‘Stop the killings’

Protesters, mostly students, staged a black Friday protest yesterday in front of the Caloocan City police station to condemn the extrajudicial killings on the war against illegal drugs.

“Stop the killings,” the protesters cried out.

The Caloocan police was heavily criticized over the controversial deaths of 17-year-old Kian Loyd Delos Santos and 19-year-old Carl Angelo Arnaiz recently.

Members of Anakbayan, Anakpawis and Kadamay flocked the station as early as 11 a.m.

Most of them were clad in black shirts, showing sympathy to the victims of extra judicial killings.

Gel Dela Pena, Kadamay spokesperson, said drug personalities should be given chances, saying killing a drug suspect is not the right solution.

“Where is the justice, President Duterte? Hindi po makatarungan ang pamamaslang. (It is unjust to kill). This is not the solution,” Dela Pena said.

Babes Magdato, Anakpawis Caloocan chairperson, earlier insisted that the government should stop its “bloody drug operation” that victimizes mainly poor people and the alleged big time drug personalities remain “untouchable.”

“Police anti-drug operations were mostly done in urban communities which showed that the main target are poor people,” Magbato said.

The militants lay on the street oblivious to passing vehicles. According to them, this act symbolizes the people who were killed due to the war on drugs.

Meanwhile, Anakbayan-Far Eastern University spokesman Kyle Atienza encouraged other teens to join their call to end the war on drugs.

“Join us in our fight. The government should hear that killing is not the solution to end drugs,” Atienza said.