spot_img
28.4 C
Philippines
Friday, March 29, 2024

Trigger-happy

- Advertisement -

We don’t know if funeral parlors are already thriving in Metro Manila or if more branches have sprouted. After all, it was President Rodrigo Duterte himself who suggested that enterprising businessmen put up a funeral business since he had already anticipated that a big number of people will be killed in the course of the government’s war against illegal drugs.

While he may have said this in jest, it still made us cringe to hear this coming from the chief executive—who even promised that if the funeral business slows down, he will ask the police to step up the campaign to boost earnings. One problem though is that since these drug “suspects” killed by the Philippine National Police supposedly during legitimate operations are mostly small fry, their families may not have the money to pay for the funeral expenses. The same goes for victims of summary executions by self-styled vigilante groups as these are pedicab or tricycle drivers, and bums—some of whom are said to be police assets. Out of the 400-plus drug suspects killed during police operations, a big majority are small fish.

A lot of people may not like Senator Leila de Lima but many agree—what’s happening is really disturbing, especially since some reports indicate that there are instances of “overkill,” to put it mildly. Remember this supposed shootout in Sta. Ana where a criminology student was killed? Photos of the crime scene show some of the victims lying facedown. Imagine, you are engaged in a shootout—with your back against the door?

This puts credence to suspicions that the young men—two of whom are suspected drug runners – were shot in cold blood. And the criminology student? Turns out he was a scholar who had the misfortune to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, because he was sleeping over since a sister gave birth and there was no space for him in their house with the new baby and all.

Let’s be clear on one thing though—we support efforts to get rid of this drug scourge because it destroys families, destroys the future of young men and women who metamorphose into thieving fiends just to support their habit, destroys lives not only of users but others who become victims of drug-crazed criminals.

- Advertisement -

But what bothers us is that policemen seem to be afflicted with trigger-happy mentality as they go about their work. It may not be drug-related, but what happened to John dela Riarte is a case in point. The young man figured in a traffic altercation and ended up dead with four bullets pumped into him, on the neck, chest, waist. Granted that he went berserk and was resisting arrest – photos and videos show that the 27-year-old was already handcuffed, his hands behind his back while he was being led to a waiting police car. A video taken by a bystander showed him getting punched and then slapped by one of the police.

And then next thing you know, Dela Riarte is dead because he reportedly tried to grab the gun of one of the accompanying HPG police officers. Are the HPG men so inutile, clueless and unprepared that a handcuffed suspect can jump them and take their guns away? In case some of you didn’t know, it’s a mortal sin for a man in uniform to lose his gun.

The policemen involved in the incident insist that Dela Riarte was uncontrollable, making them suspect that he was under the influence of drugs but reports say he was “negative” for drugs. Relatives also allege that the victim’s money (as down payment for a new motorcycle he was planning to buy according to the brother Robert dela Riarte) and his ring are missing. That probably explains why the victim was struggling with the MMDA and HPG men, some people believe.  

Another video uploaded on YouTube—presumably taken by owners of the vehicle that figured in the traffic altercation with Dela Riarte, had a woman snickering, “Ayan sinuntok na siya ng pulis,” fulminating at Dela Riarte whom she described as “mayabang.” At some point, the victim stuck out his tongue at the person/s taking the video and moments latter, one of the men could be seen opening the red belt bag of the victim. In one other video of the incident, one could hear someone saying, “may pera pa, o” (look, there’s money).  

The victim’s family has turned to the National Bureau of Investigation for help. Hopefully, there will not be any whitewash.  We are all for punishing the guilty and making them pay for their offenses – but not this way. Not like this.

•••

For comments, reactions, photos, stories and related concerns, readers may email to happyhourtoday2012@yahoo.com. You may also visit and like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/happyhourmanilastandard. We’d be very happy to hear from you. Cheers!

- Advertisement -

LATEST NEWS

Popular Articles