The problem with how president Rodrigo Duterte’s critics have approached opposition to the anti-drug campaign is that they assert a few things that they have yet to prove a definitive causal link to:
a) that the killings are state-sanctioned, and;
b) that Duterte himself has encouraged impunity.
So when the death of the young Kian delos Santos – allegedly at the hands of policemen – happened, it had the potential to be the case that would considerably shift public opinion against the war on drugs. It would have also “sold” to the public that the alleged extrajudicial killings (EJKs) indeed have Duterte’s blessing. And furthermore, it was going to be the nail in the coffin that would force Duterte to step down.
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None of that will happen anymore, for now.
By meeting the parents himself – reports say Saldy and Lorenza delos Santos were the ones who requested the meeting – Duterte, to borrow a term, pulled the rug from underneath his critics. The best they can do right now is judge the parents as “not knowing better”, or worse, “being paid off”.
“Everything went smoothly and President Duterte explained to the parents of Kian why he could not go to the wake of Kian. He wanted to wait for the result of the NBI [National Bureau of Investigation] investigation,” Aguirre told GMA News Online.
Suffice to say, with a single maneuver, Duterte has ripped off the mask of hypocrisy, self-righteousness, political opportunism, and double standards of what’s right from his critics.
Unfortunately, what the anti-Duterte camp refuses to see, is that presuming to know better than Kian’s parents – they who ACTUALLY met the president – on how they should regard Duterte only makes them look like fools. If they want to know how the parents really feel about their meeting with Duterte, well they should just go and ask them themselves.
Another thing that the anti-Duterte camp has not seemingly realized, is that for all the gullibility of Filipinos for emotional hooks, their bullshit and insincerity meter has become well-honed. It’s had a lot of practice particularly during the term of Duterte’s predecessor, Benigno Simeon “BS” Aquino III. As a colleague of mine has opined, no amount of PR blitzing can beat genuine concern for issues one is passionate about.
In addition, Manila Standard columnist Jojo Robles has said in an FB post, the outcome of the meeting can only be interpreted as a vote of confidence for the president – that he will bring the perpetrators to justice.
Therefore, there is one more thing to add to the list of things that Duterte’s critics need to prove:
c) that Kian’s parents were “bought off”.
The funny thing about this whole #JusticeForKian thing? It would be served a lot faster if only all those bandwagon riders and opportunists weren’t grandstanding. But, as Filipinos have aptly demonstrated at times in their sorry history – it isn’t justice if they don’t get credit for it.
And no, it’s not the CCTV footage itself that kept this case from being buried – it’s that someone decided to use it. Believe me, if the sitting president were someone the powers-that-be wanted to protect, Kian’s case would have been just another statistic.
А вы, друзья, как ни садитесь, все в музыканты не годитесь. – But you, my friends, however you sit, not all as musicians fit.
The ability of the opposition to use the Kian de los Santos murder, to promote their political agenda is now neutralized.
Let us now focus on the more important issue: the unexplained wealth of Andres “Si Latigo” Bautista.
Why did he has that tons of money ? Who gave him that tons of money ? Why was he able to deposit tons of money to a nearly bankrupt Bank.
COMELEC Chairman Andres “Si Latigo” Bautista, also put up, some “dummy companies”, to facilitate his money laundering to his foreign Bank accounts…
Who ordered the 2016 Election Cheating ? That elected a Phony Vice President, and some Phony Senators; who are now shouting the : “Justice for Kian”.
We want answers, to these important questions. Those responsible must be locked up in jail. Or , hanged by their necks, until they are dead !
New leaders like DU30 who have the courage to question the eternal absolute truth peddled by the Roman Catholic Church as religious dogmas must come out and be visible to the greatest number of Filipinos People because for sure after Duterte’s 6 year term, every gain made by him would be lost.
The greatest enemy of the genuine change being initiated by the maverick heretical DU30 is the RCC heirarchy who have taken it upon themselves to meddle in the secular affairs of the State. That has been the case from the time the Spaniards came to our islands with the Cross and the Sword.
It is the evil influence of the RCC with their oxymoronic religious dogmas on the predominantly Roman Catholic Christians Filipinos that DU30, I believe, would want to neutralize with his Federal Government that is partial to a BBL. Tragic but a Federal Government would be worse.
No, sorry, Filipinos don’t HAVE a bullshit meter. It was genetically excised centuries ago, I reckon.
“While it is a fact that they are extremely credulous among themselves, they will believe of the Spaniards only what is against them. Therefore, it is evident that the [Christian] faith is a supernatural act, in that they believe the divine mysteries taught by the Spaniards.
However, they do not believe some things, or refuse to believe them because they find the contrary profitable. Consequently, there is no one who can persuade them that it is a sin to steal from the religious ministers or the Spaniards. Of this we have such proofs that we have not the slightest doubt that it is so; but, only perceiving it is not being able to remedy it.
So great is the ease and tenacity with which they believe the greatest nonsense, if this is to the discredit of the Spaniards or against them, that it would be a long undertaking to recount some of it. ”
In other words, Filipinos will believe whatever causes the most harm, and will dismiss and nonsense anything that might benefit them. Sound familiar?
That was written in 1720, apparently.
I must say, I’m quite amazed that the Kian killing was recorded on CCTV. The idea of a CCTV camera actually working is a fascinating thing in itself. And as mentioned, it’s surprising the video didn’t simply disappear afterwards. The most likely explanation is that the administration knows that it doesn’t matter what people think, or what the facts are. The State doesn’t actually NEED to go around destroying CCTV tapes or making people disappear. It would be counterproductive. Filipinos have a short memory, they’ll believe pretty much anything you tell them, however outrageous, and they’re still desperately clinging onto the idea that Duterte is a miracle-worker who will wave a magic wand and create a country full of honest, hardworking, competent people. So they’ll support him whatever happens.
I imagine if Duterte did actually do anything to make life better – say, by hiring a crack contingent of foreign teachers to repair the country’s disastrous education system – the entire country would turn against him. Filipinos just aren’t happy if they’re not wallowing in the gutter with a jackboot on their heads.
It’s every man’s business to see justice done.