Do You Support Death Penalty For The Rapist?

By Alon Calinao Dy: Every day, more and more men engage in sexual crimes due to the heavy influence of illegal drug use, alcohol abuse, and watching pornography. Because there is no death penalty in the Philippines, rape victims who should be protected by our authorities are often afraid to pursue the complaints in the tribunal against their perpetrators. 

I'd seen many rape victims appeared terrified before a trial, especially if they face influential violators who have more connections and money to pay for a settlement.

In the Philippines, we have many activist groups like Akbayan and Gabriela that fight for the women's rights and seek for a fair trial among these victimized women. But it is not just a group of women who are sexually abused, but also a number of men who are not properly reported to the authorities.

There are a lot of supporters who campaign that it is time to bring back the death penalty in the country. Sometimes, these influential perpetrators are not being charged for the criminal offenses they have committed because they know a local judge or they can pay large amounts of money.

Though no laws would grant to kill those rapists who are caught in the act, the locals should think ways on how to decrease the crimes on the streets. If the death punishment is the only solution for this, then our authorities should act on it and let it happen in order to save many lives.

It is unusual anymore what's happening these days in our country. I couldn't watch TV due to a large act of rape cases in the Philippines. I'm simply an ordinary citizen expressing my thoughts, as I have observed, lots of people wish to bring back the capital punishment in the country since the women's rights are often violated with no prompt solutions.

I understand the need of the death penalty when I first published my article Do You Agree With This Kind of Penalization For The Rapist? since thousands of people all over the world agree with me that it is about time for this kind of punishment, especially here in the Philippines.

Another issue that concerned me is the opposite views of our church and other religions who are so-called Pro-life.  As a matter of fact, I always honor the essential of life, but the sudden rise of rape victims with homicide nowadays, opens my eyes to see the reality that these victimized women don't deserve these inhumane acts. Will these religious leaders bring back the innocent lives that these criminals have taken?

Of course, I do have a huge regard for these religious people. I admire them when they preach the gospel of God and when they teach our children about the importance of forgiveness and love. I look up to them because they are the people of God.

However, the Philippines has had a significant increase number of criminals over the years. These law offenders do not respect the value of life and do not care to anyone even if he is a high priest, for they can kill whoever they want to eliminate and make it a point that it becomes an ordinary thing for them.

Anyone can be a prey or a target. That's why it is time to let them know that our government upholds a strong law that condemns heinous crimes and instill a great fear for those people who commit criminal activities such as rape with homicide, murder, drug-trafficking, etc.

Are Aswang Stories Fictional or Real?

By Alon Calinao Dy: I grew up in the rural area in Gandara, W. Samar where some people thought that they had seen "Aswang" and "Manananggal," which both creatures are considered as man-eating monsters.

I have not encountered the "Aswang"  in my entire life, but my very close kin uncle boy had witnessed an apparition or ghost when he was a teenager. Well,  an aswang and a ghost are two completely different topics. I would run away and get more scared of aswang and manananggal than a ghost. A wandering spirit can't physically harm me.

Found in Zaren Dumulugan Facebook

According to the story of Zaren, the bloodsucking creature was found in the province of Sarangani where the aswang victimized two innocent children in just two days. 

You might wonder where the place is located. It is the hometown of the fighting pride of the Philippines and eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao, where he is the current representative and his wife Jinkee as a vice governor of the province.

Photo credit: The Black Scrapbook

A few months ago, there was a rumor that aswang who transformed into a bat had been found in the province of Capiz. But the Barangay officials in the area denied that the report was true, and only to find out that the woman that was caught by common people had a mental problem.

It is easier to make up stories about aswangs than to actually prove that they really exist. Aswang or manananggal is the case of a number of different stories over the years. I remember it was a story of my late grandfather to scare me off when I was a kid so that I would not stay late outside the house. 

But the question is, have you seen at least one aswang or manananggal in your entire lifetime?

If yes, I will be glad to hear your unusual encounter with the aswang or manananggal as long as you can prove it to the readers. And perhaps, I can write something about your whole experience with the bloodsucking monster.

For me, I define aswang as fear that usually cautions us to be safe. It is a warning for people, especially children, not to go out in the middle of the night because the real "aswangs" are those rapists, thieves, assassins, drug addicts, and others who continue to commit a variety of criminal activities on the streets.

These aswangs seem to get off due to their influence or some connections in the government. They should be punished based on their crime. If they are real threats to society, then they should be eliminated quickly.