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. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom