PRESIDENT-ELECT Rodrigo Duterte is barely a month away from assuming the presidency and of doing what he promised the electorate he would do, notably to stamp out the illegal drugs trade and criminality in 3 to 6 months after he assumes office.
Duterte made this promise as a centerpiece of his campaign for the May 9 elections and which the weary voters had accepted as gospel truth. Showing that he meant business, the president-elect broached out figure to buttress his campaign promise, saying in no uncertain terms that his fight against drugs and criminality may see a hundred-thousand copses floating in Manila Bay that will fatten the fishes there.
Fast forward. After his clear victory at the polls –with three of his opponents already conceding– the president-elect announced his to-do-list, among which is the reimposition of the death penalty.
He made this even if the entire Armed Forces and the Philippine National Police will already be at his command, to do and follow his bidding. As commander-in-chief, he could order these government forces to intensify the drive some more and commit themselves 100 percent in the fight against illegal drugs and criminality.
He need not look far in identifying the enemies of the state. The police, for one, could give him a list of the notorious drug personalities and syndicate preying on the hapless citizenry.
The police know practically everybody who is, for example, into the drug business, otherwise there’s not a chance that these threats to society would thrive long and profitably at that, and thus have the means to pay the grease or protection money. (My apologies to police officials who are doing well and good.)
The president-elect may as well delete from his to-do-list the reimposition of the death penalty, which sets him even at this early stage for a battle royale with human right advocates, church and lay leaders who believe in the sanctity of life and that only God or nature could take back anything away from this world.
Without underestimating his capability, the president-elect cannot afford at this time to antagonize some more this country’s sectoral communities. Whatever little strength they have – in opposition - could add to the pack that those wishing his administration ill may unleash without him knowing it.
His precarious hold to the presidency– with only around 39 percent of the Filipino people voting for him – should prod him to choose diplomacy rather than antagonism, rapprochement than resentment.
His administration will need all the friendly forces it can muster to its fold in order to succeed and truly be the instrument of the change the people who voted for him wanted and for whose well-being he promised to give attention to.
Now, going back to the title of this piece: “Who needs the death penalty?”
Indeed, why ask for the reimposition of the death penalty– whose coming would require a long and tedious process in Congress and, definitely, will divide again this country – when we already have this dreaded Davao Death Squad or DDS (in Davao City and Mindanao), this reward for kills made against suspected criminals (Cebu City, Visayas), and for the shame campaign (Tanauan, Batangas, Luzon)?
And, why add to the already long list of contentious, nay, divisive issues hounding the country, like the matter of reimposing the death penalty? Just asking.--(Jose P. Crisologo of Lilo-an, Cebu)