they don't deserve it.