MANILA, Philippines – If there’s ‘tanim bala’ at the NAIA, it seems that there’s also a ‘tanim EJK’ with the recent protests against the drug war of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
After the former president was taken to The Hague to face the International Criminal Court (ICC) over his supposed “crimes against humanity” due to the countless people that were allegedly killed by his intense campaign against illegal drugs, various protests and prayer vigils are being held across the country.
There are protests against the former president, with placards and posters created to remember the alleged EJK victims, while the candle-lit vigils pray for his safe return to the Philippines.
But several people are now protesting against the protesters after seeing photos of their family members and friends included in the EJK posters despite them being killed for other reasons - in short, these people weren’t included in the drug war but their faces are on the EJK posters used by the protesters!
Dr. Lox Andutan, a urologist, questioned why an image of his dad, Dr. Drey Perlas, was being used in the protest. According to the doctor, several friends told him about seeing his dad’s photo in the EJK protest posters, despite the man not being a victim.
He wrote on Facebook:
“Just to be clear, he was murdered by people who are ROTTING IN JAIL right now. He was murdered because of greed, jealousy and reasons that our family could never understand and accept. It had NOTHING to do with drugs, EJK or to former president Digong.”
“Keep his picture out of your selfish agendas!! He was and forever will be a respected urologist by his family, colleagues and patients.”
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| The families and friends of Dr. Drey Perlas (encircled) and Dr. Avelex Amor (partially obscured by the man with a microphone) explained that they died of other reasons, not EJK. Photo credit: Dr. Lox Andutan - Urology |
Also in the same photo shared by Dr. Andutan is another doctor, Dr. Avelex Amor of Negros Oriental. One of his protégés, Dr. Liezel Estrella-Pajulas, shared the photo to express her anger over the kind doctor’s inclusion in the EJK protest posters.
Kessia Kerren Kate Tangonan, a cousin of Aldrin Tangonan, was furious after seeing his photo being held up by a woman they didn’t even know at the EJK protest. She explained that her cousin was killed by a criminal out of jealousy because he was wrongly accused of being in a love triangle with a woman who was actually just his friend.
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| Aldrin’s cousin was furious at this woman holding her cousin’s photo in the EJK protests even if he was killed due to jealousy. Photo credit: Kessia Kerren Kate Tangonan. |
She wrote:
“Tama na ang pagpamakak! Klaro kaayo nga daghan sa mga nag rally diha, puro scripted lang ilang storya! Unsa ni, unsay drama ani? Halata ra gyud nga gibayaran ang uban para lang musangyaw og bakak!”
(Stop lying already! It's very clear that many of those rallying there are just reciting scripted stories! What is this, what's the drama here? It’s so obvious that some were paid just to spread lies!)
— Joy Adalia, The Summit Express
