Sensationalised photo of ‘extrajudicial killing’ victim splashed on Inquirer front page

The Inquirer is under fire from Netizens after their seemingly orchestrated sensationalisation of the alleged “extrajudicial killings” that have supposedly been sweeping the country. The Inquirer editors seem to be hinting at some kind of causal link between the month-old administration of President Rodrigo Duterte and the spate of “drug-related” homicides making headline news recently.

Get Real Post writer Hector Gamboa wrote earlier about the deceptive nature of the way photojournalism is used to influence public opinion by mass media. Referring to the now-famous photo of the body of suspected drug-pusher Michael Siaron being clutched by his grieving partner Jennelyn Olaires under what seems to be a spotlight, Gamboa writes…

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. The problem is, things are not always what they seem. While photojournalism is a useful tool to capture and record events, it can also be a powerful weapon to advance an agenda or an ideology. As people continue to get better access to information, I am hoping that more people will begin to exercise more critical thinking instead of easily succumbing to intellectual malleability from deceptive media and photojournalism.

The body of drive-by-shooting victim Michael Siaron being held by his partner Jennelyn Olaires.

The body of drive-by-shooting victim Michael Siaron being held by his partner Jennelyn Olaires.

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This photo was splashed across the full width of the banner head of the Sunday edition of the Inquirer front page — the day before Duterte’s first State of the Nation Address (SONA) delivered Monday, the 25th of July.

According to the headline report placed underneath the photo in big block letters, Church: Thou shall not kill, Siaron was “shot and killed by motorcycle-riding gunmen near Pasay Rotonda on Edsa.”

Since then, many have speculated on the questionable authenticity of the photo citing, among others, its exceptional quality and vividness and the spotlight that seemed to have conveniently bathed the subjects in a photogenic glow. But what is more interesting is how the timeframes don’t add up. If, indeed, Siaron was killed by motorcycle gunmen, why was his body seemingly allowed to remain sprawled on the pavement where he fell long enough for a police perimeter tape to be strung around him, for not a few photographers and what looks like a TV camera crew to show up, and for dozens of photos to be taken at the scene from various angles?

The fact that police had evidently already long been at the scene raises the question of why Siaron’s remains had lain there that long and why the cops seemingly stood back while “photojournalists” feasted on the scene. The composite image below summarises the many photos of the same scene taken from different angles with the cast of characters at different stages of coming to terms with Siaron’s untimely demise (photos courtesy The Daily Mail and ABS-CBN News).

michael_siaron

There’s even one that seems to have been taken from a drone-mounted camera!

ejk_aerial

More to the point, what’s up with the Inquirer posting such a ghastly scene on its Sunday edition and going all biblical with its top headline? Was it to purposely cast a pall over the much-anticipated first SONA of the president? Perhaps. One can only speculate on the agenda of the Inquirer editor.

85 Replies to “Sensationalised photo of ‘extrajudicial killing’ victim splashed on Inquirer front page”

  1. these types of pictures have been appearig on the front page of newspapers/tabloids since I can remember, at least ten years. No one batted an eye when the body of a murdered Foreigner appeared bloodied and almost naked in November 2012, but now it is ‘improper’ to bring to light the illegal murders (YES, MURDERS ARE ILLEGAL YOU FUCKING MORONS!)sweeping the country? NO, another bit of jack-assery here.

    Why isn’t Dueterte going after the criminals front-running the stock-market? The criminals getting rich speculating on the price of electricity? Electricity prices that are the highest in the world,yes? How come Duterte is not going after the criminals pludering the GOCC’s into collapse?

    IS IT BECAUSE DRUG-DEALERS CAN’T FIGHT BACK? IS IT BECAUSE THE REAL CRIMINALS ARE DUTERTE’s buddies and will KILL THE FUCKIN CLOWN?

    YOU ASK YOURSELF, I ALREADY KNOW…..

    1. Nice rant bro. He should definitely, drop his current focus on drugs and start going after the real criminals. The big dogs yup.

      How long has the man been President again?

      I guess having networks, guns and men is considered defenseless?

    2. That’s what’s wrong with the reports and what you’re saying. Most of the deaths were actually not police operations. Riding in tandems. These have been happening long before Duterte was even in discussion to run for president. Hell, it’s been happening even before PNoy. Now every death is linked to the drug war and suddenly it’s all Duterte’s fault.
      Ask those same things to Inquirer and ABS-CBN.
      Why arent the media researching and reporting about the criminals running the stock-market? Why are they not reporting about the “criminals” responsible for the high power rates and the GOCC’s collapse? Is it because they are tools by these same bigtime “criminals” in making sure that their plundering continue and anyone who’s a threat to their ways are demonized.

      Duterte’s been the president for what? A month? While Inquirer and ABS-CBN has been at it for how many decades? Open your eyes, read through the lines.

  2. For me it doesn’t matter whether this scene of Siaron and Olaires was real, staged or whatever. They were exploited, and by media of all possible “exploiters.” They were used by other entities with ulterior motives. That makes it all the more a tragedy.

