Anti-Extra Judicial Killing (CRIMINAL INJUSTICE)

Anti-Extra Judicial Killing (CRIMINAL INJUSTICE)

Introduction         

        Extrajudicial/ extralegal killings (EJKs/ ELKs) and enforced disappearances (EDs) are unique in the Philippines in as much as it is publicly and commonly known to be committed also by non-state armed groups (NAGs) such as the New Peoples Army (NPA) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). Although cases have been well documented with conservative estimates of EJKs/ ELKs and EDs committed by the NPAs numbering to about 900-1,000 victims based on the discovery of numerous mass grave sites all over country, legal mechanisms for accountability of non-state actors have been weak if not wholly non-existent. The victims of these efforts have mainly been poor, young men. The ‘war on drugs’, in effect, is a war on the poor. In some cases, families of killed victims have had to suffer through police theft and planting of evidence. Meanwhile, the President has defended his anti-drugs campaign and extended it until 2022. And not a single police officer has been prosecuted or dismissed from duty in relation to killings during police drug operations.Investigations are either non-existent or weak, making any effort made by the families of victims to bring their case to court futile. Most families fear reprisal, and so do not come forward to seek justice.

Body

        Since President Duterte came to power, there have been over 7000 state-sponsored killings in his anti-drug campaign. There have also been many cases where alleged drug users have been killed in police custody or in police operations. In some cases, police officers have even colluded with paid killers and killed for financial incentives. The public and civil society in the Philippines might interpret the situation as a breakdown of state control over military groups or a culture of impunity. And although there is widespread concern in some circles with the mounting extrajudicial killings, the Armed Force of the Philippines seems unconcerned.Since those targeted are varied and exact numbers are vague, this means that getting to the bottom of the assassinations is challenging. In addition, it is even more difficult to find out why certain non-militant and peasant leaders, as well as community development-oriented NGO workers or environmentalists, were brutally murdered. So far, few questions have been asked about the nature of their ‘threat’ to the local communities and the national political economy.Based on the executions of two local leaders, we will examine the circumstances of their killings and their involvement with international development projects. International development is often a murky area in the Philippines. These projects — often cash-rich — are frequently tainted with corrupt connections and dodgy dealings between politicians and the local elites. This is exacerbated when economic oriented development agencies often pressure a recipient country to fast-track the proper implementation processes.

Conclusion

         Therefore, these extrajudicial killings are a grave violation of fundamental human rights, including the right to life and the right to have due process. Moreover, they are also severe breaches of other principles of the rule of law, such as not holding police officers who have committed such offences accountable and not giving justice to victims through upholding national and international laws. Looking at the gravity of the situation, more action is urgently needed.

Purpose

To inform all of us if what is the effect of Anti-Extra Judicial Killing (CRIMINAL INJUSTICE) in our life.

Reference

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extrajudicial_killings_and_forced_disappearances_in_the_Philippines
https://www.amnesty.org/en/get-involved/take-action/stop-extrajudicial-executions-in-the-philippines/
https://kyotoreview.org/issue-21/killing-for-whom-philippines/https://www.paxchristi.net/news/extrajudicial-killings-philippines-five-urgent-calls-action-international-community/635https://www.google.com/search?q=Extra+Judicial+Killing+(CRIMINAL+INJUSTICE)&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiMuLjE3KjgAhWK7GEKHb5kCHoQ_AUIDigB&biw=1280&bih=913#imgdii=aWsvF2Ka-9TeMM:&imgrc=o8b2MCVHo93SbM: