"How many deaths will it take till he knowsBlowing in the Wind by
That too many people have died?"
Bob Dylan
The headline and banner image of the Philippine Daily Inquirer today project a disturbing reality. "Thou shall not kill", it reads. And, a photo of yet another dead body, in the arms of a tearful lover; added to the growing number of indigent Filipinos who have been summarily executed at the wake of President Kamote's war on drugs and criminality. The victim wasn't served an arrest warrant, and he didn't attempt to "fight" arresting officers. He was gunned down in one of the busiest corners of the metro; in front of a swarm of humanity by two unidentified agents of mayhem. Were they acting on their own accord? Did they take orders from somebody? If so, on whose authority did they perform their act of terror? These are legitimate questions that continue to fester. And yet very few have been brave enough to ask them.
It is about time an official of the Philippine Catholic Church break his silence on this matter. The deathly hush from that sector has been deafening. For an institution who constantly crows about its role as protector of morality and human rights, the condemnation is a bit belated, but nonetheless, welcome. In the fight against the state-endorsed anarchy that is rapidly developing, the church will always be a major player. And it should serve as the beacon of hope for every Filipino who still value truth, freedom, and justice.
Ultimately, it will still boil down to how we, the citizens of this God-loving country, react to the realities that are unfolding before our very eyes. We cannot sit idly in the sidelines and just hope for this nightmare to end gloriously. Every Filipino with sound moral standards should stand-up and speak-out against this culture of violence and death. We owe it to the heroes of the past. And the next generation, our children, deserve a better Philippines. After all, the change we are all witnessing everyday is not the upgrade our nation needs.
The silence of the Catholic Church continues! Until the bishops issue a common statement denouncing the purge, we cannot count on the clergy to stand with us.
ReplyDeleteNo one is safe. With an incompetent and very corrupt police force, everyone is a potential target for execution. Or collateral damage.
ReplyDeleteIf there is one positive take-away from all this, it's the fact that most of those killed supported Kamote. Sixteen million Kamotards won't be much of a loss at all.
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