Pubdate: Wed, 17 Aug 2016
Source: Philippine Star (Philippines)
Column: Sketches
Copyright: PhilSTAR Daily Inc. 2016
Contact:  http://www.philstar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/622
Author: Ana Marie Pamintuan

THE EXPENDABLES

This administration will be remembered for institutionalizing mass 
killings as the ultimate crime-fighting tool. Public acquiescence to 
the mass killings is among the most astonishing elements in this 
vicious war on drugs.

President Duterte, the architect of the crime-fighting strategy, may 
be glad to know that these days, when people are exasperated with 
criminality and even corruption and other forms of abuse in 
government, they ask why the crooks are still alive. "There oughta be 
a law" has been replaced with "they oughta be shot" - fatally, if possible.

For his savage war to continue enjoying widespread public support, 
however, Dirty Rody may want to show that he is an equal opportunity tormentor.

The way his shock troops are treating drug suspects from different 
income levels is reinforcing perceptions that class cleansing is an 
intrinsic element in this war, with state forces giving free rein to 
their homicidal tendencies only when the suspects are impoverished.

The message is not lost on the targeted income class. With the drug 
war now moving out of the slums and up the value chain, I'm 
increasingly hearing a comment particularly from poor people: when 
drug suspects have money, they get due process and enjoy the 
presumption of innocence.

"Hindi pala pantay-pantay. Pobre lang pala ang pinapatay." So only 
the poor are killed, and it's not an equitable campaign - this is 
becoming a common observation in the gritty neighborhoods of Metro 
Manila, which account for a majority of the hundreds of drug suspects executed.

At this point, the comment is usually still given with detachment, 
not in protest or as a complaint. Dirty Rody continues to have a lot 
of admirers among the very poor.

If moneyed suspects continue to be treated with kid gloves, however, 
I can see the comment soon being laced with anger or dismayed 
criticism. Because of the pervasiveness of news reports on multiple 
media platforms, everyone is now well versed on current events. And 
the poor know when they are getting the short end of a brutal drug war.

* * *

A joke going around these days is that with the war moving to moneyed 
traffickers, there is now a shortage of cardboard so drug suspects 
are no longer being executed and left in the streets with cardboard 
signs labeling them as pushers.

Even in the case of Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. and his 
fugitive son Kerwin, the ones who were neutralized were six of their 
bodyguards. Father and son are very much alive, just like the 
identified drug dealer in the "order of battle" of the Philippine 
Drug Enforcement Agency as well as the politicians who have turned 
themselves in or outed themselves as drug abusers. We can bet that we 
won't see any of them getting swift cardboard justice within the 
first six months of the Duterte presidency.

Philippine National Police officials say drug suspects appear to be 
killing each other. This is one of the PNP's explanations for the 
rising cases of vigilante killings.

PNP officials also say that not even a Senate probe can stop the drug 
war, whose ultimate objective is to fulfill President Rody's campaign 
promise to significantly curb criminality within three to six months.

The crime rate is down, the PNP has reported. Except, of course, for 
the homicide rate, which has shot up a thousand-fold. But then 
killing no longer seems to be a crime in the current 
administration  as long as those killed are the hampaslupa whose 
bereaved relatives don't even have access to a public attorney.

They are our expendables. One day we will look back to this killing 
season and wonder how our nation acquiesced to this madness.

* * *

If you're going to resort to mass killings to achieve something, the 
end must overwhelmingly justify the means.

The end includes the lasting impact on society. As I have written, 
the shock and awe factor in this drug war must be complemented by 
structural reforms in our criminal justice system if we want to 
sustain any improvement in the peace and order situation.

The government can't kill all drug dealers and abusers plus other 
criminal elements. Not that ordinary folks, given the current mood, 
will mind seeing more bloodshed. But at a certain point the body 
count could finally become nauseating, especially if criminality persists.

President Rody has said there are around 600,000 people suspected of 
involvement in the drug trade alone. I'm sure that if a survey were 
taken, it would show an overwhelming number of Pinoys who believe him.

But his forces can't possibly kill all 600,000 suspects, plus several 
thousand more involved in other crimes. The Nazis killed much more 
people during the Holocaust, but Filipinos are no Nazis - or are we 
getting there?

I don't know if we'll ever see a moneyed drug dealer dead from 
multiple gunshots in a dark alley, hogtied and with his head wrapped 
in packing tape, with only a cardboard sign announcing the reason for 
his execution. No civilized person would wish this fate on his worst enemy.

But people are waiting for VIP suspects to face indictment for drug 
trafficking, and to be detained without bail in non- VIP ordinary 
cells that are crowded, vermin-infested and with awful ventilation 
and sanitation.

There can't be two types of justice under Dirty Rody: one for the 
rich and influential, and another for the poor expendables.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom