YIELDING JUSTICE TO THE VICTIMS OF THE SUMMARY

EXECUTION ON ANTI-DRUG CAMPAIGN

POSITION PAPER

Prepared by: Kate Ashly Mae B. Aterado

INTRODUCTION

The summary executions must be stopped to protect the human rights of the accused
person. To bring justice to the families of the innocent and defenceless victims. The summary
executions shouldn’t be stopped at all especially in the military and the police operations who
truly perform their duties in battling communist and terrorist the summary executions which I’m
pertaining to be stopped are on the anti-drug campaign because it takes the lives of the innocents.
“A summary execution is an execution in which a person is accused of a crime and immediately
killed without the benefit of a full and fair trial. Executions as the result of summary justice (such as a
drumhead court-martial) are sometimes included, but the term generally refers to capture, accusation, and
execution all conducted within a very short period of time, and without any trial”.

BODY

Summary executions were much more common in our life than we think because
“Summary executions have been practiced by police, military, and paramilitary organizations
and are frequently associated with guerrilla warfare, counter-insurgency, terrorism, and any other
situation which involves a breakdown of the normal procedures for handling accused prisoners,
civilian or military.” But even if it is commonly practiced there are exceptions that needs fair
justice and one of these are the innocent and defenceless victims of the war on drug campaign
that occurs in the Philippines which started in 2016. These cases of summary executions must be
served with right and fair justice for there are cases that the victims were innocents and were
planted with guns and drugs to cover the mistakes that the operation have caused. One of the
most controversial war on drug case is the case of Kian Delos Santos, “The killing of Kian Delos
Santos in the capital city, Manila, has been one of the most high-profile deaths in the campaign.
He was found dead in an alley. He was accused by police of being a drug runner - though the
family dispute this. Police said they had killed him in self-defence.” Based on this case it is true
that not all of the accused and killed personalities were guilty and we can also proved that the
police officers that was ordered and permitted to exterminate those accused person who’ll fight
back have practiced to cover up their mistakes by planting guns and drugs to the victim’s bodies.
This case is just one of the cases that needs justice to be served.

According to Merriam-Webster dictionary the definitions of justice are; “the maintenance

or administration of what is just especially by the impartial adjustment of conflicting claims or
the assignment of merited rewards or punishments”, “the establishment or determination of
rights according to the rules of law or equity“. Justice doesn’t care about the race, social status,
gender or wealth. It serves to the ones who need it. According to the military jurisdictions
“Under the jurisdiction of military law, summary execution is still illegal in almost all
circumstances, as a military tribunal would be the competent judge needed to determine guilt and
declare the sentence of death. However, there are certain rare exceptions to this rule in
emergencies and warfare where summary execution is legal.” And according to United Nations
Human Rights Council “Without respect for the right to life, no other human right can be upheld.
Extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions – meaning the deliberate killing of individuals
outside of any legal framework - are a violation of this most fundamental right.” Based on the
supporting evidence from military jurisdiction we can conclude that even if it is an order from
the president to exterminate all the drug syndicates who’ll fight back, it is still morally wrong
and illegal and justice shall be still serve to all the victims.

CONCLUSION

The summary executions must be stopped to protect the human rights of the accused
person. The Commission on Human Rights and Department Of Justice must Serve justice to the
families of the innocent and defenceless victims. Summary executions are illegal in every way
that’s why it should be stopped and every human have the rights to live and to be free that’s why
their rights must be preserved and protected. Everyone knows that this kind of issue are
significant and needed a stand and to be defended for everyone’s sake that’s why I am pretty sure
that sooner or later I will gain bipartisan in this position and proposal paper. There’s no need to
modify existing laws or organization related to justice and human rights all we need is rightful
educators to teach our fellow police officers what can be done if an order like this summary
executions were given to them because they might not know that in any kind of illegal way of
pursuing peace can be rejected by them. I am confident that this academic work of mine are
efficient not in a way of persuasion and influence but in a way that I write what is real from this
issue that we were facing.
References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summary_execution

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-46381697#:~:text=The%20killing%20of%20Kian%20Delos
%20Santos%20in%20the,drug%20runner%20-%20though%20the%20family%20dispute%20this .

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/justice

https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Summary_execution