Election

EXCEPT IN DUTERTE’S DAVAO CITY, THERE’S IMPUNITY IN THE COUNTRY

By Manny Pinol

www.mannypinol.com

The national jubilation and the adulation showered on Davao City Mayor Rody Duterte following the killing of suspected kidnappers recently scandalized the self-proclaimed defenders of human rights and due process but the public reaction favoring the action was expected.

In fact, the Filipino people were just waiting for instances like the so-called “Davao City Execution” of the kidnappers for them to express their utter disgust at the culture of impunity that is permeating the national psyche.

Consider these:

It has been over three years since 54 people, including journalists, were brutally murdered and buried using a backhoe in Ampatuan town in Maguindanao in what is now known as the “Maguindanao Massacre” but until today not one of the suspects has been sentenced.

The implication is very clear, if you have money and influence you can slow down the wheels of justice in this country.

In China, Filipino drug mules are executed, even with the intervention of the Philippine Vice President, but in the country, Chinese drug lords simply walk out of jail by bribing their police escorts.
In other countries, a simple suggestion that a public official could be involved in improper conduct while in office would lead to a courtesy resignation.

In olden Japan, officials committed honor suicide or “hara kiri” to protect their honor and dignity.

In the wake of the revelation that P10-B in senatorial and congressional pork barrel was misused, the senators linked to the scandal tried to create a smoke-screen by claiming that the expose is part of the demolition job in preparation for the 2016 presidential elections.

Yesterday, following the reported involvement of police officers in the escape and subsequent rub-out of a suspected crime syndicate leader and the disappearance of drugs and money in a raid conducted by police operatives on a house owned by a Chinese drug lord, the country’s Police Chief blamed the media for making criminals heroes.

Instead of ordering an all-out investigation, PNP Chief Allan Purisima said the negative reports about policemen in the country are part of a well-funded operation of criminal syndicates to put the country’s police force in a bad light which he said is causing “demoralization” among the officers in uniform.

Following the highly questionable conduct of the 2013 computerized elections in the country where election watchdogs exposed irregularities in the transmission and counting of the votes, the COMELEC Chairman Sixto Brillantes simply shrugged it off and went on a vacation with his family.

Worse, the COMELEC has not even responded with clarity on the allegations brought up by the media, specifically Philippine Star columnist Jarius Bondoc, which said that the results of the senatorial elections were doctored as proven by the figures which came out in COMELEC’s own website.

Here in North Cotabato, leaders of the Catholic church who were supposed to ensure that the elections would be the true reflection of the will of the people, kept silent and closed their eyes even in the face of massive and blatant cheating.

Ignoring the scandalous conduct of the elections, especially in the town of Carmen, leaders of the Catholic Church in the province did not even have the decency and “delicadeza” to distance themselves from political figures who were perceived to have cheated.

Instead, they were among the prominent personalities who attended the inauguration of officials who were believed to have cheated in the last elections.

People witness these events unfold feeling so helpless. They know these things are wrong but there is simply nothing they can do about it.

It does not come strange therefore when people idolize somebody like Mayor Duterte who says want he wants to say and does what people would like to see done.

It should not come as a surprise when so many are now suggesting that the Mayor of Davao City should be the next President of the Philippines.

This sentiment by the public is an expression of exasperation over the evident culture of impunity in this country where people who have the money and influence can escape punishment and even parade around bragging that they “own government.”

This is dangerous because it could lead to two scenarios.

One would be to accept extra-judicial measures in correcting a wrong which is why people do not care how Mayor Duterte does the task of cleansing Davao City of criminals.

The other would be to just watch helplessly feeling numb and accept everything as part of the reality in the Philippine society today.

The only solution is to make sure that the wheels of justice move fairly for everybody and the standards of decency observed by all members of the society.

The problem is who will ensure that this is done?

Source: Manny Piñol