The worth of our human rights

In the light of recent events concerning the Commission on Human Rights budget, we can’t help but recall the unjust killing of Kian delos Santos as if it were some sort of foreshadowing on the horrors that have already begun to dawn upon our country.

Kian was a 17-year-old boy who pleaded for his life last August but was still mercilessly shot dead—not by criminals nor the feared drug abusers—but by law enforcers themselves.

However, Kian was not the only one who suffered this fate. There were thousands before Kian, and thousands more now, who are subjected to these unjust murders. People tend to turn a blind eye to what is a clear violation of human rights as they believe that this is what it takes to build a safer community. However, that’s what is peculiar about human rights: You can’t expect to justify the violation of the rights of one, without degrading the value of rights for everyone.

Now, what seemed to only affect alleged criminals loitering on the streets has affected us all. Because we deemed their lives to be worthless, our rights were reduced to the worth of a lousy P1,000 bill by our own congressmen. (The Lower House has since restored the CHR’s budget.—Ed) That is why when we hear about these killings we should no longer let ignorance get in the way. Instead, we should get angry, we should be mad, and we should fight because we are affected as well.

MIA ABALOS, ALEXA ABAYA, RIANNE IGAO, CHINKEE NAAGAS, BRIANNA SARILE, KAYE TRINIDAD