What will I learn about: how a political leader can weaponize public frustration by scapegoating a single vulnerable group for systemic issues like poverty and corruption?

Understand how a political leader can weaponize public frustration by scapegoating a single vulnerable group for systemic issues like poverty and corruption.

What will I learn about: how fabricated statistics and unverified, emotionally charged stories were used to manufacture a national crisis and justify mass murder?

Discover how fabricated statistics and unverified, emotionally charged stories were used to manufacture a national crisis and justify mass murder.

What will I learn about: Learn why populist attacks on human rights and wealthy liberals successfully convinced ordinary citizens to embrace a policy of ruthless retribution over rehabilitation?

Learn why populist attacks on human rights and wealthy liberals successfully convinced ordinary citizens to embrace a policy of ruthless retribution over rehabilitation.

What will I learn about: Explore the chilling reality of 'Operation Tokhang,' exposing how state-sanctioned vigilantes and police disguised extrajudicial executions as routine self-defense?

Explore the chilling reality of 'Operation Tokhang,' exposing how state-sanctioned vigilantes and police disguised extrajudicial executions as routine self-defense.

What will I learn about: Grasp the terrifying mechanics of systemic state terror, revealing how a government can orchestrate the killing of up to 25,000 people while retaining mass public support?

Grasp the terrifying mechanics of systemic state terror, revealing how a government can orchestrate the killing of up to 25,000 people while retaining mass public support.

Some People Need Killing

A Memoir of Murder in My Country

Patricia Evangelista

★ 4.4 / 5(104 ratings)

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Biography & Memoir History Society & Culture

If You're Curious About These Questions...

You should listen to this audiobook

💡Have you ever wondered how a modern democracy can convince its citizens that state-sanctioned violence is the only path to national security?
💡Did you know that the most chilling insights into the Philippine drug war come from the intimate, often disturbing testimonies of the killers themselves?
💡Are you curious about what it’s like to report from the heart of a climate of fear where the line between police and vigilante has been erased?

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Key Takeaways from Some People Need Killing

✓Understand how a political leader can weaponize public frustration by scapegoating a single vulnerable group for systemic issues like poverty and corruption.
✓Discover how fabricated statistics and unverified, emotionally charged stories were used to manufacture a national crisis and justify mass murder.
✓Learn why populist attacks on human rights and wealthy liberals successfully convinced ordinary citizens to embrace a policy of ruthless retribution over rehabilitation.
✓Explore the chilling reality of 'Operation Tokhang,' exposing how state-sanctioned vigilantes and police disguised extrajudicial executions as routine self-defense.
✓Grasp the terrifying mechanics of systemic state terror, revealing how a government can orchestrate the killing of up to 25,000 people while retaining mass public support.

Learning Tools

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Mind Map

Some People Need Killing

Context & Premise+

The Narrative & Appeal+

Fabricated Justifications+

Mechanics of State Terror+

The Human Cost+

Scandal and Escalation+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 6

Why did Rodrigo Duterte's violent rhetoric appeal to many Filipino voters in 2016?

A. It promised to restore the dictatorship that was overthrown in 1986.
B. It resonated with impoverished citizens who felt abandoned by the unevenly distributed wealth of liberal reforms.
C. It offered a sophisticated, data-driven approach to solving the nation's complex economic issues.
D. It was heavily endorsed by human rights organizations as a necessary measure for neighborhood safety.

Question 2 of 6

How did Rodrigo Duterte's claims about drug addiction in the Philippines compare to actual statistics?

A. He accurately reported that 4.5 million Filipinos were addicted to methamphetamine, matching UN data.
B. He understated the problem, as the actual addiction rate was much higher than the global average.
C. He claimed the addiction rate matched the global average, but reality showed it was significantly lower and mostly involved marijuana.
D. He relied exclusively on police reports, which showed addiction rates were steadily declining before his presidency.

Question 3 of 6

What was the official police narrative regarding the extraordinarily high death toll during 'Operation Tokhang' (knock-and-plead) raids?

A. Suspects were accidentally killed in the crossfire between rival drug gangs.
B. Vigilantes were impersonating police officers to carry out personal vendettas.
C. Officers were forced to return fire with perfect accuracy when suspects violently resisted arrest.
D. The deaths were highly exaggerated by human rights groups and bleeding-heart liberals.

Question 4 of 6

What did the forensic evidence in Efren Morillo’s case reveal about the police raid he survived?

A. Morillo and his friends were heavily armed and fired first, corroborating the police report.
B. The victims were shot while kneeling with their hands tied behind their backs, contradicting the police narrative.
C. The police had mistakenly raided the wrong house due to faulty intelligence from an informant.
D. The victims were killed by off-the-books vigilantes, not official police officers.

Question 5 of 6

What specific event forced President Duterte to temporarily dismantle the official police apparatus executing the drug war?

A. The testimony of Efren Morillo at the International Criminal Court.
B. A massive nationwide protest organized by the families of the 7,080 victims.
C. A UN investigation that exposed the fabricated statistics used to justify the killings.
D. The kidnapping and murder of a South Korean businessman by police during a fake drug bust.

Question 6 of 6

How did the drug war evolve after the official police operations were temporarily suspended in 2017?

A. The killings stopped entirely as the government shifted focus to rehabilitation programs.
B. The police delegated the killings to off-the-books contractors and vigilantes, causing the death toll to triple.
C. Local politicians took over the operations, resulting in a significantly lower but continuous death toll.
D. The International Criminal Court deployed peacekeepers to prevent further extrajudicial killings.

Some People Need Killing — Full Chapter Overview

1Recommendation
2A vow to kill
3Tales and statistics
4Knock then shoot
5A survivor speaks
6The war persists

Some People Need Killing Summary & Overview

Some People Need Killing (2023) is a detailed and empathetic chronicle of the Philippines’ drug war between 2016 and 2022. It records the murders perpetrated by police and vigilantes during the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte, which resulted in thousands of deaths. Delving into the lives of both perpetrators and victims, Evangelista captures the climate of fear created by a government that believed that “some people need killing.”

Who Should Listen to Some People Need Killing?

Readers interested in investigative journalism and human rights issues
Fans of narrative nonfiction with a focus on social justice
People seeking in-depth analysis of the Philippine drug war

About the Author: Patricia Evangelista

Patricia Chanco Evangelista is a Filipina journalist and documentary filmmaker. Her work covers topics related to conflict, disaster, and human rights. She serves as a multimedia reporter for the online news outlet Rappler and contributes as a writer-at-large for Esquire magazine. Some People Need Killing is her first book.

Some People Need Killing

If You're Curious About These Questions...

Listen to Some People Need Killing — Free Audiobook

Key Takeaways from Some People Need Killing

Learning Tools

Mind Map

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Some People Need Killing — Full Chapter Overview

Some People Need Killing Summary & Overview

Who Should Listen to Some People Need Killing?

About the Author: Patricia Evangelista

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