Tuesday, May 13, 2008 Seares: Framed or entrapped? By Pachico A. Seares News Sense
THE camp of Paulus Cañete claims he was framed for illegal possession of firearms, the reason he was arrested and charged last week.
There’s a side accusation: Cañete hired Gavino Cabahug, an appliance repairman, to pilfer and burn records of Mandaue City College and kill Mayor Jonas Cortes.
The “kill” part sounds incredible to those who know Cañete, a doctor of education and former seminarian, although crime profilers tell us that killers can also be intelligent and pious.
Maybe, the murder bit was just thrown in by a public relations bright boy. It’s doubtful whether conspiracy to kill a person other than the President is a crime.
Second thought probably. Cabahug’s first version, not signed but released by police, didn’t say anything about killing anyone. Even the second version, already signed this time, said vaguely about a plot to kill Jonas, without saying who ordered it and whether the would-be assassin accepted the revised job order at the same P50,000 price.
The key
Was Cañete framed? Key is Cabahug: his identity, background, ties and motives. Was he hired by Cañete or by someone else? And they need to look closely at evidence: video photos, phone records, and witnesses’ tales.
Police may use deceit to entrap a suspect but if he commits the crime, he’s still liable. If police falsify evidence, that’s a frame-up, a cardinal sin of law enforcers.
Politics and personal spite complicate things. Plain entrapment can be assailed as frame-up. And frame-up can be cloaked as legitimate police op.
Distinguishing one from the other will make the difference: justice or a mockery of it.
