Ignacio, Mary Anne Kristelle H.

October 10, 2017

PS 402 Prof. Rita Cucio

Thought Paper "Voices from Morayta"

"Philippines is the new killing fields of Asia." The dreadful killing of drug addicts, civilians,
innocents, young people, including their hopes and dreams are encountered on the hands of
government and authorities particularly the police/military officers under the Duterte regime is not
without precedent. Thousands are slaughtered without "proper prosecution". As Political Science
students, we are aware that drug addiction and drug related fatalities is rampant in the Philippines.
Previous administrations probably either turned a blind eye or coddled drug lords, often police
and military officials, infecting poor communities and generations of unemployed and unschooled
youth. Ever since the Duterte Administration, we have heard different stories, sides, speeches
and reports regarding this issue but today if we could just open our eyes and adapt awareness,
without a doubt, it's as if we went back to the past and repeat horrors from our history. Is this a
manifestation that we Filipinos have learned nothing from our past? Are we all possible victim of
"extrajudicial killing?" And if it really exists, what is the current wave of the extrajudicial killings in
the Philippines? These are just some of the competing voices Filipino people have long been
waiting to be heard and be given an answer.

Last September 29, 2017, The Department of Political Science together with Interdisciplinary
Studies conducted a conference entitled "Voices from Morayta" that dissertate and weighs the
competing voices in the extrajudicial discourse. As a democratic country, the "voices" of the
Filipino people is a powerful tool that will galvanize a better political system. These voices cry to
be heard and cries for a change. In relation to this, the initial discussion provided by Atty. Jesus
Falcis attempts to reach out to the voices of some victims of "extrajudicial killings" by providing
concrete arguments and symposium about its definition and existence. He mentioned that EJK
(extrajudicial killing) as an idea, as a concept and as a legal matter really does exist. Moreover,
the recent issue and tragedy about a 17-year-old student from Caloocan City that was killed
during police operation of the war on drug is an example that extrajudicial killing as a fact and a
matter of reality also exists. Alongside of this, to chew over the current situation of the society
under the "war on drugs" most of the victims are part of the vulnerable, marginalized sectors of
society. Curtailing their basic rights to a life of dignity, denying them due process and equal
treatment under the law, will surely not solve addiction. Everyone recognizes that Duterte’s plan
is an insane program of solving a perennial socio-economic malady. Perhaps the most equitable
definition of state violence for me is when an act of violence is carried out by or sponsored by a
government itself that involves deliberate attacks on civilians for the purpose of attaining political
order and the goal to attain self-interest. As per what Atty Falcis have concluded, extrajudicial
killing exists and can be witnessed in today's society, the more important thing and the plangent
voice asks "Who is committing it?"