EDITORIAL

Let justice prevail

Obviously, President Dutertes
forceful actions have certainly
amplified the steadfastness
of his crusade against drugs,
criminality, and corruption.
Those who voted for The
Punisher counted on him
against crime and drugs to
clean the streets, as it were,
of drug pushers, syndicates,
and would-be criminals. And
just barely four months into
office he appears to have kept
his word. As they say, change
has come indeed. However,
we also have to stop and ask
ourselves at what cost?
The question is proper,
for the spate of killings countrywide has become a
creeping normality, most seemingly.
Truth be told, a series of summary executions has
gained the attention of human rights advocates, who
insist that the rule of law and due process be followed
in dealing with hardened criminals. But these killings
have been snubbed by the public, judging from Pens Power
their absence of collective uproar and resistance.
Observably, the murder of drug pushers, guilty or Since the days of what might pushed their limits lancing the
not, has become such a clich in the country that it be called their gestation period, pustules of the society and
has earned a tolerable state among the Presidents Philippine journalists have always exposing injustices and the
adhered to being, and have excess use of power at all levels
fandom. continued right up to this present of the society, while responding
Some are even proud of it. Others have accepted day to be, practitioners of what to an enquiring public opinion.
it as a brand of justice. But this acceptance remains a the great legal minds in this It is then a cardinal rule we
misconception. country have described uphold such
Although we support the Presidents stand against
heinous crimes, the practice of shoot to kill is
as the principles of
responsible journalism.
Aware that their
bravery of
the pen.

certainly not the best way to achieve the goal of freedom of expression ...the professions Nowadays,
a safer country. If this mandate is abused, what we and information is both however,
a political and legal golden rules: the kind of
would end up with are even more vigilantes walking
the streets with a convoluted sense of wild wild west
minefield, they have
always been vigilant in
Fact is sacred. journalism
that we
justice. In fact, things might get even more dangerous their resolve at every Opinion is free. have is fully
for killing a suspect simply leads to more injustices. turn to insist on respect embracing

for the rule of law and
Worse, it allows us to embrace the culture of impunity for democracy.
wherein we allow those behind the killings go scot free. As seekers of truth, we
Solving a crime does not stop at the arrest or take our hats off for that!
Truth be told, our country
once thrived under the cusp of
the incipient and even greater
letter to the editor threats to the freedom of the
press. But our brave pen pushers,
who believed in the powerful
lighthouse of free expression,
made themselves as instruments
and catalysts of change. Through
retrospective journalism, they
the
experiences
of our
audiences,
sharing their stories, using their
knowledge, and hosting their
opinions. Ensuring then balance
and fairness in professional
media work would be quite
challenging for these qualities
are entirely missing from social
media postings. Quite obviously,
there is a trend for some real
journalistic media to make

editorial board