Political crisis in the Philippines has reached a new high as the impunity of the ruling elite demonstrates its audacity through the fleeing of dela Rosa: a man who has played a leading role in the Davao Death Squad, and has enabled the replication of these killings or “tokhang” operations nationwide, resulting in an abrupt end to the lives of an estimated 12,000 to 30,000 Filipinos.
Dela Rosa possesses the brazenness to assert that his Filipino citizenship dictates in which country he should be tried, with confidence that he has the Duterte faction on his side. Despite expressing shame and regret over his six-month absence from office, the Senator has yet to address the contradiction of receiving his full ₱300,000 monthly salary during that period. During this period, due to the US-Israel joint forces against Iran, the Marcos Jr. administration declared an energy crisis in April, the first in Southeast Asia to do so. Exorbitant oil price hikes pushed public utility vehicle (PUV) and transport network vehicle service (TNVS) drivers to seek other forms of livelihood, or worse, to face involuntary joblessness. Economic crises invariably hit the working class first and hardest; however, dela Rosa will always be immune to such struggles, drawing his salary in full regardless of his prolonged absence from office.
Moreover, the Senate sheltering dela Rosa has manifested the capabilities of people-elect government officials to perpetuate and to turn a blind eye on the oppression of the masses in order to protect their own interests. The Senate participated in the delay of the arrest of dela Rosa, cognizant of the truth that dela Rosa took advantage of utilizing the Philippine National Police (PNP) to carry out the killings, wherein most victims are minors and members of disadvantaged urban communities.
No due process took place in tens of thousands of merciless killings. Even in death, their identities were smeared by “planted” evidence, such as bags of methamphetamine and firearms, and disposing of the bodies with black garbage bags. On a daily basis and in many cases, operations of this nature have been justified by the PNP, accusing the victims who can no longer speak for themselves as “nanlaban”.
What took place is far from the alleged war on drugs: it was a targeted anti-poor killing machine with body count quota, which made urban poor communities fear what happens when everyone’s fast asleep. Bato dela Rosa, along with the rest of the Duterte administration, not just enabled this state-sponsored impunity of the PNP, but they also rewarded it.
Inklusibo reaffirms its support for the families of EJK victims, calling on the Marcos Jr. administration to surrender Bato dela Rosa to the jurisdiction of the ICC. Furthermore, we call for an end to the delays and posturing within the Senate, as such distractions do a disservice to the public interest.