KADAMAY calls for swift justice for tokhang victims, low-level offenders from low income backgrounds
The lightning-quick trial granted to accused drug suspect Juanito Jose Remulla III, son of DOJ Secretary Boying Remulla, has raised the eyebrows of urban poor group KADAMAY, calling for the same swift judicial treatment for Oplan Tokhang victims and all low-level offenders from low income backgrounds.
“Kapag anak ba ng DOJ Secretary na malapit sa mga Marcos at Duterte, mabilis mapapawalang-sala?” asked Mimi Doringo, KADAMAY National Secretary General. “Samantalang ang libo-libong maralitang biktima ng Oplan Tokhang, hindi na nabigyan ng pagkakataong maipagtanggol ang kanilang sarili dahil pinatay agad. Maging ang mga maliliit na kaso, pinatatagal pa lalo kapag mahirap ang nagkasala.”
KADAMAY said this only shows that the Marcos Jr administration is no different from its predecessor. Preferential justice is only accorded to those with political and economic power. “Asan d’yan yung ‘Bagong Pilipinas’ na campaign slogan ni Marcos Jr? Nagpalit lang ng mukha pero ang totoo, dehado pa rin ang mahihirap na Pilipino,” Doringo added.
Of the 30,000 reported extra-judicial killings under the War on Drugs, an overwhelming number are urban poor residents. Furthermore, adding to the poor’s deteriorating welfare is the surging inflation that the Marcos Jr government has allowed to uncontrollably accelerate over the last six months.
KADAMAY stressed that judicial reforms and socio-political justice should go hand-in-hand with reforms that comprehensively target social welfare for the poor. They argued that the increasing wealth gap in the country is also reflected in how justice is preferentially granted to the rich and powerful while the poor languish in prisons with little to no access to proper judicial privileges.
“Paano naman si dating senador Leila De Lima na naakusahan din ng mga kaso sa droga? Maging ang mga political prisoner, na karamihan ay mga maralita rin, na sinampahan ng mga gawa-gawang kaso dahil lang sa pagiging matalas na kritiko ng pamahalaan, ay patuloy na pinagkakaitan ng hustisya?” said Doringo.
“Paano pa kaya ang milyon-milyon pang maralitang Pilipino na napipilitan lang gumawa ng maliliit na krimen dahil sa kahirapan ng buhay na pinapalala ng kapabayaan ng gobyerno? Paano naman silang wala na ngang makain, lalong walang akses sa mga abogado at walang mahigpit na koneksyon sa gobyerno?”
