WHENEVER students die during clashes between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the New People’s Army (NPA), they get praised and the military gets ridiculed. The “innocent civilians” who died were branded as “martyrs,” “victims” and “human rights advocates” while soldiers were called “berdugo” (executioner), “murderer” or “violators of human rights.” Sweeping judgments without careful examination of the circumstances of the deaths.