Extrajudicial Killings

Big Shot Bob in Texas

I guess you can only understand the spate of summary executions in the country if you understand the local gang world. I kindof expected it to be this way when Duterte said he was seriously going after illegal drugs people.

When everything's gone wrong in the underworld, there will be a lot of summary killings---it's a way of cleaning one's tracks. They will get rid of everyone that would link them to the drug trade---those who know too much. It's like that in the movies, it's also like that in real life.

I used to go inside a major prison in the city talking to gang people about Christ and I discipled a gang man there once who later was summarily killed. I heard lots of stories of extrajudicial killings. (That's aside from my exposure when I was active in our fraternity).

That's underworld culture.

And people who never had a taste of it will always get wrong impressions about extrajudicial killings. Like how they link all extrajudicial killings to the PNP and Duterte.

No doubt, some police personnel would be involved. Even officials. But that does not mean the entire PNP is involved.

In fact, chances are, majority (if not all) of the casualties may be a result of gangland double-crosses---gang members killing each other or killing those of their rival gangs---instead of killings as a result of legit police operations. Once police start dealing with the grassroots, the hierarchy begins to be shaken. Suspicions arise and plague the entire system. Soon, those on the upper levels would prevent the spread of the plague by stopping it right on the lower middle section of the hierarchy.

Exactly what happened when the NPA years back started purging their ranks.

The police can then let the repercussions do the job on its own, gang members killing each other, eliminating all possible links to the higher-ups.

Thus, mostly small-time dealers get killed.

But eventually, the domino effect can go up higher levels and soon reach some people on top, especially if the middle section of the hierarchy has been infiltrated. Even some folks in the police and military could be involved.

This is when accomplices in high places start crying and attacking authorities, calling the attention of the media to the "senseless killings of innocent people." We saw the same when the NPA was hurting from the infiltration by the military. There were loud cries of "gross human rights violations" and even the Roman Catholic church bit the bait.

Once this level is reached, authorities know they are gaining the upper hand in the battle. This success can be sustained as long as authorities enjoy the approval of the people. If not, then they may resort to martial rule.

Admittedly, innocent people will be affected. It's inevitable in any "war." This is what so many people do not understand, because of their lack of experience in the underworld. Duterte warned us about this war during his election campaign, and I fully understood it. You can never deal successfully against the drug trade in the way human rights group would have it.

Some things cannot be solved peacefully. Even God had to arm Israel for issues that could not be settled except by a bloody war.

Here's the bottom line: If you have been smart enough to stay out of drugs, you shouldn't have any worries. Stay out of any place where illicit drugs exist and stay away from anyone involved with it. But if you involve yourself in any way, you have no-one to blame but yourself should anything bad happen to you.

I can't understand why anyone would involve himself with drugs. There's no good reason why.

If the drug problem has not gone this big  and seriously in the country, I'd be the first to protest against extrajudicial killings. But with the way things are, It is something that will and must happen. It's like how the Japanese Imperial Army could never have been driven out of the country unless a destructive war happened. No-one wanted the war---it would kill millions of innocent civilians---but it had to be done,