Pubdate: Sun, 21 Aug 2016
Source: Philippine Star (Philippines)
Column: Postscript
Copyright: PhilSTAR Daily Inc. 2016
Contact:  http://www.philstar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/622
Author: Federico D. Pascual Jr.

EASE THE MAD RUSH TO EXECUTE SO MANY

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte's campaign promise to stop crime and 
corruption in six months must be pressuring the police into killing 
X-number of suspects by his 50th day in office, his 100th, and so 
forth, in a bloody race to meet the quotas by deadline time.

The Commander's shoot-to-kill order (if the suspect fights back, 
kuno) has seen many police officers committing their first murder, 
executing suspects whose guilt has not been established and who in 
some instances were begging for their lives.

Some police units that have not killed or arrested enough number of 
drug suspects to contribute to the quota have been warned. Their low 
production could be construed as protecting narco personalities in 
their areas. Ordering state forces to accomplish the IMPOSSIBLE task 
of wiping out crime and criminals in six months dehumanizes armed 
personnel, degrades the presidency, embarrasses Filipinos before the 
world, and invites censure.

No wonder, United Nations human rights experts again called on the 
Duterte administration this week to stop the Extra Judicial Killing 
(EJK) spree being committed in the name of a cleansing anti-narcotics campaign.

Foreign observers must think Filipinos are a nation of barbarians, 
and so lecture their President, who ironically is a lawyer, that 
"allegations of drug trafficking offenses should be judged in a court 
of law, not by gunmen on the streets."

As expected, President Duterte lashed back at the UN experts, 
questioning their focusing on him while not condemning mass killings 
in other countries. If the EJKs keep up, even the United States, 
which has pledged $32 million to the anti-drugs drive, might just speak up too.

Since former Davao City Mayor Duterte became president 50 days ago, 
over 1,600 drug suspects have been killed, 665 by the police and the 
rest by "vigilantes." Some 600,000 more have surrendered or have been arrested.

The UN experts stressed the public health aspects of addiction. The 
administration's failure to cope with the hordes of detained drug 
users is dramatized by the jampacked jails and rehabilitation 
centers. Some detainees have slid back for lack of proper intervention.

While neglecting rehab requirements, the President has started to 
make good his promise to the police and the military to double their 
salaries. Maintaining their morale and loyalty has priority over 
rehabilitating drugs victims?

Quota and deadline pressure on EJK

WHAT we said July 28 bears repeating: "Right to life being inherent 
in the human person, those who believe in the sanctity of life are 
not likely to withdraw their call that suspected illegal drug users 
be given a chance to be heard before being silenced on the spot by a bullet.

"There are various circumstances that a police officer must sort out 
in his mind a split-second before pulling the trigger on a suspected 
drug-user/pusher who is still presumed innocent under the law.

"Unfortunately for the officer and his quarry, that decision to kill 
had been made for him in advance by his superiors acting as God 
handing down a summary last judgment."

We have a suggestion, if a number of us are not comfortable facing 
the moral dilemma of EJK but are granting the President's bona fides.

Let us tell President Duterte that his self-imposed six-month 
deadline - impossible to meet - can be extended if only to relieve 
the pressure to rush into a killing orgy, and that we are convinced 
of his good intentions so he does not have to pile up cadavers to 
prove himself.

The extension will also give the police, social welfare agencies and 
other cooperating entities more time to put up rehabilitation 
facilities for the throngs of drug users who want to turn a new leaf.

Surely, President Duterte remembers what he said in his State of the 
Nation Address last July 25: "We will increase the number of 
residential treatment and rehabilitation facilities in all regions. 
The armed forces will facilitate the preparation for the use of 
military camps and facilities for drug rehabilitation."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom