TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES – TAGUIG CAMPUS

Km. 14 East Service Rd. Western Bicutan, Taguig City 1630

GEC-8-T

Final Paper in Ethics

Extrajudicial Killings

Submitted By:

Alviar, Kurt Daniel

Laquio, Jefrie Marc

Pantig, Jankarl Migo

Year and Section:

BSCESEP – 2A

Submitted To:

Mrs. Mary Ann Icuspit

 TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES – TAGUIG CAMPUS
Km. 14 East Service Rd. Western Bicutan, Taguig City 1630
I. Introduction.

It started as a political platform named "War on Drugs" wherein there are few people,
citizens, especially minors were allegedly killed or victims of the said drug war in our country.
This results to an international issue with regards to the human right to be free from execution that
includes freedom from any arbitrary or extrajudicial deprivation of life and accuses the highest
official having the power to command those armed forces officials that executes the drug war for
the "Extra-Judicial Killings" case. These extra-judicial killings were allegedly blamed to the
violence of the vigilante group, militia groups, or basically policemen. According to Armed
Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) in their information collected as of 2021, at
least 7,742 Philippine civilians have been killed in anti-drug operations since 2016, 25% higher
than the government’s count, wherein anti-drug vigilantes were responsible for nearly half, over
48% of civilian targeting during the early days of the drug war in the same year it started. On the
other hand, based on the government of the Philippines related to drugs (PDEA), 6,201 persons
were died during the anti-drug operations as of October 2021. This resulted to an upward trend of
drug-involved violence in our country especially in the part of Metro Manila and rages in the
Central Luzon and in other parts of the Philippines. These also brings confusion to the citizens
because there are some statistical mismatches with regards to the government released number of
deaths during the operations implemented in all parts of the Philippines that were active when it
comes to illegal drugs.

Ethically wise, this topic, "Extra-Judicial Killings", brought up dilemmas especially

personal dilemmas connected to a few ethical issues present. The main ethical dilemma here was
between on how we see things these killings or on what type of people we are, like there's always
a positive and negative effects in everything. "Are we an optimist or a pessimist?" This question
might be the principal dilemma for this topic. On the positive side, extra-judicial killings (EJK)
were just a result of the drug war that was disrupting our own country, especially the youth. EJK
came up because many lives were lost at the time of this war on drugs, many people allegedly died
even though some stated that there are not involved in drugs. This was the bad side, or the negative
effects of this topic, wherein ethical issues were connected like theistic ethics, justice and freedom,
rights-based theories, natural law, utilitarianism, and other moral-based ethics and virtues. In other
words, this resulted to ethical issues like cruelty, wariness, fear, anger, and revenge in general. As
 TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES – TAGUIG CAMPUS
Km. 14 East Service Rd. Western Bicutan, Taguig City 1630
a human, we universally accept that killing is a bad thing and even if we based on objective
morality, we cannot take life as if we are the ones who gave or lend it to humans. In addition to
ethical dilemma involved, about the due process made during the human law trial, unbiased
questions might get in between like "Was the drug really planted by the police or is it really a drug-
dealer or user?”, “Does the minor really know about drugs at that early age nowadays? Were they
really the courier?", "Do the policemen really killed the alleged drug related citizens in a self-
defense situation or they killed them helpless?" These personal dilemmas may come up to our
mind unknowingly because we are not in that specific moment or situation for us to judge and state
some facts. But at the end of the day, the truth and only truth will set be free and all of those who
committed crimes, sins, and found guilty shall be punished under whether it is natural, human, or
divine law. What is more important, is it the human rights of those victims? Or the human lives
that might be ruined by drugs?
 TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES – TAGUIG CAMPUS
Km. 14 East Service Rd. Western Bicutan, Taguig City 1630
II. Application.

Moral Realism

- Claims that the existence of moral facts and the truth (falsify) of moral judgments are
independent of people’s thoughts and perceptions

The former president’s solution to those who didn’t surrender or to those who are still doing
illegal drugs is utterly unacceptable and yet he still hasn’t stopped the whole operation and still
haven’t taken his order back about the shoot to kill order even though it was widely and has been
consistently criticized and many have plead to stop the killings.

Ethical Subjectivism

- This theory states that the ethical position of one's issue depends on the attitude of a
person or group of people.

EJK was not morally accepted by the society since it takes lives even if they are guilty or not.
But the judgement of the president implies that this is the only solution to stop the spread and to
mitigate the transaction of illegal drugs in the country.

Empiricism

- Moral acts are known through observation and experience.

Because of fear, some drug users, pushers, and couriers surrendered immediately to the
authorities. the people in the Philippines became more protective and vigilant even though they’re
innocent and aren’t on illegal drugs. The terror of false accusations is enough for the masses to
become wary of their surroundings since anytime they could be suspected as a drug user which
could get them killed no matter the circumstance is.

Moral Intuitionism
- Submit that moral truths are knowable by intuition
Policemen and the soldiers follow and live by their oath which is “to serve and protect”. They
should always prioritize the lives of the people they swore to protect over anything, even the orders
of the superior.
 TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES – TAGUIG CAMPUS
Km. 14 East Service Rd. Western Bicutan, Taguig City 1630
Natural law
- Aspect of the eternal law which is accessible to human reason.
EJK contradicts the natural law which states that the human body will die in a natural way. No
one has the right to take someone’s life no matter the reason is.

