Pubdate: Mon, 25 Jul 2016
Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer (Philippines)
Copyright: 2016 Philippine Daily Inquirer
Contact:  http://www.inquirer.net/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1073

DRUG EXECUTIONS: PUBLIC SPLIT

Car Sales Exec: I'm Appalled at Silence on Vigilante Slays

ACCOUNTABILITY and due process amid the wave of killings of suspected 
drug pushers and users, most of them poor, are among the hot-button 
issues that President Duterte should speak about in his first State 
of the Nation Address (Sona), according to people interviewed by the INQUIRER.

Other issues include the President's stand on the Paris pact on 
climate change, conditional cash transfer and poverty alleviation, 
the South China Sea dispute, the monster traffic jams in Metro 
Manila, K-12 program and corruption.

"While we condemn the killings that are happening around the world, I 
am appalled at the silence when it comes to vigilante killings. What 
are his plans regarding this and how will he guarantee that this will 
not further scare the people?" said Graziella B. Almasco, a car sales 
executive in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.

Almasco said she wanted "to know why out of the 500 who were killed, 
a majority were poor?"

Dean Bocobo compared the extrajudicial killings of drug suspects to 
the Mamasapano incident in which 44 members of the PNP Special Action 
Force died in Maguindanao province in 2015 when they ran into Moro 
rebels after they shot and killed an international terrorist.

"#EJK is already DU30's ten-fold Mamasapano. Will he take Command 
Responsibility for the BLOODBATH or like PNoy, shirk it?" Bocobo tweeted.

Saul de Jesus has had enough of the killings. "#PresidentDuterte 
Please put a stop to extrajudicial killings."

Kim Quilinguing, a media production specialist at the University of 
the Philippines System Information Office, said the Sona should touch 
on human rights violations.

"He should express his views on his administration's commitment to 
the observance of due process and respect for civil liberties," he said.

Rommel Copuyoc, a mechanical engineer, wanted to know how the 
President could restore the people's trust in the police. "Before 
they engage in killings, the police should be credible first ... What 
will happen to the policemen who were proven to have killed innocent people?"

Mr. Duterte "has command responsibility for the alarming number of 
deaths of [alleged] pushers not even proven yet to be culpable," said 
Gino Leocadio Paje, a special investigator at the Department of 
Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

But other Filipinos appeared not to be bothered at all by the killings.

"For sure President Duterte will talk about his campaign against 
illegal drugs. That's one of the good things that he has started and 
I hope it will continue. It's all over the news and I believe he will 
give us an update on this issue," said Josephine Gongora, a fish 
vendor in Olongapo City.

Noemi Frondarina, a spa owner in Guiguinto, Bulacan province, 
expected the President to continue the crackdown on illegal drugs and 
push for the restoration of the death penalty. "I support these 
initiatives," she said. "I want to hear President Duterte name mayors 
and other politicians who are involved in illegal drugs," said Elizar 
Lauro, a college student and part-time mall clerk in Tagum City.

Netizen  favored a national ID system. "#SONADu30 
national ID system and SIM card registration. No more prank calls. 
Criminals can easily be traced."

Lottie Salarda, a stringer of TV5 in Tacloban City, expressed concern 
about media killings.

"I hope that during his Sona, President Duterte will talk about 
killings involving media practitioners in the country and solve them, 
and at the same time, give an assurance that our constitutional 
rights, like freedom of expression, will be protected," Salarda said.

Paje of the DENR was not in favor of Mr. Duterte's repudiating the 
Paris Agreement that sought to reduce greenhouse gas emissions aimed 
at curbing climate change. "I want him to ensure that his statements 
of abandoning our commitments to international agreements on carbon 
cuts will be thoroughly reconsidered," he said.

Jake Sibat, a volunteer with Sirib Ilocano Kabataan Association in 
Ilocos Norte province, wished the President would mention disaster 
risk reduction and management as one of his priority programs.

A househelp wondered whether the Duterte administration would scuttle 
the conditional cash transfer (CCT) program.

"I hope he (the President) does not because many people like myself 
rely on it," said Dahlia Parajas of Calasiao town in Pangasinan province.

Imelda Nilo, a store owner in Olongapo City, would like "to know if 
our lives will improve under his administration."

Jocelyn Tanon, a househelp in Lucena City, said there should be a 
government agency that could provide livelihood and financial, legal 
and moral support to single mothers like her.

Benedict G. Nisperos, a Chevening scholar in London, also asked about 
the administration's antipoverty program. "How will he address 
poverty now with the planned removal of bottom-up budgeting and 
reformatting of the CCT program?"

Wilfredo Bernardo, a farmer in Science City of Munoz in Nueva Ecija 
province hoped Mr. Duterte would discuss "his concern for us rice 
farmers who ... work hard to supply rice ... [ but] remain very poor. 
I hope, too, that as he talks about the prospect of a better economy 
in the country, the gains will also trickle down to us and to our 
respective families."

Coconut farmers expect to hear a clear statement about the coco levy 
fund from the President in his Sona.

"I want to know what President Duterte's course of action is on 
workers, who are still receiving salaries below the minimum wage," 
said Jemuel Sisa, a waiter in Cagayan de Oro City.

Copuyoc, the mechanical engineer, asked: "What's his strategy for 
creating jobs?"

Robert Badrina, a weather specialist at the weather bureau, said he 
was looking forward to the passage of a bill that would increase the 
pay of state employees.

Christie S. Sales  called for the lowering of 
income taxes for low income earners.

K-12

Jennifer Quinto, 20, a student in the City of Malolos, said she was 
"interested to find out what [Mr. Duterte] would say about the K12 
education reform program, and explain what social media is saying 
about replacing algebra and calculus with business math."

"I hope President Duterte would tackle and bring more emphasis on the 
implementation of the ongoing K-12 [basic education] curriculum even 
though this was implemented under former President Benigno Aquino 
III's term," said Marteena Kyla Panopio, a Grade 11 student at Bicol 
University in Legazpi City.

Traffic jams

"I want to hear his plans to curb the uncontrolled growth of our 
urban areas that commonly translate to gridlock traffic, pollution, 
squatting problems, increased crimes, overpopulation and 
unemployment," said Joey Manalad, an architect in Pasig City.

Ray Casile, a doctor at St. Luke's Medical Center, said: "I like to 
hear something aside from killing addicts. What's his plan for the 
health service in the far-flung corners of the Philippines? Things 
that help make life longer, not shorter."

Copuyoc wanted to know whether the campaign against corrupt officials 
would continue after the Supreme Court ruled that there was weak 
evidence in the plunder charge against former President Gloria 
Macapagal-Arroyo, leading to her release from hospital arrest.

"Will there be follow-up cases against GMA? Or the issue will die 
down already," he asked.

Nisperos also wanted to know "the next strategy" in the South China 
Sea dispute after the UN-backed arbitral court ruling that rejected 
China's nine-dash line.

By the Inquirer staff
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom