WEEK 15 - THE ELECTION CHALLENGE
ED RENZO LANDICHO Philippine election is fast approaching but one presidential candidate stands out the most in polls,surveys, and in sociopolitical issues and that presidential candidate is none other than Mayor Rodrigo Duterte. He is being criticized by human rights groups for tolerating extrajudicial killings and in 2015, Duterte confirmed his links to extrajudicial killings in Davao, and warned that if elected president he may kill up to 100,000 criminals. Are there rights being violated? Yes, because a person is assumed innocent until proven guilty by the court and should undergo due process and this clearly violates the 1987 Constitution Article 3 Sections 1, 14 (1 and 2) because they are deprived the right to due process and the right of presumption of innocence. In the case of Jaypee Larosa (back in 2008) wherein it is stated that he was killed by the death squad even if he wasn’t connected to any illegal activities also, an eyewitness said that one of the gunman said “Son of a bitch, this is not the one”, the case of Jaypee Larosa proved that the system of Duterte is unjust and illegitimate. Every human being deserves to live as human and be able to self actualize while free from oppression, threats, and death and not have to live like an animal who is in constant fear for its life, freedom and security. Is it legitimate? No, even if a person is accountable of any illegal activity his/her rights must be protected and it is the role of the government to protect the rights of its citizens and also to uphold the law. There is a social contract that exist between the government and of its citizens; wherein the citizens pay taxes and in return the government gives them a better life and security, however, people cannot cooperate unless there is trust; this requires a guarantee that all members of society will work within the agreed upon “rules” thus the need for a government to enforce behaviors and punish in a justifiable manner. In this issue, trust between the citizens and the government is threatened because the government is not upholding the law and not protecting the basic rights of its citizens. Human beings, above their physical needs, have metaphysical needs which they strive to fulfill. It is a search for meaning, a search to find authenticity in oneself and one’s significance on this earth, to realize one’s full potential, and to pursue activities and relationships which allow for true happiness and fulfillment. To be human is to seek meaning in everything, and to condemn someone to a life of meaninglessness is to condemn them to a spiritual death. All of us deserve the opportunity to pursue happiness in the form of self-actualization. The role of the government is to value the intrinsic worth of life and help its citizens to self-actualize. However, the methods of Mayor Duterte threatens and take away the lives of its citizens without proper due process of the law. Davao City is named as one of the safest place in the world but with the prevalent extrajudicial killings, is Davao city really safe? You can die anytime in Davao.
