 |
The Punisher and one of his henchmen, Bato or “Rock” dela
Rosa
|
THE MAFIA STATE OF THE PHILIPPINES
Under Duterte the Philippines is a mafia state. Clandestinely he pays death
squads to carry out contract killings of drug user suspects and goads the police
to engage in rubout operations of political rivals, among others.
THE RISE OF THE MAFIA STATE
By Moisés Naím
There have always been countries whose leaders have behaved criminally.
Today is no different and in most of the world’s nations, graft, dishonesty in
the use of public funds and the “sale” of government decisions to the highest
private bidder are common. Corruption is the “norm” and we have become inured
to it.
Unfortunately, the assumptions that there is nothing new regarding
crime and corruption and that these plagues are an inevitable part of the human
experience are clouding an important change: the ascent of the mafia state, an
old player that has gained renewed potency.
These are not just countries rife with corruption or where organized
crime controls important swaths of the economy or even entire regions. Rather,
these are countries where the state controls and uses large and powerful
criminal networks to defend and advance the national interest and — as
importantly — the personal interests of the governing elite, their family and
friends. This is not new and pirates and mercenaries were commonly used by
monarchs and rulers since time immemorial. Even democracies, like the United
States, at times relied on criminals to achieve national security goals.
Perhaps the best known example occurred in 1960, when the CIA hired the mafia
to assassinate Fidel Castro. The execution of this mission was as inept as the
decision itself and the botched attempt only served to embarrass the U.S.
government and expand Castro’s popularity.
But in the last two decades a series of profound transformations in
politics and the global economy have added new capabilities to mafia states
thus spurring their influence. These are countries in which the traditional
concepts of corruption, organized crime, or government agencies infiltrated by
criminal groups do not fully capture the phenomenon in all its complexity,
magnitude, and consequences. In mafia states, it is not the criminals who
capture the state through the bribery and extortion of officials, but it is the
state that controls the criminal networks. It runs them for the benefit of
government leaders and their network of accomplices and associates. When it
takes over existing criminal cartels it’s not to stamp them out, but to control
and use them for the benefit of the criminalized government elites.
In countries like Bulgaria, Guinea-Bissau, Montenegro, Myanmar,
Ukraine, North Korea, Afghanistan, or Venezuela, the national interest and the
interests of organized crime are inextricably intertwined. In Bulgaria, for
example, Atanas Atanasov, a member of Parliament and former head of
counterintelligence has famously said that “other countries have the mafia; in
Bulgaria the mafia has the country.”
…Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Balkans, or Eastern Europe are…rife
with criminal enterprises whose daily activities are simply too large and
visible to assume that governments are not actively involved in their
management, protection and promotion.
This suggests that contemporary mafia states have acquired an
importance that should prompt us to rethink traditional concepts based in a
world order fundamentally composed of nation states and nongovernmental
organizations like businesses, religious and scientific institutions,
charities, terrorists, rogue criminals networks etc. The modern mafia state is
a hybrid whose behavior and reach we do not understand well. Largely because we
have not yet fully grasped its dangerous mutation and the heightened danger it
poses.
Moises Naim is a scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International
peace and the author of “Mafia States: When Organized Crime Takes Office” in
the current issue of Foreign Affairs.
—Moisés Naím, “The Rise of the Mafia State,” HuffPost, May 30, 2012, updated July 30, 2012
***
STATE-SPONSORED TERROR UNDER DUTERTE
STATE-SPONSORED TERROR UNDER DUTERTE
Zenaida Luz Killing in Flagrante Delicto
Mayor Dimaukom Ambush
Mayor Espinosa Rubout
Heart Chavez Murder
Duterte, Murderer: Preponderance of Evidence
Philippine Human Rights Day 2016
Foreign Businessmen Terrorized
Amnesty International Report
Duterte Command Responsibility
Davao City Death Squad: Duterte Contract Assassinations
Innocent Victims
Police Charged with Murder
Palit-Ulo Killing
Death Penalty Duterte License to Kill
Lascañas Testifies
Extrajudicial Killings Continue, Condoned by Duterte
Dead and Orphaned Children
International Call to Probe Extrajudicial Killings
Police Responsible for Mayor Espinosa Rubout on Way to Acquittal
Duterte Threatens to Bomb Lumad Schools
Duterte Moves to Abolish the Commission on Human Rights, a
Constitutionally Mandated Body
Fishermen Paid by Police to Dispose of “Drug War” Murder Victims
Rubout of Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog and 14 Others
17-Year Old Kian Murdered by Police
Duterte Threatens to Kill Members of Human Rights Groups
Duterte Incites Police to Murder Suspects by Provoking or Framing Them
Children Murdered in “Drug War”
Police Officer Quits After Superiors Order Him to Murder Drug Suspect
How Many Is 12,000 Victims?
