Stop the killings, let good governance flourish

C LIMATE of terror and fear is now gripping not only in Negros Oriental, but the entire island. And the scenario seems to point to more killings, arrests in the days ahead especially with the threat of President Duterte to impose martial law in the island. Based on straight news account, a total of 81, mostly farmers and leaders of progressive organizations, have been killed in Negros since President Duterte assumed presidency. The breakdown is 20 were killed in 2016-2017, 29 in 2018 and 32 from January till july31, 2019. In the last two years most extra judicial killings were in Negros Occidental. Recently, Negros Oriental took most of the beating, with only four or six in south Negros Occidental. This exclude reported murder attempts. Of those killed, 3 were lawyers, including Atty Trinidad in Guihulngan town; all identified as lawyers of victims of land conflict and exploitation. Why has there been no let up in extra judicial killings in Negros? Why the victims were mostly identified with the progressive organizations and communities earlier tagged as fronts and supporters of the armed insurgents? Who are the brains and culprits? Who benefits from these onslaughts on human lives? Most killings were linked with land struggles, labor disputes and those critical of the administration, local politicians, military and the police. If so, this could all be about silencing dissent, and the mass murder of identified leaders of the armed insurgents and progressive groups, and the perpetuation of the local status quo. If most victims were identified with the progressive organizations critical of the ruling administration, the logical culprits could only be those in power, private goons of the landed elites, death squads of the military and police, and anti-communist groups. It is incongruous to put the blame on the armed insurgents who have been working hard to get mass support for their cause. I agree with some views that the mass killings would not have gone this far and wide had there been no official blessing from the top officials of Malacanang. What could be more instructive than the Memorandum Circular 32 signed by the President in 2018 calling for the implementation of measures to suppress and prevent lawless violence, and the Executive Order 70 s. 2018 calling for the creation of national task force to end local communist armed conflict? Somebody must have been inspired by somebody, whether good or bad. State security forces who believe in President Duterte’s strong man rule, are certainly emboldened by the President’s orders and raw exhortations to kill those who stand against his