Uncertain and shady

It is encouraging to hear again Rody’s emphatic declaration that the Philippine National Police (PNP) has not institutionalized extrajudicial killings. He categorically said once more that “of course we do not like it. If you are into it I’ll see to it that you will go to jail. Baka ako pa babaril sa iyo.” This is his vehement reaction to the on-going outrage over the killings of 17-year-old Kian Loyd Delos Santos and the 19-year-old Carl Angelo Arnaiz.

He further explained during a media briefing after the awarding ceremonies for the Outstanding Filipinos for 2017 sponsored by Metrobank Foundation Inc. that these two killings even if it is illegal “do not a policy make.” Obviously he was trying to explain why his PNP Chief Bato Dela Rosa unabashedly wept after being insulted by Senator Hontiveros’ outrage over the killing of the two teenage boys. This reaction of the PNP Chief however may even be interpreted as a sign of a “guilty conscience.”

So it is about time for Rody to back up his declaration with concrete actions. If the two killings of the teenage boys “do not a policy make”, he must now order a thorough probe of the killings of more than three thousand suspected violators of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act to find out whether these extrajudicial killings are indeed legally done.

These killings have been committed by members of the PNP supposedly because the drug suspects resisted arrest or “nanlaban”. Hence the probe must establish that they were killed because they committed unlawful aggression against the law enforcers in such a way as to leave the latter with no other choice but to kill the suspects in order to save their own lives. This is the only way to convince people that it is not the policy of this administration to kill people suspected of violating the Dangerous Drugs Law. The thorough and impartial investigation should not be limited to the killings of the two teenagers Kian and Carl.

It may not also be amiss to remind Kuya Rody again that in his war against drugs, his real enemies and the enemies of the people are not the poor who become addicted to drugs because of their impoverished situation in life. The real enemies here are the importers, manufacturers, suppliers and distributors of prohibited drugs or the drug lords, as well as the “narco politicians” who protect them. Tatay Rody has repeatedly boasted that he has a list of these persons and entities. So he should order his law enforcers to focus their attention and arrest these people rather than the users who are actually mere victims. This is the kind of policy which will really convince our countrymen that Rody’s war against dangerous drugs will end successfully.

Furthermore, Rody should also realize and accept the fact that graft and corruption is one of the biggest reasons for this un-seemingly unsolvable problem on illegal drugs besetting our country now. This is particularly and specially confirmed by the surreptitious entry of P6.4 billion worth of shabu through the Bureau of Customs that led to the resignation of its Commissioner, Nicanor Faeldon. The worst part here is that Rody’s own son, Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte of Davao City and son-in-law Atty. Manases Carpio, the husband of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, have been pinpointed as the ones behind the Davao Group that facilitated the entry of the anomalous shabu shipment. Rody himself should ask the Senate to conduct an in-depth investigation of this case. He should not just publicly commit that he will resign as President if there is an affidavit that his son is involved here. Such stance will not convince the people that his son has nothing to do with this illegal importation of the P6.4 billion worth of shabu. Neither would the bare denials of his son and son-in-law suffice. Bare denials are weak and unconvincing. They must back up their denials with solid and concrete proof that the accusation against them is false.

On the other hand, the Senate should stop playing partisan politics in its inquiry. Senators should concentrate in finding out the truth instead of engaging in personal attacks against each other that led to the filing of charges and countercharges by Gordon and Trillanes. They are just wasting the peoples’ money if they will continue with the current investigation that appears to be heading to a whitewash of the anomalous shipment. In fact Gordon himself who is the chairman of the Blue Ribbon Committee looking into the irregularities seems bulldozing his way in order to bury the stinking deal in the Customs Bureau.

If Rody is really sincere in fighting and putting out even a “whiff” of corruption in the government, he should also cease negotiating with the Marcoses regarding the return of the numerous gold bars they have amassed when the late Ferdinand Marcos was in power. The Marcoses are offering to return this ill-gotten wealth in exchange for immunity from suit. Obviously this deal also stinks. The offer to return the gold bars is a clear and blatant admission of guilt. Such admission means that they have violated our laws on graft and corruption that calls for the filing of the corresponding charges and confiscation of the gold bars. It is wrong for this administration to accept these ill gotten gold bars in exchange for immunity from suit. It is correcting a wrong with another wrong. If Rody will accept the offer he will also be part of a shady deal. His purpose may be good but such purpose cannot justify the use of illegal methods.

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