As the Filipino people look forward and hope for a better 2024 in their struggles for decent lives, they cannot help but look back at the past two years of the administration of Bongbong Marcos and Sara Duterte. But more so they’re focused on the past earlier previous six years when Sara’s father, Rodrigo Roa Duterte, served as head-of-state. As if social media was not enough to record and publicly announce almost daily the sins of the Marcoses and the Dutertes in holding political power over the Filipino people, reputable journalists have courageously written books detailing the “crimes against humanity” of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.
Keen observers of the country’s national political and socio-economic issues have taken serious note of Patricia Evangelista’s book “SOME PEOPLE NEED KILLING” and that of Phillip M. Lustre, Jr’s “KILL, KILL, KILL.” The front covers carry chilling come-on read-on remarks: “A Memoir of Murder in My Country,” and “Extrajudicial Killings in the Philippines Crimes Against Humanity v. Rodrigo Duterte Et. Al.”
Excerpts give the reader the brutalities committed by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte against suspected drug users, sellers or pushers: “Every day, for a period of a little more than seven months, the Philippine Daily Inquirer maintained what it called the Kill List…The first ‘unidentified suspected drug pusher,’ for example, was killed on July 1, the first day Rodrigo Duterte’s administration, the same morning that Jimmy Reformado, fifth most wanted drug pusher in the city of Tiaong, was shot by ‘unknown hitmen’…There was the man shot in the head in his bedroom and the man killed at seven in the morning ‘in front of his daughter’s elementary school.”
More: “The war on drugs was a big mess…There was a certain uniformity in the use of state violence on every EJK victim and the unabashed use of the ‘nanlaban’ (he fought back) narrative to justify the excessive use of violence for their deaths….” “On the night of August 14, 2016, Sunday, Erwin ‘Cherwon’ Polo celebrated his birthday and his subsequent employment by hosting a drinking session with friends in the poverty-stricken Quezon City district of Payatas, which is known for being the dumping ground of truckloads of garbage collected in Metro Manila. It was nearing midnight when operatives of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) barged into their house and shot dead Polo and his three friends.” William Bordeos, who opened the door to the house upon the arrival of the cops was immediately gunned down. While asleep, Erwin Polo and Rambo were shot dead. This was dubbed by author Phillip M. Lustre, Jr. as “THE PAYATAS MASSACRE.”
Needless to say, there were other persons who have testified about Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s killing spree. SPO3 Arturo Lascanas, one of Duterte’s closest assassins, issued a 188-page affidavit detailing damaging acts against Duterte and his Davao Death Squad (DDS). In this connection, the July 18, 2023 decision of the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has given due course to start a formal investigation on the “crimes against humanity” of Rodrigo Roa Duterte.
Will the Filipino people, particularly the families of the EJK victims, finally find justice, with Rodrigo Roa Duterte and his ‘partners in crime’ penalized for their “crimes against humanity” this year? Will this 2024 be truly “A Happy New Year” for the Filipino people? Again, ABANGAN, with prayers!
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