  3. The Catholic Church had killed many people, during their Crusades of the Holy Land (Jerusalem, Palestine). The Knight Templars, were Catholic Church monks, who were like the present day, Islamic Jihadists.

    Of course, the photo of that slain Drug trafficker is being used as a propaganda tool by Aquino’s remnant attack dogs. Remember, Aquino is still in cahoots with those YellowTard media: ABS-CNB, Inquirer, Rappler.com, etc…all are beholden to the Aquino family, and to De Lima, the Queen of the Drug Lords.

    I suspect that these Media are now affiliated with the Chinese Triad Mafia crime organization.

    Drug Trafficking is a dangerous business. You can be either murdered by your illegal drug source, to keep you quiet; or by fellow Drug Trafficker, who is your competitor of the illegal Drug business !

    Most of the time, this happens ! Then, these YellowTards, see it as a “Human Rights” issue !

  4. About the entire drug scene in PH, there is one thing I dont understand and so far I didnt read anything about it.
    Where in PH is it manufactured or is it imported from a foreign country?
    Regardless of either one, why doesnt Duterte stop the manufacturing or import of it?
    When there is no more supply, the killing/mudering can stop.

    In other words: as long as the supply and demand stays, the drug scene will never go away.

    1. The illegal Shabu Drug was manufactured inside the Bilibid Prison, by the Chinese Triad Drug Mafia members, who were in prison; with the approval of the then, Aquinos’s Secretary of Justice Leila de Lima, and the high officials in the Bilibid Prison. The Prison Guards, became Drug Traffickers.

      Some of the illegal Shabu Drugs, were manufactured at various locations in the country, by other Chinese Triad Drug Mafia chemists. Some of the Mayors and Barangay Captains, became the Drugs Traffickers !

      These Chinese Triad Drug Mafia crime syndicate, was protected by the Aquino government, the Philippine Police and various government officials…

      You can put this phenomena in the: Ripley’s Believe it or Not ! Only in the Philippines !

      1. Hyden,
        thanks for sharing that piece of info. A bit hard to believe for me that it is produced and manufactured inside a prison. Bet like you said: “Only in the Philippines!”.

        Although I am not an expert in drugs (hard to believe for you maybe, me coming from a country where the use of soft drugs is legal) but I guess that raw-materials need to be smuggled in the prison and the final product needs to be smuggled out of that prison. That requires an entire operation by itself and some prison guards and the prison warden must know of this.

        Why not undertake a razzia (nazi-style) or ‘nuke’ the entire prison building? Problem solved. The supply line has to be cut-off preferably starting at the ‘plants’/’factories’

        Killing pushers, users and traffickers is small stuff. They are not even called small fish. They are the nobodies.

        BTW: what is shabu anyway? Are we talking about XTC, cocaince, heroine or synthetic drugs made inside a laboratorium (meth?)

        1. “…me coming from a country where the use of soft drugs is legal”
          ______________

          Which country is that? What drugs would be considered soft drugs?

          Indeed, countries like the US and the Philippines which employ draconian strategies to combat drug use should learn from the experience of your country.

        2. Ricelander,
          that would be the Netherlands (NED; NL; NLD).

          Again I am not an expert but I think its called weed. You can get it at any ‘coffee-shop’ (the name ‘coffee-shop’ may be confusing for you).

          But dont think for a second that my country has no hard drug addicts. They are not killed; they are taken care of by professionals (rehab).

        3. @ricelander

          Robert is from the Netherlands.

          Hmm, it’s interesting that the Netherlands took a different approach on recreational drug.

          Frankly, after watching this video, I’ve realize that criminalizing drug use may not work at all and solving the root cause should be the focus and the abuse of drugs is mere symptom of it. A combination of combat and effective rehabilitation may work.

        4. @Robert Haighton:

          Shabu is methampetamine. It is a central nervous system stimulant. It is used as a “recreational drug”…they call the drug:” the poor men’s cocaine”…

          It is very addictive; and destroy the brain, the user and the person, as a whole.

        5. Ray,
          OnesimusUnbound already showed a link to your question:
          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_policy_of_the_Netherlands (in English)

          https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drugsbeleid_in_Nederland (in Dutch)

          What is/are softdrugs?
          https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Softdrug (Dutch)

          The Dutch opium act:
          https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opiumwet (in Dutch)
          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opium_Law (English).

          Most/many countries do not distinguish between soft- and harddrugs. The Netherlands does.

        6. I think it is just reasonable, I have read from few comments in other sites that these small fries as you call it is the ones that are terrorizing other citizens and that they harass, kill, steal, rape and molest and God knows what other things is going around. I can really feel the sentiment when they described it as traumatic. They went on as to say that they were glad that those people would have a taste of their own medicine to be scared of their lives as they have to others. well, ‘golden rule: do not do unto others what you don’t want others to do unto you’.

    2. Regardless of either one, why doesnt Duterte stop the manufacturing or import of it?

      I think that’s the final goal of Duterte’s War on Drugs. I don’t think he and his advisers are stupid enough to think just killings will win the war. The guy has been in the seat for a month. I think it’s a bit hasty to assume Duterte has no plans to cripple the supplies in the country.

