Mr. Duterte makes it a point to note that Marcos had been suspended and served his suspension and can therefore be put back to work. The son-of-a-bitch criminal can invoke presumption of innocence, and the government can’t?” Duterte said in Filipino. Until Marcos and his men are proved guilty in a court of law, they must be presumed to be innocent. In comparing policemen to common criminals, Mr. Duterte also undercuts the long-held belief that public officials—particularly those in law enforcement, should be held to a higher standard than ordinary citizens. Still, the President’s promise to pardon all convicted policemen who are “doing their jobs” could be taken by law enforcers to be carte blanche to do whatever they want, even break the law.

Source: The Standard July 16, 2017 16:07 UTC