The List

What is the traditional carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas” but a list of aspirational gifts to be had or given over a twelve-day period celebrating the birth of the Christian faith’s savior, Jesus Christ.

While the lyrics may seem straightforward, like a simple counting song, ultimately the meaning of the carol is open to interpretations as wild as one’s imaginings.

The devout may take it as a religious allegory, with the “pearls” referencing the Virgin Mary, the “turtle doves” the Holy Spirit, and the “French hens” the Apostles.

Shouldn’t Jesus’ disciples be roosters, though, especially since Peter the Rock proved a softie early on and beat those birds, cackling (read: betraying Christ) before the break of dawn?

Whatever, having a gift for each day leading to Christmas (monito, monita, anyone?) is certainly a heartwarming proposition, especially if you’re at the receiving end. Santa baby, where are you now?

Now there are lists: The Forbes 400 of the wealthiest people around town; Time’s 100 most influential personalities; and the Fortune 500, an annual who’s who of giant American companies, to name a few. And then there’s The List — The Ten Commandments — worthy of being chiseled on stone tablets.

Likewise, who could forget Schindler’s List after Steven Spielberg’s 1993 real-life movie adaptation of how a morally ambiguous German businessman risked his own life and fortune (and Hitler’s displeasure) by saving over a thousand Jews during the Holocaust.

Arguably, one list, the ignominious drug watch list of the previous Duterte administration, has become a source of controversy and concern, as many individuals who were included in it were later found dead.

No Filipino would have wanted his or her name in such a list that, as things are coming out now, was mostly based on unreliable information. Alas, the list was alleged to have been used to target individuals for harassment, arrest and even extrajudicial killing.

Fishmongers at the time told of how barangay captains or village chiefs put the names of their enemies on that list even if they had absolutely nothing to do with the drug trade.

The police purportedly had been given quotas to silence forever those drug personalities who were deemed to be recidivists or were beyond reformation even after decades behind bars.

Talk at the time swirled about cops running out of guns to plant on dead bodies in support of the narrative that they were killed because they had shot it out with the authorities.

Presently, having discarded the government’s mailed fist policy against drug users and pushers, President Marcos Jr. can do much more by addressing the injustices of the past that are now coming out: Hold those who were responsible for those deaths accountable.

The President should also take steps to ensure that such a tragedy never happens again. This means reforming the criminal justice system and ensuring that all individuals are treated fairly and with respect.

In a humane and just society, people suspected of committing a crime should be given their day in court. They should not be targeted for harassment, arrest, or violence based on a mere list.

The legacy of the drug watch list is a dark chapter in Philippine history, mirroring the scandals exposed by the Panama and Pandora Papers. Those revelations underscored the dangers of unchecked government power, the importance of transparency, and the need for accountability.

To prevent such tragedies from recurring, we must not only address the injustices of the past but implement robust safeguards against future abuses.

Only by upholding the rule of law, prioritizing human rights, and fostering a culture of transparency can we build a society where all individuals are treated with dignity and respect.