‘In this case, the attempt at a cover-up through a contrived autopsy report that the victim had died of natural causes was a huge treacherous act…’
THE young policeman wrote a poem to his 3-month-old son, encouraging him to be kind and respectful to others when he grows up. The poem and photos of the cop and his child have gone viral. Except in the FB post, they would never be together again. The father got infected with COVID-19 and died. This cop’s memory should not be taken up along with Maj. General Debold Sinas’ name which seems unfit for polite conversation. The heroic passing of the cop towers above the regaled but unworthy officials plaguing the corridors of power and, without doubt, redeems the image of the PNP immeasurably.
In the midst of the constant rantings in social media against government authorities, we find our souls suddenly warmed with a swirling tenderness for our uncomplaining frontliners, including the police manning checkpoints or making arrests. A few wrongdoings do not debase the purity of the dedication and hard work of kindly and family-loving police officers and men.
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The killing of a black man by a white police officer has sparked protest riots across many cities in the US. There was a series of random killings of blacks the past year, but nothing has so enraged millions of Americans than the ruthlessness of the apparent murder flashed all over the internet.
The public anger over the shooting to death of Rodney King some 20 years ago was not as widespread. The heated sentiments against the perceived fascist police system where police officers accused of brutality commonly escape conviction and a prison term have boiled over. People pouring out into the streets, agitated and unafraid, seems to be a testament to the strong empowerment of US citizens with the right to open dissent for justice and accountability if and when any of the nation’s major institutions break down.
In this case, the attempt at a cover-up through a contrived autopsy report that the victim had died of natural causes was a huge treacherous act trampling the lawful order right under their noses. And that the suspect was going to be coddled just like the rest before him has literally ignited the inferno against the wretched criminal justice system there.
Our brief history with democracy waylaid by a brutal dictatorship and with its hated remnants back in government leaves so much to be desired, especially for people who are still bought by politicians during elections. The live TV and radio news of suspected drug addicts and pushers lying in a pool of blood after being gunned down in alleged police shootouts showed all the signs of a rub-out had been evident but shamefully ignored. Only the news media and a few NGOs joined the grieving families in a fleeting uproar against the remorseless drug operatives.
Justice has not come as the nation wallowed in a numbing fear and indifference that led anew to our country’s criminal justice approaching the brink of irrelevance and doom, especially for the poor and the underprivileged.
The riots in the US should invariably exhibit a mockery for us and our decency that have driven away our proper and striving thoughts for brave civic action. The thousands in EJKs did not get their day in court and had been wiped out from the face of the earth as we gaily feed on our comfort and complacency, already blind to the vicious social realities rendered minimal and unwelcome by the countless cowardly and self-indulgence.