2016 has been quite an eventful year, with its own rollercoaster of success stories and mishaps, but one thing that has bothered me is the widespread murders and loss of lives happening in the Philippines. In the last 5-6 months, there have been approximately more than 6,000 deaths from the spree of unexplained killings and police operations. Alleged offenders of various crimes are being snatched off the streets and in private homes and killed in cold blood. It's a sickening display of how cheap the cost of life is nowadays. True, these may be criminals and the world may be better off without them, but on some nights it's not just a drug offender being killed, for others it may be a friend who's dead, or a husband gone, and a father lost. These are people, too. Are we really making things right by playing judge, jury, and executioner? With the year still fresh and young, I'm holding on to hope that 2017 may at least bring better regard to the value of life. Because we can't end crime with our own hate and violence. And because all lives matter. All lives.

Placard text: Pusher ako, huwag tularan
Translation: I'm a (drug) pusher, do not follow

Information Source: http://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/145814-numbers-statistics-philippines-war-drugs