HIS name is a variant of the Germanic ‘Roderick,’ literally “he who is rich in glory.” Pundits say a letter in “glory” must have been dropped that caused him to be called “The Punisher”— sworn nemesis of what reports claim as “alleged drug dealers, petty criminals, and streetchildren.”

The global organization Human Rights Watch claims that most of those terminated with extreme prejudice during the Duterte tenure as Davao chief executive were “young men or youths who had been known in their community for involvement in small-scale drug dealing or petty crimes, such as stealing cell phones, and using drugs… street children (some of whom are youth gang members), and low-income blue-collar workers such as informal car washers, jeepney and tricycle drivers, construction workers, and fishermen.”

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