Summary executions of drug suspects becoming ‘policy’ of Duterte admin: Lawyers’ group

From InterAksyon (Jul 5): Summary executions of drug suspects becoming ‘policy’ of Duterte admin: Lawyers’ group

The continuous killing of suspected drug dealers under President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs has alarmed a lawyers’ group, which warned against the “apparent serial summary executions” becoming a “practice or policy.”

On Sunday, eight men reportedly involved in drug trade were killed in Manila, while seven more drug suspects were killed in Bulacan province over the weekend, various reports have said.

Edre Olalia, secretary general of the National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL), said the execution of suspects must stop.

“Quick fix savagery and abuse of power by law enforcers supposedly to quell criminality and drugs, which, wittingly or unwittingly, directly or indirectly, are encouraged, condoned or sanctioned, is a frankenstein that will haunt us all over time. The cure may turn out to be worse than the illness,” he said in a statement.

“Human rights are not only for the criminals or dregs of society as some may think or believe. It is more to protect the far too many others who are innocent or turn out to be innocent,” he added.

Olalia said that the killing of people because of mere allegation of being involved in the drug menace should not be a policy of the Duterte administration.

“We hate drugs too. There should be no two minds about it. Yet the apparent serial summary executions of alleged street drug users or petty drug lords which appear sudden, too contrived and predictable must also stop. The two are not incompatible,” he said.

“It may be long, hard, challenging and frustrating but you can stop one without automatically or instantly doing the other as a practice or policy,” Olalia added.

Duterte, 71, who won in a landslide in the May elections on a platform to wage a war on crime and drugs, reiterated his threat to drug traffickers in a speech before residents of Tondo, a known slum area in Manila, after his inauguration on June 30.

“These sons of whores are destroying our children. I warn you, don’t go into that, even if you’re a policeman, because I will really kill you,” he said.

“If you know of any addicts, go ahead and kill them yourself as getting their parents to do it would be too painful,” Duterte added.

http://interaksyon.com/article/129933/summary-executions-of-drug-suspects-becoming-policy-of-duterte-admin-lawyers-group