      Drug syndicates has many levels. The lowest are the addicts, pushers, and dealers. We start from the bottom, cripple them, and then we move our way up until we reach the top dogs. You don’t go marching directly towards the boss battle without battling his minions first. The supplies are probably protected by powerful politicians, anyway.

      1. If you destroy the Head, you will destroy the Body…However, the Chinese Triad Drug Mafia syndicate is like a multi-headed “Hydra” monster; protected by those bound to destroy it, during the Aquino term ! They protected this Monster , instead of the Filipino people !

      2. Dee,
        if Duterte is a big man, he starts with the big men. Killing all those pushers, users and traffickers are bread crums. It means nothing. Those/They are nobodies in the big picture. For me, he (Duterte) doesnt score credits/points this way. And its a long way and not very efficient.
        Cut off the supply line starting at the factories/plants (where ever that may be inside PH). Work you way down and do it ‘top-down’ not ‘bottoms-up’.

        1. What makes you think he hasn’t thought about that? There are things you feed to the media and then there are things you keep to yourself and your organization. Surely you of all people should know you cannot divulge all your tactics to the enemy via blow by blow media narratives of your plans.

        2. Ted,
          if Duterte has a ‘bigger’ plan then his ‘small’ plan (killing/murdering the nobodies (read: traffickers/users/pushers)) sucks big time. His way of scoring points is pathetic.

          Cut off the supply line (production lines, facilities) NOW and all traffickers, all pushers and all users are out of business tomorrow. Killing more than 2 birds with one stone.

        3. How about the demand (users)? I believe it’s important that demand on such thing will be reduced to discourage the supplier. If one supplier is cut down and the demand is there, another supplier will rise to fill up the loss.

        4. OnesimusUnbound,
          It depends which route you want to follow, The real social one (rehab for the user) or the extreme one (killing the supply line completely). I dont think there is a middle way.

          Now who is gonna pay the rehab? In my country we pay high income tax so that professionals can take care of those users (hard drug users and soft drug users). This route may be more expensive than ‘killing’ the supply line.

          When the supply stops then the pusher is out of business. So my idea is: start at the supply line (production line, facilities and all the people around it).

        5. OnesimusUnbound,
          there may be a 3rd route but its a tricky one.
          In this 3rd route the government is in full control of the production and sales of the drug. This may sound crazy but when done in a fully controlled manner it may be beneficial for all.
          At least in this way the government can control/monitor everything even the safety of the neighbourhood, the price, the quality and the quantity.

          But I guess this 3rd route is a bit too advanced for a country like PH.

        6. In this 3rd route the government is in full control of the production and sales of the drug. This may sound crazy but when done in a fully controlled manner it may be beneficial for all.
          At least in this way the government can control/monitor everything even the safety of the neighbourhood, the price, the quality and the quantity.

          But I guess this 3rd route is a bit too advanced for a country like PH.

          Robert,

          That is possibly the WORST idea yet for dealing with the Philippines’ illegal methamphetamine market.

          Essentially, what you advocate is to create a government-controlled monopoly. The only things that organisations with monolithic control have ever produced are poor service and high prices. All one has to do is look at power generation and distribution in the country to realise this. And the crony capitalist duopoly that GLOBE and PLDT enjoy. We have some of the highest energy and broadband prices on the planet; and coverage is far from universal.

          This isn’t unique to the Philippines. Consider the state of the mass transit/train system in Washington DC in the United States. Relative high prices and non-functioning trains and utilities.

          Then there are the unintended consequences of (government run) monopolies — the black market. Controlling the production, distribution and sale of any product eventually produces an underground economy that consumers will patronise because prices are lower and choices are more varied. When people a desire for a certain product, there will always be a channel to provide it.

          Ultimately, the underground market provides the criminal element running it with the power and influence that the monopoly was intended to remove in the first place. You’d end up right back where you started. This was exactly what happened with the underground liquor market in the United States. It empowered organised crime and even afforded them the influence to undermine the legitimacy of US government institutions.

        7. Johnny,
          I am advocating nothing. I am looking for (practical) solutions. A kind of plan C if plan A and plan B fails.

        8. His “small” plan is what he wants everyone to see. The problem with simply sitting and looking at the sidelines is that you think everything is easy. Your idea isn’t unique. You seem to think that Duterte et al did not consider that. Now since you think its that easy I’m curious as to how you’d handle it if you were in his position. Care to enlighten me on your plans?

        9. Ted,
          to be very honest with you, yes I do have a plan, an idea. And if the most powerfull man (Duterte) in the entire PH doesnt have an idea/plan/clue how to destroy the production lines, facilities and everybody around it then killing/murdering those dumb pushers/traffickers and users becomes even more pathetic and gross.

          The fact that he starts with the low lives tells me enough that he doesmnt have a clue or that it is too complicated for him to solve it. He is in for the easy quick fix. Among his supporters he is scoring points now. But it are cheap points.

          As drug lord, this will not scare the hell out of me. When Duterte will start killing my next door drug lord, it will scare me bec then I will think “will I be the next who will be killed?”.

        10. You missed my point completely. But hey if Duterete does not seem to mind the whining why should I? Anyway, maybe you ought to present/share that plan instead of it gathering dust and being utterly useless.

        11. Ted,
          in no way, I did miss YOUR point.

          – I guess the Philippines has a secret service
          – I guess the Philippines has a DEA agency
          – I guess the Philippines has police investigators.
          – I guess the Philippines has cops who are the eyes and ears of what happens in the streets.
          – I guess that any prison warden knows whats going on inside his/her prison.
          – I guess the Philippines has besides the PNP also an FBI.

          So now I gave you a few possible sources that can investigate, research (from conception till birth) the entire PH drug trade and destroy it top-down.

        12. Like I said Robert, your idea isn’t unique. Anyone with half a brain can think of that. As I’ve said before, what makes you think Duterte haven’t thought about that already? Just because you have not read about it in mainstream media does not mean the guy isn’t doing something about it.

        13. Ted,
          he (Duterte) didnt do anything about it (stopping the production, transport and supply) bec otherwise (if he did) the supply of ‘shabu’ would be dried up in the streets.

          Personally, I really think he hasnt got the gutz and the nerve to go to the ‘big boys’ and kill them. There is too much at stake.

        14. That’s your opinion and I can’t change that. But like I said, it’s easy commenting about things you are not directly involved in. I for one am happy with the way his stance on drugs is concerned. Previous presidents didn’t even mention that problem during their whole terms’ duration.

        15. I think this is pres duterte’s plan. he is stopping manifacturing and distribution of the drugs. you got to give the guy some credit. drugs amounting to billions have been seized. drug labs have been discovered. the new bilibid prison has been put on lock down. that’s what he did for the past month. more than what the previous administration did for the past 6 years. drug supplies are like a spring, you have to cover a lot of ground before you can completely shut it off. it is not like a pipe where it is easy to seal off at some point.

          They said that everyone inside the new bilibid prison knows that shabu is made there. its old news they said. previous admin just turned a blind eye.

          With regards to the killings, pres du30 did not say kill all pushers, he said if they fight back and the police’s lives are in danger then you can kill them. think about it if you were a policeman and you are not allowed to defend yourself, then I’d rather stay at home and do nothing at least im safe. And some say that some of the vigilante killings are just part of the drug syndicate cleaning up loose ends (anything that can endanger their business). It could also be enemies of the victims themselves, using the trend as cover… We can only guess.

        16. Bryz,
          I am trying to keep up with the news daily and read GRP. I just cant remember reading anything about what you say here. Thats all.
          And I am trying to compare the PH drug scene with that in my country. It seems that both differ very much. Users, pushers and dealers dont carry guns here for the simple fact that it is not allowed and its illegal. Only the druglords (or their associates) do carry guns (but still albeit illegal). When one (1) druglord cheats the other druglord (re a shipment) then you will see retaliation.
          Each druglord has its own territory and sometimes a druglord wants to take over the other territory. You get the (my) drift?

          This is why altogether, the police dont have to shoot-kill-murder pushers/users/traffickers in my country. Those 3 categories are still the lowest of the low in the entire cartel/scene.
          If and when the police wants to catch someone and somebody it are the big boys.
          So you will see raids in the harbors, airports and at the national borders.
          Manufacturing/producing drugs in a Dutch prison is sheer impossible.

        17. Briz u r very wrong.
          And i quote…

          “If you know of any addicts, go ahead and kill them yourself as getting their parents to do it would be too painful,” ….duterte.

          “Please feel free to call us, the police, or do it yourself if you have the gun … you have my support,”….duterte.
          So what picture are u trying to paint?
          The truth or just your version of the truth.
          Getting sick of the lies people here keep telling themselves.

          There has already been too many innocent victims from vigilante DDS.
          I wonder how u would feel if it was your child murdered in the streets and accused of being a ” pusher” with zero evidence

          Oman could have been your son.
          Wake up.
          Use your brain not your one dimensional,mob mentality i want to be in the cool group idealism.
          To say filipinos are different to other people in other nations is such a pathetic lie.
          All humans have the capacity for decency and moral behavior.
          Filipino are human…act like one. Do not make an excuse that somehow where u were born means u do not understand morals or justice.
          Humans are the same everywhere. Just idiocy rules more in some cultures.

      3. And I laid out the reasons, based on real world consequences, why this ‘3rd option’ or ‘Plan C’ might sound like a idea but is probably bad policy.

        1. Robert, the Philippines is NOT Europe. What you propose might work there, but it most certainly doesn’t in the PH. You can’t just say “I’m right because this is how my people do it” and expect it to flow the same way from a people with different culture and values.

        2. Jin,

          “You can’t just say “I’m right because this is how my people do it” and expect it to flow the same way from a people with different culture and values.”

          I nowhere stated that I am right. I am only wondering how and when the Philippines expect to become a 1st qorld country.
          So what you are saying is actually that being a druglord (being a child molester; being a rapist, etc etc) in the Philippines is like a walk in the park?

          (I dont like to say this but you make me say and think this anyway)
          Because of what you say its becomes very easy for us (Europeans) to say: Yes, we are far more superior to you ( = the Philippines) bec we do everything better.

        3. Everything? How’s your refugee issue coming along? Let’s not forget that your fellow Greeks are still in debt hell. Oh, and good luck keeping yourself together after the UK is signing divorce papers.

          No, sir. I’m not seeing the ubermensch society that is Europe when I keep hearing news after news of it tearing at the seams.

        4. Jin,
          It seems you are responding to Johnny Saint but looking at the content I think you are responding to me.

          What you state is very corny, sassy and cheesey (Greece, UK & refugees). And I can easily reciprocate that.

          Let me reciprocate and I will repeat what Benign0 once (or more than once stated here in GRP). He said that the PH has a dysfunctional society where mediocraty is THE standard. And I second his words based on my personal experiences.
          Now I can easily add a lot more to that but I will leave it at that.
          In short: You (the Philippines) have far more and far deeper problems than we do have here in Western Europe. And a president can never solve those probles. Only the individual Filipino/Filipina can solve those problems.

          “Do you want change or do you want to change?”
          Everybody will answer yes to the former and say no to the latter.

          You all are waiting for a big guy (be it a president or be it a god) who will help you change. But that aint gonna happen.

          This is why the gap between rich(er) countries and poor(er) (like yours) will become bigger and bigger. Not only in wealth but also in well being and welfare.

          Good luck to you. You will need it.

        5. Oh ok Jin.
          Ridiculous is your rebuttal when this country has been conqured three times.

          The do not have an issue with vigilantee killings do they?
          So what is your point?
          Half the philippines is malay decent the other half Chinese so your point is moot since this country is a refugee country and most people here would sell thier own mothers to lve in the EU.

          thats such a typical pinoy responce….” Other countries are worse, or trying to reason with intellectual dishonesty by going completely off topic.
          Stick to the topic.
          Vigilantee justice is bad and has no place in a democratic nation.
          Anyone that says different has some serious moral issues.
          Stop with your mob mentality, idol worship and be human.

        6. @Robert
          I’m not even in the Philippines. I’m an outsider with connections there like you.
          “Corny” as they maybe, they’re still dire problems that is equivalent to the drug problems in the PH. No denying that. It’s only “corny” to you because it doesn’t affect you personally. Your fellow Western Euros would beg to differ.

          You crossed the line of blatant white supremacy when you outright admit that you’re “superior” to Filipinos just because you’re higher up in the GDP ladder. This ain’t Stormfront, buddy.

          @VoiceofReason
          Philippines a refugee country? What, just because it’s made up of a bunch of Malay tribes who were artificially fused into one nation by the Spanish? Don’t kid yourself. Your rebuttal is even more ridiculous. I really doubt that a refugee country would have its bative population sell their children for a chance to move elsewhere.

          Sorry that being real amounts to mob mentality or whatever political buzzwords you can come up with which by the way is my very own opinions. Your provocations won’t convince me otherwise.

          Proven criminals DON’T deserve rights. I say this as someone who had a friend killed by one.

        7. Jin,
          about ‘white supremacy’:
          have you watched the Obama speech he held in Kenia, Africa? He practically and basically insulted all Kenians. Why? Because he said if you (Kenia) want to move forward, progress and prosper you have to get rid of your (backward) culture and traditions. Eat that, my friend. Spoken by a non-white guy (Obama).

          It has nothing to do with being high on the GDP ladder. It has to do with education and how you develop yourself. If one stays small-minded and single minded, that person will never progress and never prosper. Education my friend that is the magical word and having parents that stimulate and encourage you to read and do others things outside your comfort zone. How many PH parents take their kids to a museum and/or art gallery? How many PH parents teach/learn their kids to be critical? How many PH parents teach their kids to distinguish between beauty, average and garbage (uglyness)? How many PH parents teach their kids something about nature (how important trees are, for instance)?

        8. By the way, I’d rather live in a controlled society where there’s justice and order rather than a lawless badland of a “Democrazy” state.

        9. The squatter kids don’t because their parents don’t bother or they would, but they’re too busy to try to survive.

          You’re also preaching to the choir here. Education is important for a society to advance, but distorted and inadequate education ruins it. That’s what the Philippines has. There is no easy way out of this predicament and I don’t have the answer nor power to change it, but there has to be an intellectual “Enlightenment” to occur. If only the smart, good people don’t leave the country or end up in the ditches.

  5. The dishonesty/deception argument assumes that the untouched image is a faithful copy of reality. But we know this isn’t so. Even the best digital sensors don’t have the capacity to render shadow and highlight detail in the same scene the way the human eye does. And lenses introduce pincushion distortion, barrel distortion, chromatic aberration, and the like. The irony is that if the goal is to produce a faithful copy of reality, the image must be manipulated!

    As for “breaking-the-rules,” where is it written that the landscape photographer’s role is to produce a carbon-copy of reality? Who says we shouldn’t manipulate an image to make it as powerful as possible? And, by the way, what would the no-manipulation “rule” mean for black and white photography which, after all, presents a radically altered image of the real world?

  6. I don’t get your point. Shabu is a harmful substance that people shouldn’t be taking. The war on drugs and other problems in the country are as shitty as they come.

    But real cocaine makes it better? Less ridiculous?

    Drug addicts should at least get high on the real shit?

  7. To date, there are now 316 fatalities in this war on drugs under Du30’s watch:

    http://m.philstar.com/headlines/show/5ee654a78888b391c7292806e27b7d5a?t=t8kgnceji69u19qdnups3nlp03

    Btw, John3:16 was once flashed as an ad during Super Bowl in USA, and people didn’t have a clue what it meant. That’s how far Americans have diverged from their founding fathers.

    Anyway, my point is the part of the news that says

    Despite the public clamor against the spate of killings of suspected drug pushers and users, police authorities have yet to receive any formal complaint from relatives of slain suspects for possible abuses and violation of human rights by police operatives.

    Are Pinoys simply too lazy to even file charges??? Or do they know “wala ring mangyayari anyways – tanggapin nalang ang kapalaran”

    The fact Pinoys are totally resigned to the reality of killings as a normal part of life and Do Nothing speaks well about how broken the judicial system in this country is.

    After SAF44 and massacre of journalists in Mindanao, the people may have already lost all hope of getting any justice- esp the poor.

    When I see a picture of some dead corpse- it could be fake or real, but it seems I’m getting so used to it I almost feel apathetic- as in “who cares?”

    So flashing all these pictures in public may not be good for us as a society. We’ll end up manhid. Is that the direction we want to pursue?

    1. “…it seems I’m getting so used to it I almost feel apathetic- as in “who cares?””

      Our reaction to things says a lot about ourselves!!!

      1. Maybe the way medical students get so accustomed to dissecting human cadavers they become MANHID at the sight of guts and blood.

        In just a few months, Filipinos under Duterte’s sway have come a long way from being bleeding-heart masses crying for the precious life of Flor Contemplacion.

  8. “COMMENT NG ISANG PHOTOG NA NASA SCENE DIN”
    It was from floodlights (MMDA and Policemen who responded), ilaw ng mga TV Networks (ask GMA7, CNN, TV5 AND ABS-CBN who were there), flashlights from people who were looking at the crime scene (some were from celphone flashlights), flash ng mga photojourn ng tabloids.
    Si Raffy Lerma walang dalang flash at hindi gumagamit ng flash tullad namin na nag-aral ng documentary photography. So sumasabay lahat ng walang ilaw sa kung anong available light.
    In fairness sa mga nakasama ko na photogs during that night, walang sumisigaw ng “ISA PA”. Lahat walang imik, hindi nagsasalita at nakikinig lang sa pagmamakaawa ng babae na tulungan ang asawa nya while trying to do our jobs.
    Totoo na maraming walang credibility sa industry natin, pero para gawing dahilan ito para ilayo ang issue ng extra judicial killings eh hindi naman yata tama.
    To think na inilabas din namin ang identity ng subjects sa frame.
    Nakakahiya naman siguro for fellow PJs na andun kung idrowing yan ni Raffy, ni Noel Celis, ni Eli Sepe, ni Linus Escandor, ni Vincent Go o ni Mark Saludes habang kagat-kagat ng eksenang iyan ang pansin at ulirat namin.
    Isama na ang puso.
    I am standing for Raffy and the rest of the PJs who were there.
    I am standing for photojournalism.
    Sa presscon lang uso ang sumisigaw ng “ISA PA” o ng “ATRAS KA NG KONTI ATE.”
    We are not just photographers, we are Photojournalists.
    Mark Z. Saludes via Ernie Sarmiento, Chief of Photography, PDI

  9. The Photo was intended for propaganda purposes, by Aquino, De Lima and the Chinese Triad Drug Mafia syndicate.

    This was the reason the Aquino Media were there !

  10. It is obviously meant as an anti Du30 propaganda. Why it has to coincide with SONA ? you decide. Inquirer journalist think Filipinos are stupid not to think otherwise. Common sense will tell you that this photo was used to play on Filipino sentiments, or it is the opportunity needed to sensationalized EJKS to sabotage the present administration.

  11. Without making my own opinion, I ask; so what if it was sensationalized. For goodness sake, a human life was taken away without the benefit of trial where the light of day will expose the person’s sins if so. The key word, as in your articl title says is “extrajudicial.” Pray that you are not mistaken fot a drug pusher because there might be a chance then that your death will not be sensationalized

    1. @ Jonathan, Yes, you hit the point dead-on. Without ‘Due Process’ the forefeiture of a Human being can be had by just making a suggestion to the right person. It is fuckin MURDER and it is being sanctioned/condoned by the Neanderthal that Filipino’s were stupid enough to elect.

      1. How about the lives of those victims of illegal Shabu Drug ? They were destroyed; some of their lives taken away…

        How about the lives of the Lag lag Bala victims in the Manila International Airport (NAIA) ? Their lives were destroyed by these Chinese Mafia crime syndicates; and their affiliates: the Aquino’s criminal gang.

        No one, not even a sigh, from a YellowTards can be heard on these victims. No good pictures of the victims. No complaint that a life is destroyed or taken away…

        How about the lives of the 44 SAF Mamapasano heroes ? They were abandoned by Aquino to be murdered. No pictures. No sympathy heard, from any YellowTard.

        Is the life of a Drug Trafficker, more worthy than the life of a SAF Police hero ?

        Stupid Aquino and YellowTard propaganda. Filipinos don’t swallow it !

        1. No sir, their lives were also sacred and I share your outrage. Please don’t engage in false dichotomies

        2. Stop with your yellow propaganda, chinese mafia, crap.
          U sound insane.
          Reality check.
          Person shot in cold blood on streetinnocent victim in hospital from stray bulletgood guys follow the law.
          Vigilantee murders are crazy psychopaths…they do not care if they kill the right person.
          They just wanted a reason to kill.
          This vigilantee crime spree is more of a concern then drugs.
          One is for profit, one is for the joy of murder.
          Anyone that condones this behavior is as guilty as the murderers commiting cold blooded acts.
          Thats the reality.
          Citizens do not take the law into their own hands…this creates chaos.
          You think this is leading to a safe society?
          Funny how you do not grasp reality.

  12. I am only stating the facts. It is not a propaganda…these facts happened.

    YellowTards are living in a Yellow colored world. They don’t want to see reality, as is.

    Shabu Drug proliferation is in our country. The Lag lag Bala extortion/scam happened at Manila International Airport(NAIA).

    Chinese Triad Mafia chemists are arrested, manufacturing the illegal Drug Shabu all over the country. These are members of the Chinese Triad Drug Mafia syndicate, affiliated with the Aquino’s criminal gang and the YellowTards…

    The Mamapasano SAF Police massacre happened, with the complicity of Aquino and his buddy, the suspended corrupt Police: Purisima.

    If I tell people about these Aquino’s crimes. YellowTards will tell me to stop. They want only their YellowTard propaganda to be told.

    It is a free market of opinions and ideas. The readers have a free choice to whom to believe.

    1. but u r like a broken record.

      Nothing u say sounds believable.
      One or two chemists have been arrested.
      The rest of the arrests and murders are from low level street peddlers, so far removed from the original source its laughable.
      The vigilantee killers are killing the wrong people and are being allowed to murder without fear of the law.

      Most drug users are non violent offenders..this is why so many have handed themselves into to be rehabilitated to non existent rehabilitation centres.

      There is no long term game plan with this quick fix, other then ” kill em all” let god sort them out barbaric approach to solving a issue that is not exempt from the rest of the world.

      The lag lag bala scam was a scam…corrupt officals doing what filipino corrupt officials do. Try to scam people. They deserve prision not death.
      U see the point?
      The SAF hapened not because aquino is a criminal master mind.
      No it happened because he was a bumbling idiot.

      The only ones that do not want to see reality is the ones that do not see anything wrong with this present course of actions and the imminent real world complications that will arrive from the terror filled quick fix.

      When a world leader endorses vigilantee killings and a country is so caught up in ideology that they can not see that not only is this wrong, it will lead to chaos and mutuple murders of innocent victims.
      The law is to protect citizens by being the good guys.
      To think using evil to fight crime is a grand idea are the same people that probably believe the earth is still flat.

      There is nothing gained by these courses of actions other than anarchy.
      Fear.
      And a vigalantee group that could morph into the next npa or milf.
      Thats the reality.

      1. @The Voice of Reason:
        Does these crime incidents, during Aquino’s watch disturb you ?

        In the illegal drug trade: it is dog eat dog world. Your head can be blown off by your fellow illegal Drug Trafficker competitor. Or, by your fellow Drug Traffickers, who want your territory.

        SAF happened because Aquino , refused to send reinforcements or other ways to save the SAF heroes. Aquino has a criminal mind, because , he let those SAF heroes die. He was not even there, to receive their bodies, when they arrived. How about Purisima, the crooked Police. He was suspended for corruption. He was there and directed the SAF operation…this was an intended operation to murder those SAF…
        Where is that crooked Police, Purisima now ?

        Why did Aquino did not stop the Lag lag Bala extortion scam? He had the power to investigate, and stop it! It is because he is affiliated with the Chinese Triad Mafia syndicate…the Lag lag Bala case is a classic case, this crime syndicate way to extort money from innocent people…

        You can pray to your God, whoever, your god is…these Chinese Drug Mafia syndicate are not the work of your god.
        They are the works of Satan,
        the Devil, Aquino and his cahoots…

        The Chinese Triad Drug Mafia syndicate has already gained a foothold in our country. Their work signatures: extortion/scam; drug manufacturing and trafficking; protection racket; political/police corruption, etc… are already there.

        The case of the extortion/scam of Vhong Navarro was their work. Where are the criminal extortionists now ? What happened to the case?The Police was involved in this crime…

        Why did Aquino and De Lima , allowed the Chinese Drug Mafia chemists, to manufacture Shabu inside the Bilibid Prison?

        I suspect that this crime syndicate is paying you. You are vigorous , in defending them !

        I will continue to touch on these subjects; until, I am satisfied with the answers from Aquino ! I am concerned on my country…

        1. Not a criminal master mind…a bumbling idiot.

          Wait wait wait…u actually brought up vhong navarro’s case?
          U bring up the bullet scam.?

          No proof of drugs being cooked in the prisons. This is just a coconut vine filipino rumor( u do know the difference between rumors and facts right)

          De Lima is one of the few people in the government that I highly doubt she has any links to crime, either real or immagined by you.

          No dutetreard her only crime is to stand up against duterte on what she knows is wrong.
          And now there is a smear campaign about her.
          Dirty filthy gutter scum tactics of typical monsters and their idol worshipping followers

  13. u always mention that vigilantes did the killings, for all we know, its the hired killers of these drug syndicates themselves, killing each other, to destroy the campaign of the government & at the same time destroy their competitors, may all these deaths result to a reduction or the deletion of illegal drugs in the lifestyle of human beings in this part of the world,

    1. Assume cause i lived in davao.
      Its just the same shit that happened there but on a large scale with more innocent victims.
      Pull your head out of the sand

  14. I like what the police & vigilantes are doing. Millions of lives are badly affected because drugs user, pushers & lords.

    My neighbor who is drug user & pusher is now in peace with his maker. And aound my neighborhood, peace again prevails.

    Sorry for the innocent victims, this is war against drugs.

    1. Then you sir are an idiot and you deserve the consequences for these actions.
      Mark my words there will be consequences.
      Not something most filipinos prepare for.

      1. [Malone and Ness talking about how to bring down drug lords.]

        Malone: You said you wanted to know how to get drug lords. [Ness nods] Do you really want to get them? [pause] You see what I’m saying? What are you prepared to do?

        Ness: Everything within the law.

        Malone: And then what are you prepared to do? If you open the ball on these people, Mr. Ness, you must be prepared to go all the way. Because they won’t give up the fight until one of you is dead.

        Ness: I want to get the drug lords. I don’t know how to get them.

        Malone: You want to get drug lords? Here’s how you get them. They pull a knife, you pull a gun. They send one of yours to the hospital, you send one of them to the morgue! That’s the way, and that’s how you get drug lords! Now, do you want to do that? Are you ready to do that? I’m making you a deal. Do you want this deal?

        Ness: I have sworn to put the drug lords away with any and all legal means at my disposal, and I will do so.

        Malone: Well, the Lord hates a coward. Do you know what a blood oath is, Mr. Ness?

        Ness: Yes.

        Malone: Good, ’cause you just took one.

        1. These bleeding heart liberals are faggots. They keep crying about human rights but do not have the cojones to do the necessary things in war. Human rights is an illusion. Especially in an innately unjust society like the Philippines where life is cheap and “sorry ka na lang pag sayo nangyari” is the buzzword. The very people these human rights advocates kuno are speaking for are the ones who put Duterte in power. They know what he is about and know the situation on the ground level. Most of these human rights morons are living in some bubble where they can afford lofty concepts like human rights to float around their heads. Wake up and drop the messianic complex, morons. The people do not need you.

        2. It is the movie, starring Sean Connery, who played the part of Detective Eliot Ness, in fight against Al Capone and the American Mafia in Chicago, Illinois.

          The American, mobster Al Capone, had corrupted the: high government officials; the police; the justice system; etc…

          They were talking about the War with the American Mafia….it is like Pres. Duterte is facing now, against the Chinese Triad Mafia crime syndicate !

          This crime syndicate has defenders in the press, the blog sites and in the media…they have public relation firms also working for them…you can judge it, how these bloggers, press people, etc…are vigorously defending them !

  15. Does it EVER of occur to the criers of “EJKs” that someone being shot publicly or in broad daylight does not automatically equate the work of “vigilantes”/”cops”?

  16. Irresponsible Philippine media don’t want you to focus on real issues, they always want Filipinos not to be aware of corrupt politicians, that aldub phenomenon is more of a concern than China’s threat. Media says Extortion in NAIA and Drug syndicates, SAF massacre, Kidapawan massacre is not a concern since it is normal for Filipinos to die unjustly.

    1. Exactly! And yet these pseudo moralists like voice of treason here still focused on “EJKs in order to demonize duterte. Priorities people! Otherwise you dipshits are nothing but distraction and trouble.

      1. @DUMBO, you agree that it is NOT OK for Filipino’s to die unjustly, and then think its OK to have someone who,wrong or right, accused of being a street level drug dealer murdered in the street with no due process of law? and fail to see the idiocy n your retarded thinking? YOU ARE A LAUGH and disgrace to the education system of wherever you snoozed your way through the 3rd grade.

        OUCH, HUH?

  17. Excerpt from statement issued by the Photojournalists’ Center of the Philippines (PCP)…

    We are convinced that the photojournalists, especially those covering the police beat in Metro Manila, have been relentless in doing their job to bring out the right information that will benefit the public.

    There is no truth to insinuations of manipulation of photos or staging or setting up of the scene of the crime. Those who think they know better than those who are on the scene – including the police, the first responders, and the bystanders – are only deceiving themselves.

    Full post on Raffy Lerma’s Instagram account here.

  18. Whatever happened to Jennelyn Olaires since this picture was taken? I’m rather curious because you would think she’d have more coverage after this famous photo.

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