SALVADOR, SEGISMAR AND THAT SHABU THING

I am a believer in order, that's why math was one of my favorite subjects
in school. That inclination usually prods me to look for the wrinkles in a
seemingly smooth surface, or the odd thing in a certain scene. This was how
I viewed the case involving Nicolas Salvador and Razul Segismar.

The Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas has dismissed the kidnapping case
against the two former operatives of the Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) of the
Cebu City Police Office. But even before that, I already found something
that didn't add up in the kidnapping accusation.

Let us review the allegation. Salvador and Segismar were accused of
kidnapping for ransom John Ledesma and Melgeb Duterte last month. The
ransom the DEU operatives demanded? P5 million and 5 kilos of shabu (which
was reduced to P1 million and 1 kilo of shabu).

I didn't find anything strange in a P5 million or P1 million ransom demand.

But shabu? What was that doing in the talk about ransom? What was its
purpose? I found it weird for Salvador and Segismar to follow the
circuitous route of converting shabu to cash when getting cash was easier.

But the shabu demand fits snugly with the DEU operatives' claim they were
conducting a buy-bust operation. Which was a strange kind of buy bust
really - one that broke many rules. It is in this context that I think
Salvador and Segismar should be punished, and not in the kidnap-for-ransom
case.

Here's the scenario as I saw it. The target was Liza Domaboc (or Liza
Toledo), who was said to be in the illegal drugs trade big time. In order
to get the target, the DEU operatives arrested first Ledesma, Domaboc's
cousin, and Duterte, Domaboc's half-brother.

The arrest of the two had to be kept secret to set into motion the next
stage of the operation. The DEU operatives then contacted Domaboc and
demanded, in exchange for the release of Ledesma and Duterte, the money and
the shabu. The plan was to arrest Domaboc while in possession of the said
items.

What Salvador and Segismar failed to reckon was that Domaboc would solicit
the help of Rep. Simeon Kintanar who in turn would contact the Police
Regional Office 7. The Regional Intelligence and Investigation Division and
the National Anti-Kidnapping Task Force (Naktaf) then laid down a trap of
their own.

The collision course was set. Instead of Domaboc bringing the money (mostly
cut paper actually) and shabu (tawas powder) to the drop-off point at the
parking lot of Marriott Hotel, an RIID employee did. She was the one that
the DEU people handcuffed before RIID and Naktaf operatives appeared.

Of course, this is only my own interpretation of what really happened. But
it answers some of the questions: why Ledesma and Duterte had to be kept in
a motel instead of in a jail, why Salvador and Segismar could not explain
adequately the "buy bust operation" (as it did not follow the rules), etc.

Having said that, I would say the administrative case against the two
should be pursued. For one, they illegally detained Ledesma and Duterte.
Two, the operation on Domaboc was objectionable. In the fight against the
drug menace, following the rules and respecting people's rights are still
preferable.

OH, WELL. So it is not Gov. Pablo Garcia's unification move with Alayon
that is threatening to split Lakas, after all. Former congressman Celestino
Martinez Jr. is running for governor under Lakas. That collides with the
proposed John-john OsmeA a-Gwen Garcia run in the 2004 elections.