Just say no…

What if cops were ordered by their superiors to kill in the name of the drug war, and they refused, as a matter of conscience or principle?

That’s what some shepherds of the Catholic Church must be hoping for, as the Christian world segues from Christmastide to preparations for the Lenten season. Several bishops and priests have been reminding the faithful about the eternal wages of killing, although the reminders were replaced with more joyful messages during the holidays, in keeping with the spirit of the season.

Expect the topic to be revived in sermons, however, as Ash Wednesday approaches and the Church commiserates with those mourning loved ones lost to the continuing killing spree.

Whether the sermons will have any effect on the enforcers of Tokhang and Double Barrel is uncertain. Between the threat of eternal damnation for murder and the certainty of immediate demotion to the kangkungan for refusing to kill, the choice is obvious for the ordinary cop with a family to feed and an eye to career advancement.

I’ve heard people discussing whether we will ever see a cop saying no to Tokhang and making his refusal known to the public, just to set an example. Cops must obey their superior officers and civilian bosses, but they are also required by law to follow only lawful orders.

Apart from cops worrying about ending up floating in the swamp cabbage patch, however, there’s the possibility that they are actually enjoying what they’re doing. I’ve met such officers who can’t conceal their delight; they tell me they’re glad that for a change, they are feared by the bad guys. They don’t bother law-abiding citizens, they assure me, sounding like their top boss.

It seems they don’t bother well-connected drug dealers either. Just consider the fate of at least one individual who ranks high among the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency’s most wanted, but who reportedly supported President Duterte’s campaign. Ask police if there is truly a manhunt for this drug dealer, as the administration claims, and all you’ll get is an enigmatic smile.

Aside from enjoying what they’re doing, streetsmart cops understand that Duterte and his brand of justice remain popular, if surveys are accurate. The street-smart cop for sure also sees that the numbers are slipping, even if only by statistically negligible increments every quarter, but taken together, the steady fall is significant.

For now, Duterte’s survey ratings remain stratospheric. Bucking that support at this time may prove suicidal for any cop who says no to summary execution. Since he could end up a dead hero, no cop is being asked to volunteer for heroism.

* * * If police officers aghast at the killings won’t do anything, perhaps lawyers will. Private lawyers who aren’t angling for an appointment to any government post may band together to assist relatives of those who have been killed.

The impoverished obviously lack the funds to pursue criminal cases. And even if they do, with the assistance of a public attorney, they risk following their slain loved ones to the grave. But even ordinary folks with higher education who understand their rights can be unfamiliar with legal processes for seeking redress. Especially if the killers are cops themselves.

Legal professionals were active during the Marcos dictatorship. Some participated directly in political dissent; others worked quietly to correct social injustice.

Where is that spirit now? Perhaps it’s still too early for the spirit to be awakened. It’s been just six months, after all. The lives of thousands have been upended in those six months, but most of the victims are from communities where there are no permanent addresses, where people feel helpless when cops barge into their homes and drag away their husbands and sons.

Once Tokhang and Double Barrel start claiming the lives of people known to those who can raise a lot of noise, maybe then there will be an active movement to stop the carnage.

Recently, a shooting victim in Southern Tagalog turned out to be the schoolmate of several individuals who have achieved prominence in their respective fields. It’s unclear if the killing is drug-related, but perhaps this is one case where a thorough probe will be undertaken.

Legal professionals can instruct relatives of those killed to scrutinize the complaint filed before the prosecutor’s office by the police. There must be a complaint against the killer, and not just a drug case against the slain person, which is what cops are reportedly filing these days. Bereaved relatives must also know how to get in touch with the police Internal Affairs Service, for whatever it’s worth.

In cases of death under investigation, which are attributed to vigilantes, victims’ relatives must also be assisted in making sure any name that is listed as a suspect belongs to a real person, and not just plucked from the police phonetic alphabet.

Eventually, civil libertarians will likely reach out to the relatives of those slain in the drug war. Cops involved in Tokhang and Double Barrel should expect to face challenges. They are pursuing a worthy objective, as I have written, but there are ways of pursuing that goal without destroying the fabric of society.

Despite the repeated reassurances from their top boss, it’s not true that one man alone can assume all culpability for this brutal war. Others will be held liable – both the ones who give the orders and those who carry them out.

People have been advised to just say no to drugs. Lawmen should also learn to say no to summary execution.