Justice for Butch Rosales

"If you should go skating on the thin ice of modern life. Dragging behind you, the silent reproach of a million tear-stained eyes." ― Pink Floyd, The thin ice

AS if the spate of extrajudicial killings wasn’t real enough for us here at Crow’s Nest, the culture of impunity victimized one of its long-time residents.

Last Wednesday, a gunman shot Butch Rosales several times to his head. Butch was riding a multicab on his way to Mandaue, Punta Engaño in Lapu-Lapu City. Butch was sitting at the front passenger seat while the gunman sat at the back with the rest of the passengers. Butch died on the spot on broad daylight. He was 45 years old.

He died a volunteer of Rise Up for Life and for Rights. Rise Up is a network of volunteers and rights defenders committed to working in the defense of life and protection of human rights against drug-related extrajudicial killings and violations under the Rodrigo Duterte government.

Before he became a volunteer for victims of Duterte’s war against drugs, he used to be the development worker of the community extension program of Visayas Community Medical Center in Cebu City. VCMC is a member-organization of the church-run non-government organization called the Consortium of Christian Organizations for Rural and Urban Development where I used to work as its information management officer.

Whenever there was consortium-wide gathering, which usually takes at least a week, Butch would opt to stay at Crow’s Nest rather than in the dormitory beside our office in Barra, Opol.

I knew him to be an efficient yet “cool” community organizer. Butch used to quote Pink Floyd songs to point out social injustices.

He used to cook at Crow’s Nest. Butch was an excellent cook. He talked to my children while they were preparing the ingredients, where the stories always had morals in them. He wasn’t religious but he was a morally upright person.

In one of the posts on social media about his killing, someone commented that his being an activist and human rights advocate has been maliciously played up so that people could then attribute the killing to the Duterte administration.

I say all extrajudicial killings, be it by rogue men in uniform or vigilantes, should rightfully be attributed to this administration.

This administration breathes and breeds the culture of impunity since day one. Hell, the President started his call for impunity even when he was still campaigning for the presidential seat.

We have been witness to a lot of killings across the country. Most of its victims can be categorized in one word: poor. As long as this administration let those in power, its oligarchs, and cronies, get away with its culture of impunity against the poor and disadvantaged, this administration is accountable.

The blood of Butch and the thousand others are on Duterte’s hands. Justice for Butch Rosales and all victims of Duterte’s war against the poor!