SOMEONE ELSE’S WINDOWS: Of rights and wrongs: the messenger as the message

MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews / 28 August)—The ongoing operation of the Philippine National Police to effect the arrest warrant against Apollo Quiboloy, the fugitive founder and leader of the cult Kingdom of Jesus Christ, has not only unraveled more openly the split between the Marcos and Duterte camps; it has also led to twists that are both amusing and revolting.

Consider, for instance, the reactions of former President Rodrigo Duterte and his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, to the police operation. For the first time perhaps in their overextended careers as public officials, they now seem to have realized the primacy of human rights.

The former President, in a Facebook page on the night of August 24, said the country “has never been in a more tragic state as it is today,” and “rights have been trampled upon and our laws derided.” He described the whole thing as a “reign of fear and terror by people sworn to uphold the law and protect the citizens of this country.”

For her part, the younger Duterte called the operation a “gross abuse of police power,” leading to “harassment of religious worshipers, the abuse of minors and the unnecessary loss of life.” One KOJC member died due to cardiac arrest, according to the police.

That there’s a “reign of terror” and “gross abuse of police power” depends on what lens one is using. What is clear, however, is that the Dutertes invoked human rights because it suits their agenda—for now. Theirs weren’t the words of a proverbial Paul who found enlightenment on the road to Damascus.

The Dutertes simply wanted to protect Quiboloy because something huge is at stake. That the former President was appointed as the administrator of KOJC properties after Quiboloy went into hiding suggests that huge material interests lie at the center of their relationship.

Who would believe that somebody who gave Davao City a semblance of order through extrajudicial executions that have remained unsolved have realized that human rights should be upheld? Who would believe that people who institutionalized red-tagging, persecution of political opponents, and curtailment of civil-political rights are sincere in their call for respect for human rights? Who would believe that somebody who waged a bloody “war on drugs” is serious in urging for the observance of the rule of law?

In other words, the Dutertes cannot claim moral ascendancy. If their current pronouncements about human rights have made people say “look who’s talking,” they only have themselves to blame.

Of course, Quiboloy, like the rest of the citizens, is entitled to due process and the protection of his rights. But how can he defend himself if he remains in hiding, an act that only reinforces the perception that he is guilty of the crimes he is accused of. Flight implies guilt, so they say.

Yes, Quiboloy, and his co-accused as well, are entitled to their rights. But the same thing goes for their alleged victims.

(MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. H. Marcos C. Mordeno can be reached at hmcmordeno@gmail.com.)