Philippines Fights Back? Duterte’s “Kill, Kill, Kill” Order Meets Moral Outcry
President Rodrigo Duterte decided the last week – and the military’s new “red‑flag” policy says it’s fully legal – that any armed rebel is fair game. His messenger, Harry Roque, put the rationale in a crisp, 15‑minute briefing: “The President’s death threat is lawful because the target was armed.” Yet all eyes are now on the fresh bloodshed: nine activists, allegedly “old‑school” supporters of the cause, were killed in what human‑rights groups say was a misdirected hit‑and‑run “counter‑insurgency” operation.
While the government insists it will “investigate” the blast, the Catholic Bishops of the Philippines sounded the alarm, calling the Saturday onslaught “unnecessary force,” warning: Bloody Sunday is not a church‑Holidays (nor does it have the fun of a Sunday roast).
Military Heavies to the Rescue?
Lieutenant‑General Antonio Parlade, the top anti‑rebellion commander, told Reuters the raids were a “legitimate law‑enforcement operation.” He also rang the rescue bell: they had search warrants for guns and bombs. What the activists and their followers thought was a military sting – to prove it all took place – is that the raids mirrored the mass killings that exploded under President Duterte’s drug war. Police had long claimed all those shot had been armed, because their assault was overseen under the “fire” and “human‑rights” doctrine, which people say is just a catch‑phrase that never sets the law abides.
Key Points – The Flash Summary
- President Duterte’s “kill” directive was deemed legal because the target was armed and allegedly rebel.
- Human‑rights groups argue the order is a thinly legal cover for the indiscriminate killing of activists.
- The Catholic Bishops condemned the violence, calling it “unnecessary force” during “Bloody Sunday.”
- Seven of the nine deaths were solidarity organizers from a left‑wing group calling for “no red‑tagging.”
- Human Rights Watch warns the counter‑insurgency campaign is not distinguishing rebels from non‑combatants.
- Since taking office in 2016, Duterte’s peace talks with the Maoists have been shelved repeatedly, for good measure.
As the Government claims to be a legal force for good, the community is left to ask: do these orders match the respect for human dignity, or are we simply playing a legal hit‑and‑run game while a law-ful robot does the justice? Time will tell whether the “kill, kill, kill” protocol will survive the moral and diplomatic backlash. In the meantime, the war on words and the war on people continue to blaze. Only one thing’s for sure: this drama has every element of a riveting blockbuster (minus the fireworks).
