Thursday, June 19, 2008 Editorials: Questions on Sumabong’s arrest
WITH people asking if the person nabbed for the killing of lawyer Richard Sison is really the triggerman as claimed, local law enforcers have a lot of convincing to do.
That is primarily the problem of National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) 7 operatives, who arrested security guard Nemuel Sumabong and charged him with murder.
That should also concern Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, who personally presented the suspect to the media and defended the action of NBI 7 operatives.
The quest for justice, therefore, is not only the issue at this point; at stake there also are the reputations of NBI 7 operatives and the officials backing the arrest.
Arguments
Going against NBI 7 are the following points:
--The admission by the Cebu City Police Office, which is also investigating Sison’s killing, that Sumabong's name did not surface in its list of possible suspects.
--The existence of two cartographic sketches of the suspect (NBI 7 had argued that Sumabong's face looked like the one shown in its version of that sketch).
--The claim of Sumabong's co-employees that he was on duty the day Sison was shot; people who knew Sumabong also vouched for his character (not surprising, though).
Dig more
Authorities may thus need to provide additional evidence, aside from testimony of witnesses who positively identified Sumabong, if they were to win over the unconvinced.
While there is no reason to question the motivation of the witnesses (they should even be praised for coming out), it would be better for NBI 7 operatives to dig more.
The digging should not be done at the expense of justice, however, but to ensure that the real culprits are the ones that should be made to pay for their dastardly act.
Assurance
And this should not be an ego thing, one that could prod those concerned to manufacture evidence just to get the needed vindication for Sumabong’s arrest.
People questioning Sumabong’s arrest just want to be assured real justice has been served on Sison and his family.
