I’ve heard the Philippines has a pretty harsh legal system so I don’t find this all that surprising. However, it is never a good thing when people are murdered, especially by the government. What they were doing was wrong and animal abuse is not cool so I can’t say I’m too broken up about it but two wrongs don’t make a right.
I wouldn't say that they have a harsh legal system, on the contrary with all the corruptions in the Philippines, justice could have been delayed and so it means it's been denied specially if the victims here doesn't have a lawyer to pay to defend or pursue the guilty party.
So with all the inequality and jungle justification system that is being exercised in this event, does it not stil seems a harsh regulatory system? And of course it is a legal act which is supported by the government.
And likely you concurred to what @OgNasty has said so there was no need for the subjective at the point of the judgement to say it is not a harsh one. Or would had preferable to you if said "horrible legal system?
Of course the act being legally carried on there is dehumanizing and that just make the system obviously harsh.
As for the animal abuse, it's hard to argue, but it seems that the Philippines is one of those country that allowed cock fighting ever since as it is one of their past time specially in the province. And it has grow so much that this Atong Ang was able to make it online and that's why this people has been kidnapped and killed because they might have been stealing from this criminals syndicate.
The Philippines has seem to adopt the Cockfighting activities like a traditional event. But it has not been fair supposing to be of entertainment rather than the gambling that it has really been pegged on.