On the killing of Sonya Gregorio and Frank Anthony Gregorio

That we have come to this — the cold-blooded and merciless murder of mother Sonya Gregorio and son Frank Anthony Gregorio in full vi

That we have come to this — the cold-blooded and merciless murder of mother Sonya Gregorio and son Frank Anthony Gregorio in full view of many, recorded on video, in broad daylight by police officer Jonel Nuezca — is a dangerous and chilling effect of impunity that reigns in the Philippines. This is no isolated incident, especially when governance and culture is being driven by President Rodrigo Duterte’s rabid kill-kill-kill policy.

This policy is out there in the President’s statements ordering, inciting, and encouraging human rights violations, in the repeated acts of State forces in killing unarmed civilians (whoever they may be); in the guaranteed immunity for human rights violators and war criminals; in the distortion and disdain for standards and principles on human rights and people’s rights; in the on-cue barrage of hallelujahs from sycophants, influencers, and troll armies on each and every crime of this administration; in the sexist, brazenly misogynistic and dehumanizing language that is normalized; in the militarist solutions to social problems; and in the quelling of all forms of political dissent.

These killings perpetrated by State forces cannot continue — and we assert our call to stop the killings and to end impunity and the murderous rampage of State terror and violence under the fascist Duterte regime. We demand justice for Sonya Gregorio and Frank Anthony Gregorio and for all victims of extrajudicial killings in the Philippines.

Photo by Ezra Acayan