TWO major incidents, one in San Pedro, Laguna in Luzon and the other in Davao City in Mindanao can provide us with a glimpse of the thinking of what seems to be a big chunk of the nation’s populace on the fight against criminality.
On the evening of July 15, Ricky Cadavero and Wilfredo Panogalinga Jr. of the Ozamis robbery group were killed by their police escorts when they allegedly attempted to grab the cops’ guns after two motorcycle-riding men ambushed their convoy in San Pedro, Laguna. The two were being transported to Camp Vicente Lim in Laguna from Cavite where they underwent inquest proceedings.
In Davao City, policemen killed supposedly in a shootout last July 11 three members of a gang that kidnapped Quezon City businesswoman Sally Chua. Contrary to the law enforcers’ claim, however, a video footage aired by TV network ABS-CBN showed that one of those slain was actually shot when his hands were behind his head while sitting in the backseat of a vehicle that was already surrounded by policemen.
The Department of Justice and the Philippine National Police hierarchy are looking into the killing of Cadavero and Panogalinga in Laguna while the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has announced plans to investigate the killing of the kidnappers in Davao City.
But in instances like this, two lines appear and clash with each other on the fuss over the killing of wayward people. One line supports the probes and the punishment of the criminal’s killers while the other line questions the noise over the deaths of mere dregs of society (to Cebuanos, “mga hugaw sa katilingban”).
Support for the summary execution of people suspected of committing criminal acts is increasing because of the perceived failure of the criminal justice system to curb criminality and give justice to the victims of dastardly acts. It’s a stance propped up by frustration.
This is the reason why some sectors hail Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s shoot-to-kill order against suspected criminals even if Malacañang and the CHR have rightly noted that it is against the law and subverts the civilized rule of due process. This is aside from its being prone to abuse and its tendency to push society to the brink of anarchy.
Yet the Duterte “doctrine” will remain popular if the criminal justice system continues to fail the expectations of many people.