Summary:

The news article that I have read is all about a father that was killed during a drug buy-bust

operation. It was on June 14, 2018 when a 25-year-old tricycle driver was shot inside the Manila

North Cemetery during a drug buy-bust operation. The policemen said that they shot the man as

retaliation when the latter allegedly fired at them first. They also claimed that the man was a

notorious drug peddler. However, the man’s wife painted another story. She insisted that the police

officers were lying because even though they were deep in debt, the man would never resort to

selling illegal drugs. The barangay officials also said that the man was clean. The man’s sister

likewise said that the police’s accusation against his brother was not true because he was a kind-

hearted and generous person, and on the day before he was killed, he even volunteered to help his

fellow tricycle driver. One of the residents said that he saw several policemen forcing the man

inside a narrow alleyway. Upon seeing them, the policemen then warned them to leave. After they

left, they heard gunshots. Subsequently, the policemen called a pedicab to rush the man to the

Chinese General Hospital.

Social Sinful Struggle:

There is a lot of killings shown on the news lately. The term “EJK” is being associated

with those killings. Surprisingly, people who are targeted by these killing are mostly poor people.

Because of the unjust killings, people are now protesting and questioning the government. Even

the church leaders are complaining about the killings, saying that the government should remember

that only God can give and take lives not man. If this problem still prevails, people might be even

afraid to step outside of their houses or else risk dying.

Definition:

EJK or Extrajudicial killing is the killing of a person by an agent of the state without

undergoing court proceedings (Contreras, 2016). Said definition came from the American law. In

the Philippines, we still don’t have a clear definition of EJK as no statute is yet passed by the

Congress to address such issue.

Law:

EJK violates the rights enshrined in the Philippine Constitution, the highest law of our land.

The Constitution provides that no person shall be deprived of life, liberty or property without due
process of law, nor shall any person be denied equal protections of the law. On the other hand, the

Supreme Court of the Philippines, in one of its decided case, defined procedural due process as

that which hears before it condemns, which proceeds upon inquiry and renders judgment only after

trial. It contemplates notice and opportunity to be heard before judgment is rendered affecting

one's person or property. (Aberca et al v. Maj. Ver, G.R. No. 166216, March 14, 2012)

Reflection:

There’s a famous saying that those who have less in life should have more in law.

Unfortunately, this is but an impossible dream in our country. The recent killing of this tricycle

driver is one of the many killings that plagued our country since President Duterte assumed power

and declare war on drugs. The current administration’s war on drugs, though noble in its intention,

is highly questionable. It is perplexing why in several news clipping, the alleged drug pushers or

peddlers were mostly wearing worn-out shirts, basketball shorts and rubber slippers, which are the

typical lower class’ clothes/outfit. Not only that, most drug buy-bust raids were conducted in slum

and urban poor areas. Rarely do you see on the front-page of a newspaper that buy-bust operations

conducted in a gated subdivision where the affluent class resides. And in the rarest occasion that

police officers would catch well-connected and well-to-do drug pusher/peddler, they would be

arrested, locked in an air-conditioned room and be given an opportunity to be heard before the

court. Kerwin Espinosa, a self-confessed drug pusher, was given due process and the criminal

charges against him was even curiously dropped by the Department of Justice. As such, many of

the administration’s critics are saying that the war on drugs only targets the poor. Though the

current administration’s anti-drug campaign is commendable, it failed to delve into the root of the

problem: poverty. The government should develop a more comprehensive approach in thwarting

the proliferation of illegal drugs. Government should prioritize creation of job opportunities so as

to ensure that every Filipinos able and ready to work will be able to do so instead of resorting to

illegal activities just so one could put food in his family’s table.