Duterte’s Words “Have the Effect and Weight of Public Policy”
Duterte’s Drug War Is War on Poor
Amnesty International Condemns Extrajudicial Killings of Children
Church Bells Peal for Victims of Summary Extrajudicial Killings
Bishop Says Indifference to Killings Means Consent
Drug Addicts Should Not Be Killed Like Stray Cats and Dogs
Duterte, CRIMINAL PRESIDENT
Professors and Scholars Condemn Extrajudicial Killings
40 Nations Condemn Extrajudicial Killings and Impunity under Duterte
63% of Filipinos Believe Drug Suspects Killed Despite Surrendering
73% of Filipinos Fear They or Someone They Know Will Be an EJK Victim
90% of Filipinos Want Drug Suspects Captured Alive
IBP Condemns Duterte Attacks against Ombudsman
Duterte Top Ten Dictator
Policeman Testifies about Budget and Quota for EJKs
Police Whistleblowers Seek Protection of the Roman Catholic Church
Anonymous Drop Boxes Incite Arbitrary Arrests and Summary EJKs
Police Block CCTV before Murdering Drug Suspects
European Union Report on Human Rights in the Philippines 2016
Police Station 6 Terrorizes San Andres Bukid, Manila
New York Times Supports ICC Investigation
Roman Catholic Priests Targeted by Death Squads
22,983 Deaths under Inquiry Since Drug War Launched
Who Do You Think is Behind the Murder of Mayor Halili?
A state-sponsored policy does not have to be in writing. Hitler issued
no written orders to implement the Holocaust.
Duterte is the Killa in Manila.
Despite the carnage, Duterte continues to garner significant popular
support.
“Politics is a realm in which iniquity is multiplied many times over
when the masses like herds of animals incited by morally corrupt leaders
participate in systemic evil on a massive scale.”
***
OUTLAW FRATERNITIES
OUTLAW FRATERNITIES
Frat violence is symptom of a deeper problem
Inquirer.net
Inquirer.net
05:02 AM October 02, 2017
The insignia of fraternity gangsterism has been deeply embedded in
government and the sufferings of our people.
Beyond being the latest victim of campus violence and addition to
statistics of fraternity deaths, UST law student Horacio “Atio” Castillo III is
— in a broader sense — another vivid representation of the Filipino plight.
How many more hazing fatalities, movie/TV violence and bad governance
do we need before we’ll be awakened fully as a nation?
…Fraternities in schools and elsewhere should be disbanded and
outlawed, now! There is no reasonable, legal and moral argument procurable to
the contrary. Hazing violence is just a symptom of a deeper problem.
Government could have long done this but it did not and most certainly
would not, for the obvious reason that government is full of “high and mighty”
gods, securely entrenched atop their thrones in every administration. Alas,
they are and were themselves brainwashed masters and members of their
respective fraternity organizations, framed and fashioned by their avowals and
creeds in the “brotherhood,” molded by fraternities from their student years
and as professionals prior to entering “public service.”
Lo and behold, the country gets ever deeper into darkness.
RENI M. VALENZUELA, renimvalenzuela@yahoo.com
Public domain photo
ReplyDeletePhoto link:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:President_Duterte_with_PNP_Chief_Bato_081616.jpg
Gonzalinho
We have to recognize that a major part of the problem of degenerate governance is the population itself. This is the same population—in terms of cultural values and attitudes—that elected Estrada president. And Estrada was as corrupt as they come. It is this same population that today supports the psychopath Duterte in office. What has to change is the attitude of the population and their support for Duterte the mass murderer. Unless the Philippine people change the way they operate our political system, this continuing problem of a massively corrupt pervasively weak democracy will persist through generations.
