CONCERNED members of the Ateneo de Manila University’s academic community condemned the police operations in Calabarzon region on March 7 that led to the killing of nine activists and the arrest of six others.

In a statement signed by 160 individuals, the community urged the police and the military to remain faithful to their mandate “to serve and protect.” They also asked the uniformed personnel to investigate those who use their power for “narrow interests.”

“The Duterte government and its apologists continue to utilize and justify this heavy-handed approach not only toward those suspected of involvement in illegal drugs, but also against opposition groups, social activists, and critics of this administration,” the statement read.

“The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict and Operation Tokhang under the so-called ‘war on drugs’ are the operational mechanisms to implement the ‘kill, kill, kill’ orders of the President,” it added.

The Ateneans pointed out that NTF-ELCAC’s “obsession” with red-tagging and targeting critics and activists endanger human lives.

“It is counter-productive from its supposed aim of ending armed conflict. It only polarizes politics and begets more violence,” they said.

The Ateneans lamented that the rule of law has been “applied selectively” and has been “weaponized against critics of the government.”

They said that criticisms against the government is not illegal.

“It is the duty of every citizen to be vigilant of the government — to criticize or support it when called for. Security is a public good; it is not and should not be a privilege that those in power can use at their whim and for their own personal, private benefit,” the Ateneans said.

“We call on our people to be more politically engaged to ensure that the government uses its power to safeguard human dignity, uplift the poor, and promote the common good,” they added.