I could not shake -off the image of this young carjacker named Ivan Padilla, slumped at the back of the vehicle with blood oozing down his face.
I just heard about this news on the radio as I was driving to the office last week. Did not think anymore about it until I saw it on the program called “BANDILA”. Ivan’s parents were complaining because of the autopsy done on Ivan showed that he did not die from the gunshot that he sustained on his head. Rather it showed that he died when a blunt force was exerted on his neck causing the aphyxsiation.
From the footage done by ABS-CBN… they were covering the vehicles riddled with bullets… until one person said “do you want to see Ivan?” He was simply slumped at the back of the vehicle – and it seemed as if the police were not really rushing to take him to the hospital.
Watching that part felt like – watching an intrusive wild animal captured in the city here in the Philippines. We have no means to take it back to the wild – and certainly, it will just be left to die or be killed.
There he was, both his hands were on his back as he was handcuffed. He looked so young. Short-cropped hair, shirt and jeans with the waistband of his boxers slightly showing – Ivan was a picture of a typical young person. Except this time, he was so weak and his eyes were closed.
The camera man asked him “Are you Ivan?” And he quietly said “yes”
“Where had you been hiding all this time?” came the next question – but there was no reply.
Then the police said they will take him to the hospital already and the interview (less than a minute) was cut short. And that was the last time he was seen, barely alive.
Ivan Padilla was only 23 years old. And in the context of the growing delayed adulthood of our young people, Ivan Padilla could easily be a 19-year old person at this time. Why would a young man throw away his life and risk everything by doing crime?
The authorities have made the cautious observation that the recent spate of crimes committed in the city were done by young people. There was even an 18 year old man involved in another. Even guys aged 16 and 17 were caught stealing or staging a hold-up in jeepneys.
What is happening to us?
Why are our young people getting more and more involved in criminal acts?
What are we NOT doing so that they would know they they have a better option in life?
I could not shake the image of Ivan slumped at the back of the vehicle.
To die at such a young age.
To have chosen a path so violent at such a young age.
Is Ivan merely a reflection of how we are failing as a society? Or how we are failing at parenting?
I wish I have the answers. But the image of a young man with blood oozing out of his head, hands handcuffed and clearly dying is one of those images I no longer want to see happen again.
Let us save our young people from these poor and violent choices.
23 years old… such an innocent age.. yet Ivan was already corrupted by his choices and the world he moved in.
And there are still so many of them right now. Practicing their crimes as we speak. Getting trained. Being given money as low as P5,000 to drive a getaway vehicle. Maybe they are learning how to use a gun for the first time. But they are out there.
Let us pray and save our young people.
Let us be vigilant in our roles as parents, mentors and community leaders.
Ivan could have been your son, nephew, friend, worship team leader in your church, youth leader etc.
There must be a better way so that young men like Ivan could find their way back to their families, communities and society that may have turned their backs on them.
