At 17, Lorica, Delos Santos, and Baltazar were enlightened with the truth

It is both deeply saddening and infuriating. As human beings, it is our duty to express our outrage when faced with injustice.

Let’s remember the names of three young individuals: Emmanuel Lorica, aged 17, who was killed on December 6, 2016; Kian delos Santos, also 17, who was killed on August 16, 2017; and Jemboy Baltazar, 17, who was killed on August 2, 2023.

These young individuals had names that resonate with religious and biblical significance. Kian delos Santos, whose surname means saint, Emmanuel Lorica, whose name means God is with us, and Jemboy Baltazar, traditionally associated with one of the wise men who visited Jesus.

If mere names could have saved them, they would still be alive today. They all had hopes and dreams. They were loved by their friends, who praised their kindness. They will be deeply missed.

All three of them came from impoverished backgrounds. Kian struggled as a student and had to make ends meet by managing a small store. Emmanuel was sleeping in an evacuation center for fire victims when he was killed. Jemboy was a poor fisherman in Navotas and was shot while cleaning a boat.

It is not true that death equalizes us all. These three young individuals were killed, their lives cut short by those who were supposed to protect them—the police or authorities turned monsters.

They were all killed mercilessly. At the age of 17, they learned the harsh reality that everything can be taken away from them—their dreams, their rights, their dignity, and their lives.

For Kian and Emmanuel, the war on drugs led by then President Rodrigo Duterte became the cover and justification for their killings. As for Jemboy, it was the abuse of authority that led to his untimely death.

They did not die of natural causes or accidents. They were mistaken for criminals and extrajudicially executed. Their lives were cut short at the tender age of 17—a time when they had so much promise, when they could have been assets to our nation if given the proper social services by the government.

We mourn their deaths. They were not in the wrong place at the wrong time. The location where they were killed was the only remaining space they had as poor individuals. Their location was merely an indication of their existence. They never expected to be killed there. Let’s remember Duterte’s words to the poor: “If you die, I’m sorry… You would say they are only killing the poor people… Well, I am sorry. I have to clean up until such time the drug lords are eliminated from the streets.”

These words reflect an attitude, a system, and an authority that is anti-poor and anti-people. When a poor person is killed, their economic status becomes another hurdle in seeking justice.

These three young men learned the harsh truth at 17. How many more young lives will be wasted due to the grave mistake of “mistaken identity”?

NORMA P. DOLLAGA
Kapatirang Simbahan ParA sa Bayan
[email protected]

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