EDITORIAL — Now what?

Appearing before the Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee investigation's probe into the bloody war against drugs during his administration, former president Rodrigo Duterte admitted something last Monday what many suspected but never confirmed; he had a death squad against criminals.

“Thousands were killed when I was mayor, but they are criminals. I can make a confession now, if you want. I have a death squad. But they are not composed of police. They are gangsters…Do not question my policies because I offer no apologies or excuses. I did what I had to do. I did it for my country. The war on illegal drugs is not about killing people. It is about protecting the innocent and the defenseless,” he said during the hearing.

While we are tempted to say that this is something the wily and experienced politician might have said to rile up his opponents and is something that he will later take back, we have no doubt to doubt what he said this time; he is under oath and can be charged for perjury if he goes back on what he said.

But then again, him having a death squad has always been something everyone suspected, like an open secret everybody knows. While it is indeed shocking that he has admitted it, it isn’t really that much of a surprise anymore.

With that said, whatever justification he put forward to kill criminals is twisted and can never be justified.

One does not take the shortcut when it comes to justice or “enforcing” peace and order. Sure there are some who will say killing off criminals does provide for a safer atmosphere because they will become too scared to operate. But security brought about by fear and impunity isn’t real security at all, neither can such a strategy be sustainable in the long run.

Killing people without the benefit of them being proven guilty without reasonable doubt might feel good in the beginning, but eventually it will weaken the sense of justice all of us have.

There is also the fact that we aren’t sure some of those who were killed were even criminals. Like what happened in the war against drugs, some might have been totally innocent of crimes and just incurred the ire of his “gangster squad”.

With that also said, the question many are now asking is, will Duterte be taken to court for his admissions?