Shoot now, ask later

WHEN I told my husband I was thinking of writing about Kian, the Grade 11 student killed by the police, he quickly said, "Wag ka nang makisawsaw sa politics (don’t tackle politics). You'll just get bashed." I had to pause for awhile. Do I really want that kind of drama on my wall? With the country’s current political climate, anyone that has something to say against the administration is automatically labeled a Dilawan.

And I’m certainly not one! I don’t hold a particular party or politician up on a pedestal. I have high respect for the position of the president because I know if I were made president for a day, I’d crack under pressure. But see, Kian's story is more than just politics. It's about the fragility of human life ending in the hands of mere humans who think they have the power to decide who lives and dies. I write for the "Live" section of this newspaper and to just simply gloss over the tragedy of how this young life ended will make me a part of the problem.

Silence in the face of injustice means being complicit with the oppressor. It was Jose Rizal who wrote, "I do not write for this generation. I am writing for other ages.

If this (generation) could read me, they would burn my books, the work of my whole life.

On the other hand, the generation which interprets these writings will be an educated generation; they will understand me and say: 'Not all were asleep in the nighttime of our grandparents'."

I can only hope many of us are not asleep. Kian's tragic nightmare against the hands of the police was documented via CCTV for all of posterity. It was painful to watch.

Have you seen it? I urge you to take a really good look. Do not look away because next time it could be you or the one you love.

This brutal killing can happen again, just as it had happened before with a boy named Raymart.

The President told people before he was elected what he had planned to do on all media platforms, so there’s no point in acting surprised. Deal drugs or mix in their circles, then you die. Simple.

Kian was certainly not the first, but his story is the one that caught the most attention and led to the awakening of many people.

In fact, some supporters of the administration, both civilians and politicians, have actually been vocal about their cry for justice.

I hope they don’t politicize his death and use it for their own personal agendas.

The President focused on fighting drugs because of his belief that these substances are destroying the country. Drugs are a menace, no doubt about that! However, “the shoot now, answer questions later” ideology he inspired is just as menacing.

Have the killings of all the supposed junkies or small time peddlers really been effective? I guess the reason Kian’s story resonates with me, aside from my children, is because I teach Grade 11 students.

The idea alone that any single one of them could have been Kian makes my heart bleed and my head spin. What more for Kian Lloyd Delos Santos' mother and his family?

The sad part is his story will be forgotten in a month, especially in a year or more. We will all move on with our merry lives, whereas Kian's loved ones will continue to mourn his cruel demise until the day they die.

The video of him being brutally dragged and then shot like an animal on the back and head add insult to the injury. Supposedly, the “war on drugs” ought to make everyone feel safer. If a person is innocent, we should not fear anything.

But these days, I feel more afraid. If the authorities who are duty-bound to serve and protect the people could murder a child and plant the wrong evidence, who else is safe? Contrary to what the government spokesperson said, this is not an isolated case. So many lives have been wasted, a considerable number are minors. Some may rebut and say not all of them are innocent.

But how do we gauge innocence? Who decides who lives or who gets shot? The only place where people can be found guilty is in court.

A single wrongful death is already one too many. Sadly, due process these days are mere token words that only seem to work for those with money or with strong backers.

A member of the President’s own family is being linked to the drug trade and he asks for formal docum en t at i on .

Shouldn’t the poor get the same chance? It’s the poorest of the poor who bear the burden of it all! They are not tried, they are not charged, they are not convicted, and yet they are judged guilty and killed.

Since the “war on drugs”started, there have been reportedly 13,000 deaths. Should we wait for more bodies?

The men who swore to uphold the law, including the Constitution that states everyone has this right to due process, are allegedly the perpetrators in Kian’s case.

Are they merely bad apples in their profession? Were they incited, encourage or paid to do it? Is this part of a bigger conspiracy theory? God only knows.

What’s evident now is we have this culture of impunity that permits violence! People bicker and continue to point fingers to ascertain who is it truly at fault, but the only finger that matters at this point is the finger on the trigger. News have surfaced that Kian was supposedly a drug runner. Again, this is an allegation.

They are portraying the father and his uncles as drug users and traffickers. His dad sighed: "Binaligtad na kami." But Kian’s innocence or guilt is now moot and academic. His guilt would never be confirmed because he did not get his day in court.

His community asserts it is a false accusation to justify his killing. And IF he indeed was a confirmed drug runner, wouldn't it have made more sense to detain this MINOR and get the names of people who he was working for so they can actually catch the bigger fish.

All sane citizens are against drugs. But what's more insane is when we no longer flinch when blood spills. Wanton disregard for our laws means we compromise our humanity. Let there be no more killings and let the law apply to all!