Sunday, January 29, 2017

VIGILANTES OF THE LAW

NOT ALL VIGILANTES ARE ABOVE THE LAW

The meaning of the word ‘vigilante’ is used to refer to any individual who operates outside the limitations of the law. They formulate their own concept of justice and carry it out without any authority, permission, or instruction from judicial factions of the government. Their actions, without the consent or support of judiciary system, make them no different from what they oppose. Because they practice their own methods of fighting crime instead of following regulations based on the law; they become branded as criminals as well. However, they are criminals who have a ‘two-faceted’ social standing. Their actions are either condoned or criticized by society; each judgement is dependent on the relative outlook of society. This is the commonly accepted description of a vigilante.

The Duterte administration, however, proves an offshoot from the generally accepted meaning of “vigilante”. A president who is biased against drug-related issues fabricates a ‘war against drugs’ and empowers subordinates with the privilege to practice extra-judicial killings. To add, Rodrigo Duterte unreservedly proclaimed his ardor for the eradication of any individual/s connected to drugs; whether they are users, pushers, or members of syndicates. He makes no attempt to conceal his indifference with regards to the methods law enforcers use to act out his orders and propagate the elimination of drugs from the country.

Other than suspected drug lords and syndicates, even local citizenry begin dropping like flies when officers show no reserve during raids. More often than not, such operations ended with corpses of persons whose civil rights have been neglected. As a result, appropriate civil procedures have become obsolete; and the public share opposing views with regards to this social issue.

The current administration, by the impression it has made upon the masses, have garnered both the favor and criticism of the people. Opposing factions either support or condemn the procedure by which the ‘drug-war’ is put into practice. The individuals who carry out these unorthodox methods, as well as those who support them, are the people who wield positions of authority in the government;  Justice Secretary Vitalliano Aguirre II and PNP Chief Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa to specify a few.


Vigilantes fight crime in their own way, with complete disregard to the letter of the law. This is the reason they are considered ‘above’ it. When government officials and their subordinates connive to meet ends in the fashion of vigilantes, they are an undeniable example of the latter, but WITHIN the law.

No comments:

Post a Comment