LAW ENFORCERS' DILEMMA

CLARENCE Paul Oaminal, legal consultant of Philippine Drug Enforcement
Agency (PDEA) 7, was correct on the need for the Lapu-Lapu City police
to set its priorities right.

In the killing of PDEA 7 agent Priscillano Gingoyon Jr., the first
task of Acting Lapu-Lapu City Police Chief Louie Oppus is to identify
the killers and prosecute them.

Whether Gingoyon was part of a drug syndicate or not, and was killed
by a former courier of his group, could not alter the fact that he was
slain and the killers must be punished.

Allegation

But this does not mean that the claims of the suspected perpetrator,
Romulo Deo Soreno, about Gingoyon's involvement in the drug trade
should not be looked into.

PDEA 7 should even help the Lapu-Lapu police go to the bottom of the
claim because doing otherwise might open the unit to accusation of
coddling scalawags.

It would also be the best way to clear Gingoyon, that is, if PDEA 7
really believes in his integrity as an operative when he was alive.

Choice

The tricky part, of course, is in dealing with Soreno, both the prime
suspect in Gingoyon's killing and Oppus' "vital asset" in crushing the
city's illegal drug trade.

Sooner or later, a choice must be made whether to serve the ends of
justice sought for by Gingoyon's family or to be lenient on Soreno for
some "noble" ends.

Before that, however, Oppus and his investigators will still have to
subject Soreno's claims linking Gingoyon to the illegal drugs trade to
further verification.

Motive

Soreno's motivation-whether his confession was honest or was made just
to save his hide-should also be ascertained, as this would determine
his future acts.

Indeed, Soreno would have simplified the situation had he chosen to
make the confession to the Lapu-Lapu police before he was nabbed for
Gingoyon's murder.

Will he be as cooperative if he is acquitted once the case reaches the
court?

In the meantime, the more prudent thing to do is to allow Gingoyon's
family to grieve and to dig for more information before making
conclusions on his character.