VOICE OF SILENCE: THE TRAGIC BALLET OF JUSTICE IN PHILIPPINES STREETS

||Cesca Marie Sumayod, Venus Jacinto, & Paul Nyll Mulate

The death of Jherode Jemboy Baltazar, a 17-year-old aspiring seaman, adds to the alarming police killings. Dissatisfied with his father’s allowance, he took up fishing for extra income and enjoyed typical teenage activities with friends. Tragically, imprudent actions by authority figures robbed him of the chance to repeat those experiences, leaving Lisa, his family, and friends grieving, dissatisfied with his death being dismissed as another lapse of police judgment. They are looking for justice, and justice must be served to them. So, we had to ask “Ano po ba ang nangyari? (What happened?)”

Mistaken Identity

“Talagang napagkamalan lang si Jemboy (Jemboy was just mistakenly identified)” Jemboy’s grandmother, Lisa, shared while on the verge of crying. In a personal interview with Lisa last October 31, 2023 in Navotas City, she reminisced the events of August 2, 2023, the day of her grandson’s death in the hands of the local police, revealing the bitter reality of extrajudicial killings and the alarming truth of being ‘mistakenly identified’ in this country.

According to her, at noon of August 2, 2023, Jemboy and his friend known as “Sunny Boy,” who was currently residing in a safe house by the time we came, were preparing the boat that they were going to board later that day when the police troop appeared unbeknownst to both of them. Firing a surprise warning shot, the police did not explain showering them with bullets, causing panic and leading Jemboy to fall into the boat’s hole. This debunks the police’s initial claim that Jemboy intentionally jumped into the water. Upon learning of the situation from her neighbor, Lisa rushed to the scene seeking help for Jemboy, who had been submerged for hours. Her appeal to the police was rejected, as they assumed Jemboy might have escaped. However, three hours later, Jemboy’s father, not the people Lisa sought help from, discovered his lifeless body.

The police were looking for a certain “Rey-Rey”, an individual involved in a holdup case during the dawn that same day, together with “Toto” and “Kenneth”, who died during the encounter. In an attempt to target “Rey-Rey,” a group of 6 policemen went to the boat where Jemboy and “Sunny Boy” were, due to the “tip” from Toto’s wife, claiming that “ReyRey” was with them. The police erred by neglecting proper measurements to confirm the presence of “Rey-Rey” and potential harm to civilians. Additionally, they deviated from protocol by firing a warning shot when only unarmed individuals, posing no threats, were present.

Shoot to Kill

Former President Rodrigo Duterte a.k.a “The Punisher” is cited as a reason for the rampant police killings. His administration adopted a violent approach, endorsing a “shoot to kill” policy against resisting criminals that has led to over 6,000 police killings in the Philippines from 2016 to 2021 based on the latest data from the World Population Review. Investigations by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch found that police saw Duterte’s words as a ‘permission’ to kill civilians, with HRW uncovering police planting evidence as an excuse.

Recently, the youth, like Jemboy Baltazar, face danger instead of pursuing dreams due to extrajudicial killings. Jemboy Baltazar joins the list of minors, at least 54 according to a 2017 Rappler report, who fell victim to police “lapse of judgment”, termed “collateral damage” by Duterte. The first conviction under Duterte involved the killing of 17-year-old Kian Delos Santos, sparking resistance against these killings. Recently, a dismissed police officer, Jefrey Perez, was sentenced to 20 years on March 1, 2023, for the murder of 14-year-old Reynaldo “Kulot” De Guzman and 19-year-old Carl Arnaiz.

The war on drugs has veered in a path that negatively affecting the poor who struggle to seek justice. “Nakikipag-areglo po sila (They are making arrangements with us),” shared Lisa. Despite police claims of only involving concerned relatives, Lisa is upset that they tried to reconcile the incident, raising doubts about her grandson’s value. She hopes his death won’t be deemed worthless, and justice won’t be purchasable.

Voice of silence

In the heart of Navotas, a chilling silence echoes the aftermath of police killings, leaving an indelible mark on the once-vibrant community. The city now grapples with a tarnished reputation, fear-laden atmosphere, and a deeper narrative of identity struggle and determination for a different future amid dread. Police killings cast a dark shadow, fostering skepticism and negative perceptions, painting Navotas as a crime hotspot where law enforcement operates with an iron fist, eclipsing its once proud identity with the stain of violence.

Despite this, there appears to be a startling lack of interest in the community. Caught in the middle of this reputation crisis, the people of Navotas seem to go about their lives with a strange regularity. It is told by the people of Navotas that there are no coordinated movements or voices calling for change, which begs the question of why there is such a sharp contrast between the prevailing anxiety and the absence of a coordinated reaction.

In the face of police killings, Navotas confronts a crucial question:Is the community resigned to accept this fate, or is there a dormant resilience waiting to be awakened? The absence of visible activism does not necessarily indicate apathy; rather, it may underscore the need for nuanced and community-specific solutions that address the root causes of both the violence and the silence that surrounds it. Whether this silence will continue or if signs of change will eventually appear is something that only time will tell.

All f(or) nothing

Jemboy won’t be the last victim of police killings in our country. In the same week of his death, two of his friends, John Rey Basie, A.K.A “Rey-Rey,” the initial target of the police regarding the accident with Jemboy, and Daniel Soria, who was with “Rey-Rey” at that moment, were killed by unknown suspects. These suspects shamelessly sent Daniel’s wife a message that says “patay na asawa mo (your husband’s dead)” using Daniel’s own phone.Two weeks later, another 15-year-old, John Frances Ompad, fell victim to police killing in Navotas, shot mistakenly while his brother was targeted and assaulted by allegedly drunk police officers.

“Mag ingat kayo, baka balikan nila [mga pulis] kayo (Be careful, they [police] might get back to you),” was Lisa’s warning after we bid goodbye with her eyes glistening with tears, perhaps mourning her grandson’s death or genuinely fearing police return, finds solace in the Supreme Court’s assurance that involved officers are held. Yet, uncertainty lingers, questioning the validity of this assurance. After all, she wasn’t that rich to hire security detail for her and her family’s safety, a renowned lawyer to guarantee the justice she seeks, and the authority to have a say in what should or shouldn’t be done. She doesn’t have that. Jemboy doesn’t have that. Most of us don’t have that.

In times like this, where should we, the ones who don’t have a lot, go? Police kill, the government tolerates, and the law appears distant, allowing injustices to roam freely. Do we still need to wait patiently? To standby as the officials do their jobs? Time can heal only a limited number of wounds. A seed grows into a tree, and a fun bonding after five months becomes a memory. Time moves swiftly, and if we don’t act now, the deaths of many Filipinos might be forgotten, rendering them all for naught, while doors of freedom open for those who don’t deserve it. <w>