After death of 3-year-old in drug bust, Robredo asks: ‘What are we doing?’

MANILA, Philippines — “Napakarami nang mga bata na naunang namatay, either sinasabing napagkamalan o nadamay lang. Iyong tanong lang: sa dami ba ng pagkamatay, anong ginagawa natin?”

(There have been so many children before that have died and they were said to be mistaken for someone else or just caught in the crossfire. The question is, with all these deaths, what are we doing?)

Vice President Leni Robredo posed this question Sunday following the death of a three-year-old girl in a drug buy-bust operation in Rizal. 

Robredo said the death of Myka Ulpina should serve as a “wake up call” for everyone as she noted that cases like Ulipina’s should not happen. 

“Hindi puwedeng sabihin na ‘Talagang nangyayari iyan’, kasi kapag inaayos naman natin iyong kampanya, hindi naman dapat nangyayari iyan,” Robredo said in her weekly radio show BISErbisyong LENI. 

(We can’t just say that these things just happen because if we fix this campaign, these things shouldn’t happen.)

Robredo was referring to the earlier comment of Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa that “sh*t happens” during police operations. 

“Iyong sa akin lang, iyong pinakahuling nangyari, dapat wake-up call ito sa lahat na ito na iyong huli. Pero kung wala tayong gawin — kahit may nangyari nang ganito, wala tayong gawin, kasalanan na natin iyon,” Robredo added. 

(For me, this latest incident should be a wake up call for everyone. But if we don’t do anything, even if these kind of things happen, then that’s our fault.)

Speaking at the Kapihan sa Senado forum last Thursday, Dela Rosa — a former head of the PNP — defended the police operations, saying that in an “imperfect world,” these instances cannot be avoided.

“Sino bang may gusto? Ikaw ba, pulis ka gusto mo may bata tamaan? Kasi ikaw may anak ka rin, hindi mo gustong may mangyari na ganun (Who wants that to happen? If you are a police officer, would you want a child killed? You may have a child, too. And you will never allow that to happen,)” Dela Rosa said.

“Pero sh*t happens. During operation, shit happens,” he added. 

This comment however, Robredo said, is enraging since the victim is seemingly only viewed as a number for statistics. 

“Medyo nakakagalit iyong reaksyon na ‘talagang nangyayari’. Parang, ano ba…. parang isa lang sa statistics. Parang numero lang, talagang nangyayari. Hindi nakikita iyong mukha, iyong dalamhati, iyong pamilyang naiiwan,” Robredo said. 

(That kind of reaction of “things just happen” is infuriating. It’s like she’s just part of the statistics. Just a number. You can’t see her face, the heartbreak, the family left behind.)

The Vice President also questioned the effectiveness of the government’s campaign against drugs.

“Alam natin iyong problema sa droga, nandiyan pa din. In fact, iyong report mismo ng pamahalaan, lalo pang dumami: lalo pang dumami iyong supply ng droga, lalo pang dumami iyong mga nalululong. So ang gustong sabihin, iyong pamamaraan na ginagamit, hindi epektibo. Kailan ba tayo magigising?” Robredo said. 

(We know that the problem with drugs is still there. In fact, the government’s report shows that it’s increasing. The supply of drugs is increasing and the number of people who take drugs is increasing. So this is saying that the methods being used isn’t effective. When will we wake up?)

Three-year-old Myka Ulpina was killed after being shot in a crossfire between suspected drug pushers and police officers in Rodriguez town, Rizal province.

According to the Philippine National Police (PNP), Ulpina was the daughter of a drug target in the area, identified as Renato Dolofrina.

Dolofrina, the PNP said, used the child as a human shield to prevent police officers from firing a shot at him. Ulpina’s mother, however, refused to believe this claim. (Editor: Julie Espinosa)

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