Some People Need Killing

by Patricia Evangelista

Investigative Journalism

Political

428 Pages

"Evangelista's fearless reporting puts you right in the middle of history as it happens—absolutely essential and unforgettable."

Synopsis

Award-winning Filipino journalist Patricia Evangelista spent six years documenting President Rodrigo Duterte's violent war on drugs in the Philippines, a campaign that resulted in thousands of deaths and fundamentally changed the country's social and political landscape. Some People Need Killing chronicles Evangelista's experiences as she reported from crime scenes, morgues, and communities devastated by the government's brutal anti-drug operations. Through her firsthand accounts, she reveals the human cost of a policy that promised to clean up the streets but instead created a climate of fear and impunity. The book explores not only the immediate violence of the drug war but also its broader implications for democracy, human rights, and the rule of law in the Philippines. Evangelista examines how populist rhetoric and authoritarian tactics gained widespread support among ordinary citizens, and how a society can become complicit in systematic violence against its most vulnerable members. Drawing on her extensive reporting and access to key figures, she provides insight into the political machinery behind the killings and the international community's response to the crisis. The narrative is both a work of investigative journalism and a personal memoir, as Evangelista grapples with the psychological toll of witnessing such systematic brutality while maintaining her commitment to bearing witness and seeking truth.

Our Take

Some People Need Killing stands as one of the most important works of contemporary investigative journalism, combining the immediacy of frontline reporting with the analytical depth of historical documentation. Evangelista's courage in covering such dangerous and politically sensitive material is evident on every page, but what makes this book exceptional is her ability to maintain both journalistic objectivity and deep humanity while documenting systematic violence. Her prose is clear and unflinching without being sensationalistic, allowing the facts to speak for themselves while providing crucial context for understanding how democratic institutions can be systematically dismantled. The book's exploration of how authoritarian populism operates in practice echoes the urgent concerns found in The Jakarta Method by Vincent Bevins and How Democracies Die by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, but with the immediacy of lived experience and frontline reporting. Evangelista's perspective as a Filipino journalist provides crucial insider knowledge that international observers often lack, making this an essential primary source for understanding one of the most significant political developments in Southeast Asia. Perfect for readers interested in contemporary politics, human rights, and the role of journalism in documenting authoritarian overreach. This book is vital reading for anyone seeking to understand how quickly democratic norms can erode and the human cost of political violence.