Identity Crisis of The Philippine Government - Argumentative E. (Cayago, Alethea C. - 12-Humss)

IDENTITY CRISIS OF THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT: TO
PROTECT OR NOT PROTECT

By: Alethea Cayago
When President Rodrigo Duterte was elected as the President of the Philippines in 2016,
the situation in the country regarding Human Rights worsened through the years. It started in
war of drugs which we all know that did more harm than good – though we cannot deny the
improvements that did happen. From the very start, Duterte’s administration is full of
disappointments, anger, hatred, and oppression that resulted to denying a lot of the citizens’
rights. Under the government's "war on drugs" campaign, a lack of accountability continued to
permit unlawful executions and other human rights violations.
An investigation into crimes against humanity has been launched by the International
Criminal Court (ICC). In the past year, threats and attacks against left-wing political activists,
environmental activists, community leaders, Indigenous peoples' leaders, journalists, lawyers,
and others have increased. Journalists and media firms were hounded by the government,
which used politically motivated prosecutions and other legal means to do so.
Duterte’s administration is really dirty that we could enumerate a lot of cases as well as
critics from the United Nations. The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human
Rights (OHCHR) released a damning assessment on the Philippines' human rights situation in
June 2020. The UN Human Rights Council passed a resolution in October extending the
country's probe for another two years, but without establishing an international investigation.
One of the most disturbing cases was the death of Baby River Nasino – child of Reina Nasino,
an activist. The death of the infant is one of the proofs that our justice system is unjust.
Leila De Lima who is still behind the bars without trial and still not proven guilty – she is
a political prisoner that’s been bullied by the highest officials because she is a critique and
against the administration’s war on drugs. Leila De Lima also faced humiliation from the public
because of the issue with her bodyguard. There is also the case of Maria Rossa – CEO of
Rappler. Maria Ressa, a journalist and critic of the "war on drugs," was awarded the Nobel
Peace Prize, but she still faces decades in prison due to pending prosecutions, including those
initiated by the government. The government also shut down the biggest television network,
ABS-CBN even if ABS-CBN did not violate the terms and conditions of its legislative franchise
when it availed of tax incentives through its subsidiary Big Dipper Digital Content Design Inc.
When the Pandemic reached the borders of our land, different controversial issues
surfaced. The government put the country under lockdown in March, restricting people's
movement to prevent the spread of Covid-19. The lockdown was enforced by the military, as
well as police and local officials. Hundreds of thousands of people were imprisoned and held in
overcrowded jails and detention centers, putting them at danger of getting the virus. In certain
situations, police and local officials used public humiliation and severe punishment to target
vulnerable populations, such as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people and
children. To stop the virus from spreading, the government has implemented various sorts of
quarantines and lockdowns since March 16. Local officials have been accused of placing curfew
violators in dog cages or punishing them by forcing them to sit in the sun for hours. Local
officials put two toddlers who were arrested after curfew into a coffin. Authorities apprehended
three LGBT people in April for breaking curfew. Officials humiliated them by forcing them to kiss
and dance in front of others. Many people jailed for breaching Covid-19 restrictions were placed
in overcrowded confinement centers where social separation is impossible, increasing their risk
of contracting the virus.
These are only some of the cases and evidences on how the Philippine’s justice system
is flawed and violating the rights of the citizens especially those who do not have the privilege,
power, or money. If we will mention every violation and unlawful acts of our government, we
need a book to compile it and elaborate why it is harmful and unlawful. These are facts – proof
that we are doomed under the hands of our government. The citizens should open their eyes
and make a stand because our nation is in a very critical condition not only because of our
government but also the people who refuses to see what our activists and educated people are
fighting about. The activists do not deserve the red-tagging and demonizing when they are
fighting for the same people who are supposed to be on their side.
References:
https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2021/country-chapters/philippines
https://www.amnesty.org/en/location/asia-and-the-pacific/south-east-asia-and-the-pacific/
philippines/report-philippines/

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IDENTITY CRISIS OF THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT: TO

PROTECT OR NOT PROTECT

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