Ginagawa ko yung tungkulin ko being the Barangay Captain of that place. Sabi nila, Tokhang,
lahat identified, o naidentify ko. Kunin natin sila, kinuha ko silang lahat. Tapos may
namamatay.
The other identified surrenderees in the barangay went into hiding after A.’s death, fearing
for their own lives. The barangay captain further challenged:
Ma’am, this is one of the questions you should ask to the police. You better put this
[down] and you remember this question. “Bakit pinipicturan ninyo yung mga na-tokhang
ninyo and then a week after, namamatay sila?”
The other participants also shared this suspicion about the police procedures in handling
drug cases:
Yes because the implementing agency, were the ones who are very involved in this. It is
very clear. Nagbubulag-bulagan na kasi tayo dito Ma’am eh, lahat naman, alam naman
natin na these are the practices, these are the modus operandi of the implementing
office… (Participant 8)
Palagay ko, utos sa taas yan. Hindi naman basta-bastang gawin ng isang tao yan kung walang
nag-utos. Ke mapa-pulis ke civilian ang pumatay, may utos. (Participant 10)
One participant stated that the drug-related killings also struck fear among barangay
captains who now did not want to discuss the incidents of EJK:
Hindi namin nadi-discuss yan kasi when it comes to reporting, alam ninyo ang mga
barangay captain ay takot. They have to protect the image of the police. That is why….
Papano kung babalikan? Binalikan yung dalawang Barangay Captain, yung isa nakalusot,
yung isa hindi. Gawin mo yun sa pulis [call them out], verbally, hindi mo magagawa, because
the first move that they have to do is to protect themselves. (Participant 9)
They cited cases in other barangays of buy bust operations where the police had allegedly
planted evdence, or masked killers being very bold in their actions: “Ganoon katapang ang
mga assassins, para bang wala silang kinatatakutan.” (Participant 7).
There were participants who shared that they developed a “phobia” of seeing strangers
riding in motorcycles, or of walking alone on the street. They cautioned their children not
to stay out late, or even linger on the roads where the killing took place. In this connection,
they are thankful that there is an established curfew in their barangay, and barangay
tanods go on street patrol at night. There is also a local ordinance that prohibits public
alcohol drinking. On a more personal level, a few partcipants said that they experienced
psychosomatic reactions to phones ringing in the middle of the night.
As if we are living in fear, wala na tayong katahimikan sa gabi, hindi ka na makatulog ng
mahimbing. Don’t you know na kapag nag-ring ang cellphone ng dis-oras ng gabi,
mapalpitate… para bang naghihintay ka na ng masamang balita, di ba? O kayo, kayo, base
sa experience ninyo, di ba ganoon? (Participant 1)
Panaghoy: The Philippine War on Drugs from the Perspective of Women
March 2019
44
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