A Duterte supporter was killed by cops for his alleged insistence to go on selling dope in the streets of Purok 8, Recodo, in Zamboanga City. This in spite of repeated warnings from law enforcers and local officials about a serious dragnet against those involved in illegal drugs.
Killed in a reported shootout was Eduardo Alima, said to be a notorious drug pusher in the locality. He was shot dead in an alleged shootout with cops last Tuesday, July 12, 2016. The incident happened as a result of a buy-bust operation where cops in civilian clothes posed as buyers to catch drug pushers in the act and apprehend them.
However, Alima allegedly chose to engage the cops in a gunfight rather than surrender to the police and ended up dead. After checking on his identity, they discovered through his identification card that he actually volunteered to be a Duterte supporter during the elections. Alima’s picture in the ID even showed positive impression, an optimistic smile, seemingly hopeful about a coming change with Duterte’s presidency.
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But just about two weeks after Duterte’s inauguration into office, Alima is shot dead for drug trafficking.
Why Alima would choose to shoot it out rather than surrender and have a new life is not known, given the fact that he supported Duterte and what he stood for only recently. And other similar cases are under question and requiring serious probing, demanded by various sectors like Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption and other cause oriented groups, aside from the Human Rights Commission itself.
In the recent presidential elections, it was clear that Rodrigo Duterte stood as symbol for total war against the drug trade in the country, more than anything else. He openly vowed to go after all drug users, pushers and lords, big and small, to put an end to the ubiquitous drug problem in the country. And barely weeks before his assumption into office, drug dealers started getting shot in alleged shootouts or in questionable circumstances.
But the offensive didn’t come without warning. Amnesty and rehabilitation was even offered to surrenderees serious about total change. A nationwide campaign to give drug users and pushers a new lease on life and another chance to reform is making headlines lately. The idea is to surrender voluntarily to the local authorities and take an oath of ceasing from any more illegal drug activities.
Nonetheless, there have been reports of highly suspicious killings of drug dealers bordering around possible vigilante style summary executions.
There is one thing Alima and others like him probably learned about the present anti-drug campaign—even being once a Duterte supporter would not save your life from cops if you choose to shoot it out with them—or are perceived to have done so.
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