Pubdate: Mon, 08 Aug 2016
Source: Bangkok Post (Thailand)
Copyright: The Post Publishing Public Co., Ltd. 2016
Contact:  http://www.bangkokpost.co.th/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/39
Author: Czar Dancel, Reuters

A DEATH IN MANILA

The Dark Side of Duterte's Deadly but Popular War.

When the image of Jennelyn Olaires weeping as she cradled the body of 
her slain husband went viral in the Philippines, President Rodrigo 
Duterte called it melodramatic.

There's not much Duterte hasn't said when it comes to his war on 
drugs, his only real election platform and his big promise to the 16 
million Filipinos who swept him to power in May by a massive margin.

And "The Punisher", as he is known, has been true to his word.

Hundreds of suspected drug dealers have been killed since Duterte 
took office just one month ago. Six were assassinated in a single 
night in Manila, among them Michael Siaron, Olaires' 29-year-old 
husband who was shot dead by unknown assailants on motorcycles.

"A friend called out that Michael was shot. I ran out to see him," 
Olaires, 26, said in a rundown part of the capital's Pasay area, with 
its ubiquitous slums, squatters and thieves.

"Thoughts were running in my mind. 'It can't be you. You don't 
deserve this. There are others who deserve this more than you'," she 
said, recalling the moment she discovered his body.

"If I only have wings, I will quickly fly to his side."

Photographers surrounded her behind a police cordon as she held his 
body. A piece of cardboard had been left next to his corpse with the 
word "pusher" written on it.

Dozens of similar killings have taken place almost daily in the 
Philippines, but with drugs and crime so deep-rooted, there is barely 
any public outrage.

Police figures released last week showed that 402 drug suspects had 
been killed since Duterte was sworn in at the end of June. That 
figure does not include those slain by suspected vigilantes.

The country's top broadcaster, ABSCBN, reported that 603 people had 
been killed since Duterte's May election, with 211 murdered by 
unidentified gunmen.

Duterte has not condemned vigilante killings. He has previously promoted them.

The tough-talking former mayor of Davao City mentioned the image of 
Olaires holding her husband in his state of the union address in late 
July and said the media had tried to portray it as being like 
Michelangelo's "Pieta", the sculpture of Mary holding the body of Jesus.

Olaires concedes that her husband was a drug user but says it is 
impossible he was a dealer because they were too poor and could 
barely pay for their next meal.

Siaron made money by driving a pedicab and doing odd jobs. He even 
voted for Duterte in the May 9 election.

"They must kill the ones who don't deserve to live anymore, the ones 
who are a menace to society. Because they cause harm to others. But 
not the innocent people," she said.

"I don't need the public's sympathy. I don't need the president to 
notice us. I know that he doesn't like this kind of people. But for 
me, I just hope that they get the true offenders."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom