Murder in war

A REUTERS report said more than 12,500 people, many smalltime drug users and dealers, have been killed since President Rody Duterte took office in June 2016. Quoting the police, the report said about 3,500 of those killed were shot by officers in self-defense.

The self-defense script was working until police gunned down in an anti-drug operation in Caloocan City last Aug. 16 Kian Loyd delos Santos, a 17-year-old high school student.

••• Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) Chief Persida Acosta said initial forensic evidence showed there was no gunfight and the student was shot thrice at close range in the back of the head. Acosta said she was recommending murder charges against the officers involved based on the initial autopsy report. Let’s wait. As Philippine National Police Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa said, “I am not tolerating abuses.”

••• President Duterte said he was open to an investigation over the killing of delos Santos and the prosecution of those who would be found liable. “Should the investigation point to liabilities by one, two, or all, there will be a prosecution and they have to go to jail,” he said. So be it.

••• Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo condemned the killing of delos Santos, saying, “You cannot kill somebody like that.” Panelo echoed the president’s statement that “those who will abuse their authority will have to pay; they will not go unpunished.”Even with the allegations that the teen was a drug runner, Panelo said that, “kahit na drug runner iyan, you cannot just kill somebody like that.”

••• Police claimed delos Santos had fired on them when he saw them coming. But several witnesses said the police had beaten up the boy, gave him a gun and forced him to run before shooting him. Now delos Santos gave a face to the violence in the war against drugs. Murder in war is still murder.