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| Lifeless body of Kian Delos Santos being carried by police. |
Pictures of
people who have been raped or killed by alleged drug addicts with captions
asking why there was no rally held for them by the same people who held rallies
for Kian Lloyd Delos Santos, the 17-year old killed by policemen under
questionable and suspicious circumstances, are being circulated on social
media. The question of why anti-Duterte lawmakers, like Trillanes and
Hontiveros, have not visited these victims’ wake is also being asked.
The problem
with this argument is that while the case of these crime victims is the same as
that of Kian – all of them were brutally killed – the similarity ends there.
The former were killed or victimized by criminals who may have been
drug-crazed, but Kian was killed by the police. Let us pause and absorb this
well: killed by the police (with
emphasis). The police are supposed to be the guardians and protectors of the
people; they are supposed to enforce the rule of law; preserve peace and order;
stop and prevent crimes; apprehend and neutralize criminals. The police are
supposed to keep and make us feel safe in their presence, not sow terror on the
citizenry by killing innocent civilians or disregarding the rule of law.
Obviously,
we do not expect the same protection or safety from criminals, whether high on
drugs or not. We know their object is to inflict harm and are up to no good. So,
when these deranged beings go killing spree or commit heinous crimes, we as a
society are shocked by the depravity of their crimes but we accept as a sad
fact of life that there are such evil men ever lurking in society. And we look
upon the authorities – the police – to protect us from these kinds of people.
But what do
we do when the police themselves become the very evil against which we seek protection?
When the police become the very evil that threaten our lives and limbs, we find
ourselves in graver danger because unlike criminals the police freely roam our
streets under the badge of authority. They can go about their nefarious ways,
armed by the state, unhampered by anyone. Who will we call for help or
protection when the very people who are supposed to provide it are the very
cause of our distress?
But now that
this matter has been brought to light, let us call for justice for every victim
of crime, especially victims of heinous crimes. Let us demand from the
government and the police to protect us against criminals; let us demand from
government that those responsible be prosecuted.
If we cannot
see these very clear distinctions, we are truly lost and are driven only by our
political persuasions. Victims of common crimes deserve our utmost sympathy and
the criminals our most vehement condemnation.
But when the police, whom we have armed and whose salaries we foot
through the taxes we pay so that they can make our streets safe and protect us
against bad elements of society, become the very threats to our safety and
well-being, the line must be drawn and we must become vigilant and resist such
evil if we are to survive. And when
there is no one to whom we can turn to for help, we have only ourselves to
protect us.
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