What do you tell your child about these killings?

THE naming by President Rodrigo Duterte of five police high officials (not “generals,” as wrongly described) as the alleged protectors of some notorious drug lords leads us to ask the question: Who are the ultimate protectors of these alleged protectors of the alleged drug lords? The popular notion is that no drug trafficking, prostitution, illegal gambling or any of the other notorious crimes can thrive in any locality without the illegal protection of some cops and pols. So who are the high government officials involved here? Does the answer go all the way up to Malacañang?

Under Executive Order No. 46 of June 13, 2011, then-President B.S. Aquino 3rd reconstituted the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission under then-Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa to combat organized and syndicated groups engaged in drug trafficking, human trafficking, car theft, gun running, robbery, kidnap for ransom, smuggling, other transnational crimes as well as heinous crimes. Although the Executive Secretary is only a staff officer rather than a full-fledged department head, several department heads who outranked him in the official pecking order were placed under him.