Pubdate: Tue, 19 Jul 2016
Source: Sunstar Pampanga (Philippines)
Copyright: 2016 Sunstar
Contact:  http://www.sunstar.com.ph/pampanga/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2252
Note:  also listed as a contact
Author: Ver F. Pacete

SUMMARY EXECUTION OR REHABILITATION

SUMMARY execution is outside of the law. High value drug pushers (if 
identified) could be subjected to silent killing by the joint forces 
of "The Punisher", "Mr. Death Wish," and "Dirty Harry." This could be 
beyond the movies if the vigilante groups will do their thing.

We would like to believe that our policemen do their duty "to serve 
and to protect" by day, and we do not believe that they take off 
their uniforms at night to do a "Batman" raid with many "Robins." We 
want to evade that in our imagination, but that could happen. Our 
policemen are not expected to do vigilante actions because they are 
the agents of the persons in authority and they can always operate 
within the bounds of the law.

We do not encourage summary execution for suspected drug pushers. We 
still believe in due process and we still respect the human rights of 
criminals. How come that summary execution is happening? There are 
"groups" that believe due process is a very slow process. The 
culprits have already attacked three times but the tentacles of the 
law have not even reached first base.

The "groups" do it their way. They have investigated secretly and 
identified the drug pushers who could also be drug users. Eliminating 
the "first-level pushers" could not be easy. They are prominent and 
have connections in high places. That could be the reason that on TV 
and newspapers, we only see the "low-level pushers" being salvaged 
and found in dumping grounds. Usually, they have tattoos in their 
bodies and their corpses bear a placard, "Don't be like me. I am a 
drug pusher. I deserve to die."

Even their neighbors confirm that really they are drug pushers and 
nobody cares if their bodies are squeezed in boxes and packed like 
sardines. Their "punong barangay" is even happy to see them 
brutalized to teach a lesson to other drug pushers. Their cases are 
always unsolved and the agents of the law tasked "to serve and to 
protect" don't even bother to ask government doctors to autopsy them. 
Their burial is made simple for the night crawlers to feast.

The policemen (armed with warrant of arrest) raiding the nests of the 
drug pushers always end up shooting their gun-toting targets like the 
ways of Dirty Harry or of the Western "gun-for-hire-cowboys" to 
excite the media people who have the blow-by-blow coverage. That is 
exciting like the plot in independent films. Sometimes the dying drug 
pusher is made to issue his dramatic statement, "I sell drugs to buy 
medicines for my mother having tuberculosis."

Summary execution is easy, no hassle, and only the human rights 
advocates question the murderous act. It is followed by a long round 
of silence. On the other hand, the drug users and the small shrimp 
drug pushers are made to surrender before their city or town mayor. 
Thousands have responded and it is good media publicity. They take 
their oath like rebel returnees not to repeat their mistakes. This is good!

After they have been interviewed and profiled, their names are now in 
the computer. They are sent home like school children and the "third 
degree drug addicts" are promised to be rehabilitated. Good again. Do 
we have rehabilitation centers for 500 drug addicts in one town and 
also for 1,000 drug addicts in one big city? Government facilities 
are not enough.

To rehabilitate "third degree drug addicts," we need a house handled 
by social workers with doctors, nurses, psychologists, and attendants 
who will see to it that "submarines" and "rocket ships" could be 
gradually eliminated from their brain. Many of them believe that they 
are "Spiderman" and they are capable of joining the "Justice League" 
to save the world from aliens that visit the earth every 
"Independence Day." Funny!

If you send them home, they will crave for "shabu" again and there 
are still drug pushers around who will accommodate buyers in the 
midnight sale of their "product." The "customers" could be easily 
identified because their names are already in the computer with their 
address and telephone numbers. The "ninjas" can always facilitate the 
list for the drug pushers at-large. "Shabu" stock market will be back 
to business again.

Eliminating drug menace is easier said than done. We are already 
flooded with drug addicts and pushers who are surrendering, but our 
rehabilitation centers and staff are not ready yet. Illegal drug 
industry is like fishing industry. The fishermen can always catch the 
small fish. The big fish is at the bottom of the ocean enjoying the 
amenities of life in the comfort zone.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom