Friday, May 23, 2008 Speak out: Condemning SPO4 Butron’s death By Karapatan-Central Visayas
A CRIME is a crime, whether committed by the high or the lowly. It is condemnable for being what it is.
Condemnation, though, should be stronger when the victim has already been victimized twice over for being poor.
It should even be raised higher if the perpetrators are government agents and authorities perpetuating criminality with impunity.
In this sense, the murder of SPO4 Asterio Butron should be condemned not so much because he was a cop, as his younger brother urges us, but because he was an off-duty cop trying to make ends meet by driving a cab on the side.
His poverty, whatever the degree, is condemnable enough.
His death, the outcome of defending his day's earnings from robbers, is even more so.
These stories of life-and-death-struggle abound around us.
We strive to survive amidst worsening destitution and dehumanization brought about those criminals in government.
Many do it for themselves or their loved ones. Yet, many others do it for the love of country and fellow countryman.
They do it not just to survive these worst times but to usher in a new dawn.
It is condemnable that the government chose to declare war on these decent people, while allowing the crooks and murderers to propagate in power.