Utilitarianism
- The doctrine that actions are right if they are useful or for the benefit of a majority
Came up with a solution which is killing to those who did not surrender and continued
selling/using drugs to fulfill his promise to majority of his people: a safety and drug free country

Deontology

- Is an ethical system that bases morality on independent moral rules or duties.

It is no one’s duty to take someone’s life. Authorities have no such right to order to kill
someone. Giving the police force the authority to shoot to kill if the suspect or the suspected person
tries to struggle is wrong and is dangerous.

Teleology/Consequentialist theory
- Moral system that determines the moral value of actions by their outcomes result
The EJK produced more harm than it was supposed to do good. The fear inflicted by EJK led
to a decrease on the number of drug users and pushers in the country. The negative result, however,
outweighed the positive results. Innocent people were also killed that time, and the abuse of power
terrorized even more people. This solution only offered short term effects as the number of drug
lords in the country hasn’t declined after the first 2 years of the president’s term.

Theistic Ethics
- Believes that a supernatural being called God is the foundation of morality. God is
viewed as the source of moral laws, and as the only plausible cause of moral
obligations which possess overriding and binding character.
As stated in the bible, killing or taking someone’s life is immoral and is prohibited. It was
written on the Ten Commandments given by God to his people. No mortal has the right to kill
 TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES – TAGUIG CAMPUS
Km. 14 East Service Rd. Western Bicutan, Taguig City 1630
someone except God himself, and all rational beings must abide his commandments. That is why
the Oplan Tokhang accompanied with EJK was morally criticized by the members of the Church
in our country.

Justice and Fairness

- Justice and fairness are giving someone what they deserve without prejudice
EJK caused a lot of indiscriminate killing throughout its time. There were cases when users
and pushers were killed even though there were no signs of them fighting back. Civilians also
became victims of EJK as they were accused and suspected.

Rights Based Theory

- Are laws that protect the freedom of every person.
The EJK does not conform or abide several laws and human rights. Some of these are the Right
of Life, right to a Fair Trial, right to be Heard, etc. and there is no such law that grants the
authorities to indiscriminately kill a citizen of their country.
 TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES – TAGUIG CAMPUS
Km. 14 East Service Rd. Western Bicutan, Taguig City 1630
III. Conclusion.

EJK is a product of failure to enforce laws properly, and the result of proposing improper
solutions to an ongoing widespread problem in the country. Thinking hastily and rash could result
into incompetence and failure. EJK does more harm than good, and it did plenty of casualties in
just a short period of time. Not only it lacked proper enforcement, but it also brought out several
more problems in the country.
EJK broke many ethical theories. It broke multiple moral values that made it part of several
discussions. Not only that, EJK also attracted the eyes of the world media. The results of EJK have
been recognized around the world. The EJK just showed how poor the justice system in the
Philippines. The indiscriminate killing that happened rampantly on the first 2 years of the Duterte
administration became the most controversial topic that time. The poor justice system of the
country paved the way for these indiscriminate killings, as the minorities and the civilians also
became victims of it. Fairness and equality became non-existent because of the false accusations
and the shoot to kill order. The victims were stripped off their rights to speak and defend for
themselves. The victim’s voices haven’t been heard, and their right to live was oppressed.
EJK resulted from the “war on drugs” campaign was heavily criticized by the masses and
other groups of people, especially the church. It was morally wrong to take the lives of someone,
despite the circumstance. Philippines is a country heavily invested with the doctrines of the church,
and its countrymen firmly believes that killing is wrong, it is a sin, and killing is strictly prohibited
by God as stated in the Ten Commandments.
On the other hand, the EJK only targeted those people who belong in the lower class. A
massive number of drug pushers, users, and couriers were killed, but no drug lords were
reprimanded. If there was, there could be only a couple of them who were arrested. EJK didn’t
solve the root of the problem, rather, it only trimmed down the results of the widespread drug crisis
in the country. Drug lords got away safely with their money, as if the forces who swore to serve
and protect only chose the side of those who have the money and power.
EJK created more problems rather than solving problems in our country. it paved way into
more abusers of power. The threat of EJK not only limits to the “war on drugs” campaign, but it
also opens to a new door of horror to red tagging. And the threat of EJK stretches out from way
back the time of Martial Law. Anyone who has the money, power, and connections could be a
 TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES – TAGUIG CAMPUS
Km. 14 East Service Rd. Western Bicutan, Taguig City 1630
perpetrator of extrajudicial killings. And anyone, whether you have money, power, and influence,
or especially if you belong into the lower class could be subjected into EJK. Extrajudicial killings
make everyone vulnerable to its terror.
But of course, EJK hasn’t only created problems, but it also became an eye opener to the
masses. Some who turned a blind eye on the killings opened their perspective and now fights for
what is right. Several deaths, such as the death of the late Kian Loyd Delos Santos, became an eye
opener on how the justice system in the Philippines is unfair, unjust, and imbalance. How the
country’s justice system is biased, and indiscriminate at the same time. His death became the flint
that sparked the interest of many to fight for what is right despite of the imbalance in the justice
system.
EJK is a mere product of a rigged system who favors the rich over the poor. It is a product
of an order that takes the right of its victims to live, speak, and be heard with the due process of
law. All the victims of the indiscriminate killings have been stripped off their freedom of speech,
and all basic human rights. EJK isn’t a problem that is easy to be solved. It is a catastrophe that
will continue to take lives as much as it could, if the roots of the problem wouldn’t be prioritized,
and if the justice system in the country remains rigged and biased.
I sincerely hope that the laws that were meant to be unbiased and fair serves its purpose,
and the justice that the victims of extrajudicial killings must be given to them.