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Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Pooled editorial: Gloria and the killings
Except her fiercest foes, few people believe President Arroyo has made it illicit policy to have political activists and journalists killed.
Not even if one throws in the argument that she needs the murders to silence dissent and survive attempts to oust her from office.
Failure, however, to solve extrajudicial executions and arrest and prosecute the culprits amounts to gross inefficiency, which may be seen as approval.
Pronouncements of belief in the rule of law and ultimatums to catch the assassins are not enough.
EU’s dismay
The President realized that in recent meetings with European Union leaders who made it clear they were dismayed by this country’s human rights record.
She couldn’t tell them to back off: none of your business. She knew that to most foreign heads of state, part of the ideology of governance is to stop impunity anywhere and promote the value of human life.
She must know now that for her administration to earn world leaders’ trust, she must assure the safety of citizens under its criminal justice system.
And that won’t be easy.
Can she do it?
The President has to rein in the military that probably thinks declaration of an “all-out war” against rebels means eliminating leaders of their legal front.
The President has to tame local leaders who have tolerated and encouraged vigilante and vigilante-style salvaging of crime suspects, duping themselves that crime will stop crime.
There are areas in the country where that delusion has already snuffed out many lives without benefit of trial. In Cebu City, more than 170 people, including “collateral damage” victims, were killed with their executioners still free. In Davao City, some say they have long stopped counting bodies of liquidated crime suspects.
The President has to make the police efficient and free them from influence of politicians mad enough to think that murders will stop burglary, thievery, and drug pushing.
Enemies at the gates
She has to do all that without losing their support, which she needs badly to keep away the enemies at the gates.
Sun.Star newspapers have cited the high cost, how her decisions are influenced less by public interest than what appeases those who keep her in power.
She must realize though that the issue of impunity might succeed where charges of election stealing and corruption have failed. [Sun.Star Cebu]
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (September 20, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here. |
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