Due Process For The Suspected

The current state of the Philippines is kill-on-suspicion. We have hundreds of dead bodies strewn on the streets or in their homes. Most with no concrete proof or evidence that they in fact are involved in illegal activities or drugs.

And netizens are stirring up a storm. People have taken on Facebook in order to express their disgust in the recent happenings in the country.

We have suspected drug pushers and drug users dead on the street, blood oozing from their bodies, some are even wrapped in packing tape. Most have cardboards on their corpses saying “Drug pusher ako, huwag gayahin”.

Because of this instance, people are asking for due process – regardless of social class, regardless of crime.

What is saddening about this is that majority of these slain suspects are just that – suspects. People yet to be proven of guilt. What is the government’s response to this? Their deaths are nothing compared to the thousands of people who have surrendered to the police.

Some people may say that there wasn’t due process for the victims that these suspects have killed and harmed. So what is the benefit of due process then?

Due process is an opportunity to be heard – a thing that is necessary in this democratic country. These suspects, no matter the crime, have a right to be heard, and eventually, rightfully punished for the mistakes that they have made. And these punishments must be given by those who have the greater authority to decide, those supposedly with the right mind – the court. These judges are the ones who have all the right to decide the punishment of these criminals. Not the policemen, not the bounty hunters.

Because the policemen, bounty hunters, or even ordinary citizens gets to decide who gets killed, even innocent people who are in no way involved in illegal activities are getting killed.

Due process has become a term that is not honored in this country, especially when President Duterte was elected. It’s time to take responsibility and bring back the due process everybody deserves.

And if you’re one of those people who support extra judicial killings, I should tell you, if it happened to you or someone close to you, you would want it too.