In English, the word "Salvage" means to rescue or save. However, it has a different meaning in the Philippines: apprehending a suspected criminal and executing them without trial. This does not allow the alleged perpetrator to prove their innocence or, if found guilty, be given the appropriate sentence for violating the law.
I don’t know who coined that term or which media organization first used it. For me, I think the term salvage was used after some of the suspected criminals or individuals involved in illegal activities were found floating in rivers or creeks after being killed. Their bodies were recovered or retrieved, which were synonyms of salvage.
However, news organizations in the Philippines changed that to extra-judicial killing or EJK, which was more appropriate. EJK incidents, torture, and other forms of summary execution were rampant during the two-decades-long term of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. after he declared Martial Law on Sept. 21, 1972, mainly targeting critics of his iron-fist rule.
EJKs again became part of the daily news cycle in the Philippines when former Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, a seasoned politician, was elected president by 39 per cent of the voters. Davao City is a highly urbanized metropolis in Davao Del Sur province on the southern island of Mindanao.
Even though I am thousands of miles away from my homeland, I have been following and keeping myself informed on the latest news and issues happening daily through credible media outlets, my journalist friends and former colleagues who have been documenting the events, and social media posts by human rights lawyers and advocates.
During his six-year rule as Philippine president, tens of thousands of suspected drug peddlers and users were killed during his war on drugs, mainly from the poorest sector, while alleged drug kingpins roam free. The exact number is unknown, with some saying it reached over 30,000. The almost daily killings caught international attention from foreign news outlets.
What made Duterte’s war on drugs issue more controversial were cases of mistaken identities and deaths of individuals being caught in the crossfire of alleged vigilantes or even police officers, and the lack of due process to give the suspect a chance to prove if they are guilty or innocent on the supposed crime of selling or using illegal substances like crystal meth.
Take the case of 17-year-old Kian delos Santos, who police said tried to run and shot them after carrying a concealed firearm during an anti-illegal drug operation in their neighbourhood. He was fatally shot in an alleged shootout, and according to the police report, recovered on Delos Santos were a .45-caliber pistol, four cartridges and two sachets of suspected crystal meth.
However, the CCTV footage and witness accounts tell a different story. CCTV footage shows that two men, who later were identified as plainclothes police officers, dragged Delos Santos—who dreamt of applying at the Philippine National Police Academy, to a spot where his body would later be found with a third man seen following them in the same direction.
A witness claimed that Delos Santos begged for his life and was even heard saying in Filipino, “Tama na po! Tama na po! May test pa po ako bukas” (Please stop! Please stop! I still have a test tomorrow). That turned out to be his last words after being shot. His uncle questioned the police report, saying his nephew was wearing boxer shorts and could not have concealed a gun, and his father added the weapon was recovered on Delos Santos’ left hand, while his son was right-handed.
Carlo Arnaiz, a 19-year-old honour student, is another example. According to the police report, Arnaiz is a suspect in robbing a taxi cab and fired against the officers when they tried to arrest him, so they shot and killed the teen. But his mother questioned the police’s side of the story on why her son became a suspected robber, telling him he was a brilliant kid after graduating valedictorian from his elementary class and finishing secondary education at the prestigious Manila Science High School. After passing the tricky and mind-numbing UP College Admissions Test, he would study at the University of the Philippines, a top-ranked educational institution.
A forensic expert who conducted an autopsy on Arnaiz’s remains said his body had deep cuts and bruises, his eyes were swollen shut, and there were handcuff marks that showed signs of torture with the intent of killing the helpless teen. According to a public attorney, how can Arnaiz fight back when there were handcuff marks?
These were two of many meaningless deaths involving teenagers who could have been mistaken for the real suspects whom the police were looking to arrest and be prosecuted for selling or using illegal substances like crystal meth. Some kids were under 10 years old caught in the crossfire, becoming collateral damage in an alleged shootout between police and suspected drug dealers and users.
Almost three years after Duterte’s presidency ended, he was arrested on March 11 by Interpol on charges of crimes against humanity filed at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands. Duterte and 11 of his closest allies were accused of the mass murder of thousands of Filipinos, which began when he was Davao City mayor behind the infamous Davao Death Squad. The case was filed at the ICC after former Philippine lawmakers Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and Magdalo party-list Representative Gary Alejano argued that the Philippine government has no interest in holding Duterte accountable for his alleged human rights abuses and violations.
In 2018, the ICC began the preliminary investigation allegedly linking Duterte to the summary execution of thousands during his war against drugs. The same year, Duterte sent a written notification to the United Nations to withdraw the Philippines from the Rome Statute, the treaty establishing the ICC. However, in early 2019, the ICC stated it still had jurisdiction to pursue the case since the Philippines, despite the withdrawal taking effect, was still part of the Rome Statute from November 2011 to March 2019, which included the time when the crimes were committed.
In 2021, the Supreme Court of the Philippines ruled that Duterte could not use his decision to withdraw the country from the Rome Statue to avoid investigation and prosecution. The SC said Duterte, as president, does not have the sole power to terminate international agreements without the approval of the Philippine Senate, thus confirming the ruling that as a former State Party, the Philippines remains under ICC jurisdiction for acts committed before the withdrawal.
Duterte is now detained in The Hague, sparking outcry and condemnation from his allies and thousands of his supporters from the Philippines and Filipinos working in different countries. Protests and prayer rallies were held by overseas Filipinos worldwide, including here in Saskatoon, on Saturday, March 22. The group braved the heavy snowfall to show their support, bordering on political fanaticism, for their beloved leader at the Civic Square beside Saskatoon City Hall.
Despite the protest, a show of support, and prayer rallies—where chants of “Bring Him Home” echoed—the ICC will continue hearing the case and give Duterte a chance to prove his innocence. At the same time, the prosecution tries to present a grim picture of terror and mayhem that cost thousands of human lives.
I admire what Duterte did in Davao City, where people are disciplined, and crime rates are low. However, I am against any form of violence if innocent lives are affected. People, some of whom I do not know, have ridiculed my opinion and even branded me a drug user and supporter of illegal narcotics. I know I am addicted to playing badminton and singing in a choir, among the many talents Filipinos are famous for. Pax et bonum (Peace and goodwill).
