56-year-old Roel Degamo, a four-time Negros Oriental governor for over 20 years, was shot dead by six assailants outside his family's residential compound in Barangay 9, Pamplona town, Negros Oriental on Saturday, March 4, 2023. He was attending an event for Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries at the time he was killed with long firearms by these six assailants, who then fled aboard two sports utility vehicles (SUVs).
Fast forward 17 days later, Negros Oriental 3rd District Representative Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr., who was tagged as the alleged mastermind behind Degamo's killing by suspects in the same killing, had refused to come home to the Philippines to face the complaints filed against him amid assumed threats to his life.
If Teves truly was innocent and wanted to clear his name, then he would be more than willing to abandon any fear he has towards the threats to his life and come home to face the complaints against him. From this instance alone, it can be presumed that he is simply delaying justice in order to save himself.
Going back to Degamo's killing, if justice is not being done to a supposedly powerful official like the late governor, what more if an ordinary person were to suffer the same fate?
Illustration by Neil Roman
Some Ways to Uphold Justice in a Society of Injustice
In line with this, here are some ways wherein anyone can uphold justice in an otherwise injustice-ridden world:
1. Hold peaceful widespread protests and demonstrations. Peacefully demand that the perpetrators of any crime, whether official or non-official, be held responsible and heavily penalized for their actions. Protests and demonstrations should not escalate to the same level of violence as some "Black Lives Matter" movements in the United States, because some media companies have been speculated to capitalize on even a few violent protests which may lead to increasing levels of unnecessary violent civil unrest. For as long as these peaceful protests and demonstrations are visibly and consistently being supported by people all over the country, they can surely bring awareness to millions of people, and that is already a success in itself.
2. Vote for those officials with a proven track record of effectively upholding justice - that is, making sure that all perpetrators swiftly and rightfully get what is due (a life sentence with complete asset seizure), while, at the same time, ensuring that no innocent gets wrongfully executed. Do not vote for those without this track record, as these people are the reason why many perpetrators get away with their crimes and why many innocents still get executed.
3. Inform people about the officials who have been proven beyond any reasonable doubt to have done or not done their job of upholding justice in society. In line with number 2, important information about these officials, including their observed strengths and weaknesses in upholding justice, should be shared through social media, word of mouth, etc. to make people aware of whom to support or oppose and to make the officials aware that the people are observing their every move.
4. Record or document any form of injustice that happens right in front of you by any means possible, whether in audio or video format. According to the former chief of the Philippine National Police, General Archie Gamboa, "...if the video isn't involved in national security, which is also very broad actually, and it doesn't violate private rights...then everybody is authorized to get video." In that case, regardless of whether you are a media member or not, you can exercise your right to record and expose whatever injustice that needs to be exposed.
5. Survive to tell the story. Those who commit injustice will always find ways to erase all evidence of their wrongdoings, including key witnesses. Keep in mind that if then Police Officer 2 Christopher Lalan had not survived the tragedy that had befallen all his fellow blocking unit members in the January 25, 2015 Mamasapano operation, then there would have been no one who could courageously testify regarding the shortcomings of the military and the government in this operation. From here, we can learn that both survival and courageousness are necessary to ensure there will be at least one reliable witness who can testify against those who commit injustice.
If all of us could faithfully commit to these countermeasures against injustices in our society, then surely, we can shed more light on these injustices and, one day, come up with long-term sustainable solutions that can help minimize, or better yet, entirely eradicate the crimes committed in our nation.
Following these countermeasures will be one small but important step in achieving a just, peaceful, and harmonious society.
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