ReplyDeleteGonzalinho
STATE-SPONSORED TERROR UNDER DUTERTE
ReplyDeleteZenaida Luz Killing in Flagrante Delicto
—Joseph Gonzales, “Against the claim that the police…,” November 2, 2016, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pierre.toussaint.338/posts/788150567993539
Also cited in Facebook post:
https://opinion.inquirer.net/98218/when-cops-turn-into-masked-killers
—Randy David, “When cops turn into masked killers,” Inquirer.net, October 16, 2016
Mayor Dimaukom Ambush
—Joseph Gonzales, “Duterte, Murderer,” November 6, 2016, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pierre.toussaint.338/posts/790462644428998
Also cited in Facebook post:
https://opinion.inquirer.net/98929/score-10-0
—“Editorial: Score: 10-0,” Philippine Daily Inquirer (November 3, 2016)
Mayor Espinosa Rubout
—Joseph Gonzales, “Duterte, Murderer,” February 7, 2017, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pierre.toussaint.338/posts/845498202258775
Also cited in Facebook post:
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/07/16/police-in-espinosa-rubout-wont-go-to-prison-duterte
—Dharel Placido, “Police in Espinosa ‘rubout’ won’t go to prison: Duterte,” ABS-CBN News, December 7, 2016
Heart Chavez Murder
http://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/in-depth/158886-impunity-end-drug-war
—Patricia Evangelista, “Impunity: Welcome to the end of the war,” Rappler.com, February 7, 2017
To be continued
Gonzalinho
STATE-SPONSORED TERROR UNDER DUTERTE (continued 2)
DeletePhilippine Human Rights Day 2016
https://www.facebook.com/pierre.toussaint.338/posts/811931308948798
—Joseph Gonzales, “Duterte, Murderer,” December 11, 2016, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pierre.toussaint.338/posts/811931308948798
Also cited in Facebook post:
https://opinion.inquirer.net/99908/outrage-not-apathy
—“Outrage, Not Apathy,” Inquirer.net, December 10, 2016
Foreign Businessmen Terrorized
http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2017/02/06/1669500/foreign-businessmen-fear-their-safety
—Non Alquitran, “Foreign businessmen fear for their safety,” Philstar Global, February 6, 2017
Amnesty International Report
https://www.facebook.com/rapplerdotcom/videos/1489825957704849/
—“Cops are paid to kill in PH war on drugs – Amnesty Int’l,” Rappler.com video, 0:54 minutes, February 1, 2017
Duterte Command Responsibility
https://www.facebook.com/pierre.toussaint.338/posts/843361789139083
—Joseph Gonzales, “Duterte, Murderer,” February 3, 2017, Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pierre.toussaint.338/posts/843361789139083
Also cited in Facebook post:
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/867788/dutertemost-responsible-for-drug-slays
—Aie Balagtas See, “Duterte ‘most responsible’ for drug slays,” Inquirer.net, February 3, 2017
Davao City Death Squad: Duterte Contract Assassinations
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/600247/news/nation/ex-davao-cop-now-claims-dds-exists-duterte-paid-up-to-p100k-per-target
—Kathrina Charmaine Alvarez, “Ex-Davao cop now claims DDS exists, Duterte paid up to P100k per target,” GMA News Online, February 20, 2017
To be continued
Gonzalinho
STATE-SPONSORED TERROR UNDER DUTERTE (continued 4)
DeleteInternational Call to Probe Extrajudicial Killings
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/609955/un-member-states-to-phl-probe-extrajudicial-slays-abandon-death-penalty/story/
—Erwin Colcol and Joseph Tristan Roxas, “UN member-states to PHL: Probe extrajudicial slays, abandon death penalty,” GMA News Online, May, 2017
Police Responsible for Mayor Espinosa Rubout on Way to Acquittal
http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/16/17/cop-linked-to-espinosa-slay-out-on-bail-as-court-downgrades-raps-to-homicide
—Ina Reformina and Sharon Evite, “Cop linked to Espinosa slay out on bail as court downgrades raps to homicide” ABS-CBN News, June 16, 2017
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/913339/bato-to-reinstate-supt-marcos-18-cops-in-espinosa-slay-to-full-duty
—Jeannette I. Andrade, “Bato to reinstate Supt. Marcos, 18 cops in Espinosa slay to full duty,” Inquirer.net, July 12, 2017
Duterte Threatens to Bomb Lumad Schools
https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/07/25/philippine-presidents-appalling-threat-bomb-tribal-schools
—Carlos H. Conde, “Philippine President’s Appalling Threat to Bomb Tribal Schools,” Human Rights Watch, July 25, 2017
Duterte Moves to Abolish the Commission on Human Rights, a Constitutionally Mandated Body
http://www.rappler.com/nation/177031-leni-robredo-against-chr-abolition?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=nation
—Patty Pasion, “Robredo against CHR abolition,” Rappler.com, July 28, 2017
Fishermen Paid by Police to Dispose of “Drug War” Murder Victims
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/07/philippine-police-dumping-bodies-drug-war-victims-170728034001676.html
—“Philippine police ‘dumping bodies’ of drug war victims,” Al Jazeera, July 28, 2017
Rubout of Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog and 14 Others
http://www.rappler.com/nation/177181-senators-reaction-ozamiz-city-mayor-reynaldo-parojinog-death?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=nation
—“Deaths after nighttime warrants suspicious – Drilon,” Rappler.com, July 30, 2017
17-Year Old Kian Murdered by Police
http://k2.abs-cbnnews.com/video/news/08/17/17/binatilyo-patay-nang-manlaban-sa-pulis-pero-iba-ang-kuha-sa-cctv
[Page not available]
Duterte Threatens to Kill Members of Human Rights Groups
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/aug/17/human-rights-watch-philippines-president-duterte-threat
—Oliver Holmes, “Human rights group slams Philippines president Duterte's threat to kill them,” The Guardian, August 17, 2017
To be continued
Gonzalinho