Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Video of Cops Torturing criminal in Tondo Manila: A slice of reality

I watched the alleged video showing a cop torturing a notorious criminal snatcher. The alleged video was shared by a concerned citizen with TV Patrol. The citizen says he also got it from another source, and the source had already gone into hiding, for fears of reprisals from cops in the Tondo Manila who took part in the alleged torture.

See the video here.

This video comes at the time when people are still discussing about the death of a young carnapper by the name of Ivan Padilla. Padilla, as some alleged, was killed by cops.

Torture, really, has no place in civilised society. Cops, especially, should not get involved in such a thing. Sometimes, however, you can't really blame cops for doing these things. I covered the police beat for years and I know how cops get frustrated every single time they catch somebody stealing someone's items and they see these thieves again on the streets.

Habitual delinquents should be taught a lesson. For example, in India, cops are known for being brutal especially to habitual social deviants. Cops curb crimes in a particular area by "sampling", meaning, they get some notorious criminal out there and make a sample of him either by killing him or torturing him. That significantly lower crime rate by 80%.

Cops assigned in highly urbanized poor communities such as Tondo Manila, try to cope with the culture of the place. And the culture is rooted in dominance. You need to dominate the people to earn their respect, that's what Tondo sub-culture is. You can't effectively curb crimes in the area without sending a clear message to the habitual delinquents in the area.

Such practices are tolerated in the police establishment because it is an effective deterrent against crimes. When a series of reports showing bodies of notorious criminals floating along the Pasig during General Alfredo Lim and General Robert Barber's time in Manila, crimes significantly eased back then. The strategy is simple--violence is the only language notorious criminals know, and to earn their respect, cops should speak their language.

I am not rationalizing what these cops did. I am just presenting an alternate viewpoint. Most people would definitely agree with me, especially those living in dangerous areas in Manila. Some, however, would not. 

That criminal, notorious or not, enjoys some rights in a democratic society. Those rights are enshrined in the Constitution. Sometimes, however, people themselves negate the very exercise of these rights for one simple reason--their very acts. When they habitually harm the populace with their illegal acts, and get away with it, they negate these rights. Rights, as defined, have an attached responsibility in them. When people act in an illegal manner, they negate this responsibility and sometimes, society, through its instrumentalities, has equal right to withdraw these rights from the perpetual social deviant.

1 comment:

  1. Those bastards are criminals.... spell C*R*I*M*I*N*A*L*S and criminals do bad things right? and they kill innocent civilians too!
    You do pity them but their daily victims piled up in the morgue.. they kill innocent civilians... most of them are students! They are hardcore criminals and they kill for MONEY.. get it??

    I am kinda perplexed because everytime cops kill those criminals they become the victims while they are obviously not! were tortured/killed because of the bad things that they made.. they are not innocent! But when criminals killed a cop... its never an issue! WHY?? Tell me! So its okay to kill a cop but never a criminal?? Oh God! This country sucks!

    You said that torture is not accepted in a civilized society right? Well, criminals are not accepted either! That Ivan Padilla.. huh! well he and his syndicate got lots of victims and they are piling up... a good thief is a dead thief thats all i can say!

    Most pinoys are full of awa and sympathy.. and thats is nice but take note.. awa is only good in a right circumstances. I cannot really see the logic of it.. we are the victims of these criminals yet we are the one who save them... its kinda idiotic and plain stupidity! well pinoy are born stupid! they never learn from mistakes! What I am trying to say is! Behind all our blah blah.. inhumane.. brutal... etc etc! Who are the winner here? The people? Damn no! The winner here are the criminals themselves.

    Why?? because.. they get public sympathy... they can do their business usual.. and they can get away with it! And they are laughing terribly because those people that they steal from become their protectors! Really insane right?! Normal and low IQ people like you.. just cant figure it out! thats why our country is still a 3rd world country because the people still think in a 3rd worldly in every sense!

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