Last Sunday, 7 March 2021, nine people were killed in separate police operations in CALABARZON. Of these nine, seven were members of progressive organizations. The crackdown took place two days after President Duterte told the military and police to make sure that they kill armed communist rebels when they encounter the latter (CNN Philippines, 2021). What of due process? When this government decides who gets killed, undermining the laws of the land, what will stop it from coming after you or your family?

The current government has practically reduced the country into “killing fields”. The deaths that occurred have victims practically from all ages, all professions, all sectors, organizations, and institutions, snatched from their loved ones, without an ounce of honor. As if it’s not enough that they kill you, they had to taint your memory with an unfounded accusations of drug peddling or drug use. The institutions, which are supposedly the duty bearers of human rights and the “protectors and defenders” of the people were reduced to being mercenaries of a President whose only solution to every problem is to kill.

The killings serve a very definite political purpose. It wants to instill fear among the people. This violence inflicted on persons or communities as punitive retribution for and/or to discourage political activity against a regime and the system (Scheid, 2015). In order words, the regime wants to discourage resistance.

#SocialWork believes in the inherent worth and dignity of every individual and we denounce the killings that is happening everywhere. Value for life is a sine qua non for all human rights (United Nations Human Rights, 1994). To quote further, “the worth of life, human and non-human existence, is the fountain-head for all other ideals and values that follow. This implies not only opposing the negation of life, but also positive and affirmative aspects. This is so that there can be fulfillment of human existence. Life is intrinsically connected and interdependent in all its parts and forms, human and non-human. Disruption of any of its aspects affects the social fabric or thread of life, thereby injuring humankind. Value of life implies that suffering and death are not just individual phenomena; they touch others just as joy, happiness and life do” (UN Centre for Human Rights, 1994).

We urge our colleagues to re-assert again the fundamentals of human rights (being at the heart our profession) amidst these most trying times. Our loci among service users and social work students afford us a vantage position to raise political consciousness of the former, so they can find their resolve, and gradually be part of the resistance.

Amidst repression under an authoritarian regime, there is no other option except to help build the resistance. This is one of the urgent tasks of our profession in the current period. Because if not now, then when? If not us, then who?