Some People Need Killing by Patricia Evangelista, Random House, 2023
I was bewildered by Rodrigo Duterte’s popularity. I cringed every time he opened his mouth. When he gave the order for the drug war, I wondered why there was no public outcry. Was this the same country that ousted a dictator?
Now that the president of my country is that ousted dictator’s son, nothing can surprise me anymore.
I was afraid that the casualties of Duterte’s war would be silenced. So, when I saw that Patricia Evangelista had written a book, I knew I had to read it. This took a mountain of courage to write. I know because I was very afraid during Duterte’s presidency. It was not okay to talk about the drug war. My family told me not to be so vocal on social media. If I wanted to be safe, I needed to shut up. It took me a while to start reading the book even if I purchased it in December of 2023. I needed to prepare myself psychologically.
Evangelista effectively gave a voice to the voiceless. She wrote with compassion while still being able to report the facts. It was interesting to read the dynamic equivalence of Filipino translated into English. Sometimes, English diminishes the dirt and the malice of the original language. I understood that she did her best to capture what could be captured.
All I can say is: Thank you, Pat (not Trish haha — nice anecdote about this in the book). Thank you for risking everything to tell this story. Thank you for being a stand for justice and human decency.
There is a chapter called Requiem in the book. It is a reckoning. For all those who brought Duterte to power, intentionally or unwittingly, I want to ask: Was it all worth the toll?
What I wish for: that more Filipinos read this book. I don’t care about the rest of the world. However, with the state of our education, I don’t think there will be a lot. But we have to start somewhere.
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