Pubdate: Wed, 22 Jun 2016 Source: Philippine Star (Philippines) Copyright: PhilSTAR Daily Inc. 2016 Contact: http://www.philstar.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/622 Author: Ana Marie Pamintuan THE MEANS TO AN END The most amazing aspect in the ongoing state-supported mass killings of crime suspects is the absence of any public outcry in this democratic, predominantly Catholic nation. Yesterday seven more drug suspects were gunned down by police in four separate incidents all over the country. The other day seven alleged members of a robbery and kidnapping ring were killed in what police described as a running gun battle across three towns in Pampanga. That's 58 people killed by government security forces within just six weeks since it became known that Rodrigo Duterte had won the presidential race by a landslide. Today we can expect more kills. With the inaugural of Duterte just around the corner, we'll probably see an average of five kills a day until June 30, with the body count rising once he's formally ensconced in power. Fifty-eight is the number of people killed in Maguindanao in November 2009 by a city government posse led by then Datu Unsay mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr., and we called it a massacre. Fifty-eight is more than the 44 police commandos that Islamic rebels slaughtered in Mamasapano, Maguindanao in January last year. As I've previously written, several sources have told me that Duterte "the punisher" was not kidding when he promised a bloodbath in his war on drugs and criminality. By most indications, 58 is just the beginning; we ain't seen nothing yet. * * * So far no one is crying mass murder. Some snipe that the killings indicate that cops know all along who the bad guys are, but do nothing about it. This in turn has led to speculation that cops know who the bad guys are because they themselves set up the crime rings or protect the gangs for personal profit. There's speculation that cops are the handlers of several organized crime rings engaged in lucrative criminal activities such as ransom kidnapping, carjacking, jueteng and, yes, drug trafficking. In Mindanao, a former national police chief was believed to have created the Abu Sayyaf and then lost control of the monster. Even incoming Philippine National Police chief Ronald de la Rosa, Dirty Rody's kindred spirit when it comes to law enforcement methods, has acknowledged the possibility that the ongoing killing spree may include cops permanently eliminating witnesses who might link them to drug deals. This still indicates that the suspects killed so far were truly involved in criminal activities. And as long as this is the case, the public generally seems to prefer looking the other way. Some people may even applaud openly, if not for occasional reminders from the Commission on Human Rights, the United Nations and the Catholic Church, with the latter seeming to have no appetite for tackling Dirty Rody head-on. Even Noynoy Aquino, who still enjoys the full powers of the presidency until noon of June 30, has been deafeningly silent on the killings. This may be attributed to his promise to spare his successor from criticism - something that P-Noy said he did not enjoy at the start of his presidency. Yesterday Duterte, rambling on before a gathering of businessmen in Davao City, reiterated that peace and order is crucial for development. No one will argue with this. The only question is whether the end justifies the means. * * * There's also the question of who gets the harsh treatment. Apart from the organized crime rings believed to enjoy police protection, whose members can afford to tool around in expensive SUVs and tote sophisticated machine pistols, the growing list of fatalities shows an inordinate number of pennyante, impoverished suspects. Asked how one could tell if a petty thief used drugs, De la Rosa has said such persons are typically "toothless, gaunt, have gum and jaw problems," who chew even when their mouths are empty and drink a lot because shabu leaves one feeling constantly thirsty. Such folks are likely toothless and gaunt because they can't afford false teeth and sufficient nourishment. But again, it looks like people agree with the incoming PNP chief, and believe that certain threats to public safety deserve to be exterminated like vermin. Life is cheap among the impoverished. People also seem to like, at least in these early days, De la Rosa's gung-ho attitude toward his job. During the campaign, Duterte was slammed by his rivals and other detractors for his human rights record - not realizing (or in denial of the fact) that this record was his principal selling point. With his overwhelming mandate, people are generally willing to give Duterte a chance to deliver on his campaign promise: significant gains in the fight against criminality in his first three to six months. The attitude is reinforced by the weakness of the criminal justice system. The mass killings of crime suspects are the closest the nation can get to swift justice. Of course the tougher challenge is to make the system work through structural reforms, without the need to kill. But Filipinos have waited decades for such reforms, for justice and the rule of law to prevail, only to be consistently disappointed. For now, the short cuts sanctioned by a new administration will suffice. The prevailing attitude, when seeing the bodies of slain crime suspects, is simply to give them a proper burial, so that they don't become infested with maggots and flies that might reach our homes. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom