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Monday, September 26, 2005
Nalzaro: Reinvestigating Laputan’s case
By Bobby Nalzaro
THE brutal rape-slay case of 13-year-old Mayleen Laputan has already been filed in the court and the accused, the father and the uncle of the victim, are already detained in the provincial jail. But they have yet to be arraigned. I understand the case does not yet fall under the sub judice rule. Meaning, the media is still free to discuss the case publicly without fear of being cited for contempt in court.
In view of the latest development, there is a need for a competent investigating agency, preferably the National Bureau of Investigation or by the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group 7, to reinvestigate the case. The police in Carcar, headed by Chief Inspector Teofilo Siclot, committed several lapses in conducting the initial investigation, which was hastily done.
And if the court will grant the motion for reinvestigation filed by he Public Attorney’s Office, Carcar police should inhibit themselves, out of delicadeza, and turn over all vital evidences to the agency that will take over the investigation. They should be ashamed of themselves. Mayor Patrick Barcenas and Provincial Police Office Director Supt. Vicente Loot should relieve Siclot.
Carcar police claimed that they detained Maximo and Concordio Laputan because the two assaulted them when they invited the two for questioning. They said the whole process was part of a hot pursuit operation. What hot pursuit were they talking about? The supposed star witness Ronnie Tabora surfaced several days ago after the crime was committed, pointing to Maximo and Concordio as the main culprits.
Police investigators also swallowed hook, line and sinker the statements of Tabora without conducting further investigation and exploring everything by getting possible witnesses to corroborate his allegations. It was a half-hazard investigation they conducted on Tabora. Now Tabora is singing a different tune. Without exerting any pressure on him, he admitted before Human Rights Commission investigators that he participated in the crime.
Why is it that in the initial stage of the investigation, Carcar police failed to get this information from Tabora? Simply because they did not exert any effort to force him to reveal the information. That is why I am strongly recommending to the PNP higher-ups that Carcar police investigators, including Siclot, should be sent for retraining in investigation and proper handling of evidences.
I don’t know the Laputan family. But I am one of those who are seeking justice for Mayleen's death. If it turns out that the real culprits are her father and uncle, then let it be and they should pay for it. But how can the Laputan family achieve justice when police investigators handling the case committed several lapses?
(bgnalzaro@gmanetwork.com/09193181404)
(September 26, 2005 issue)
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