Those defending the police officer who shot Ragos is so focused on this part of the video:
However, if you watch the entire video, seconds before Ragos turned around and did this act – which is, in fact, very similar to one pulling out his gun – the officer who subsequently killed him could be heard saying “Wala kaming paki kung walang dala” thus betraying the fact that by that time the intent to kill was already in his mind. It did not matter anymore whatever Ragos would do: the police officer was already decided that he would be killed. This is murder plain and simple. The premeditation was evident.
The officer was just looking for an opportune time to pull the trigger.
Now let me offer you what I think was going on inside the mind of Ragos at this time. You have to consider that this is a guy who survived the horrors of war. He was held at the checkpoint prior to this. It has been minutes since a gun was pointed at him, with some other police officer taunting him “Sige subukan mo”. Despite the fact that he was repeatedly told to “dapa” and yet was not fired upon reduced the police officers to whining boys in this twisted mind destroyed by the horrors of war.
He thus turned around, and still nothing. Further proof of the whining boys. He thus made the gesture as if to pull out a gun, to further taunt the officer.
Too bad that the police officer, unworthy of being called an officer, have already decided in his mind to take down Ragos, only trying to wait for a trigger moment.
Now he has it and now Ragos is dead.
What can we learn from this as a people?
If we do not believe that our Philippine National Police could be professionalized and be built on the foundation of human rights, we could say that the lesson is to never taunt the police, even if you have a mind broken by war.
But the PNP could be professionalized. And yes, there was a time when the concept of human rights as a necessary fundamental rather than a stumbling block to law enforcement was taking hold in the organization. There was a period in PNP’s history when clear rules of engagement were expounded in police manuals disseminated widely.
What police officers should realize is by defending the police officer who had shot Ragos, they are belittling the organization they are part of, reducing the lesson to that of not taunting the police, even if you have a mind broken by war.
EDIT: Replaced “horrors of Marawi” with “horrors of war”. Ragos did not see action in Marawi, having been already discharged by then.