I THOUGHT that when the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) 7 came into the picture after the muddled police investigation on the gruesome killing of 16-year-old Christine Lee Silawan, everything would be getting clearer. The NBI has arrested and charged the suspect before the Lapu-Lapu City Prosecutor’s Office for murder. But it seems the NBI’s ongoing investigation is still flawed and the public is still in doubt if the country’s premier investigating agency got and charged the right suspect.
The NBI arrested and charged the 17-year-old former boyfriend of the victim. He was the last person seen with the victim based on the series of CCTV footage taken from various establishments, including the Pajac Barangay Hall where the suspect and the victim passed by. But the family and friends of the suspect insisted that it was not him in the footage.
They claimed that during that time, the boy was playing basketball in the community gym with his friends. Later, they ate balut. In my interview with the suspect’s mother over dySS Super Radyo, she claimed that her son went home at around 9 p.m. that Sunday, the time Christine was reported missing. He never went out of the house again and they slept together that night. She observed nothing unusual about her son’s attitude. She said her son woke up early Monday morning and went to school. Had he committed something serious like killing Christine, he should have acted bothered or uneasy as he is not a notorious criminal.
What the NBI has now are all circumstantial evidence. Like the CCTV footage, the cap with a bloodstain and the statement of a neighbor identifying the boy in the CCTV footage. “Circumstantial evidence is evidence that relies on an inference to connect it to conclusion of fact--such as a finger print at the crime scene. By contrast, direct evidence supports the truth of an assertion directly—i.e., without need for any additional evidence or inference.”
What if, after enhancing the CCTV footage, it turned out that, indeed, the boy is not the one in the video? If this happens, this will practically weaken the NBI’s theory. Upon my suggestion, the mother will ask the NBI for re-enactment to match the original footage from the “re-enacted” one. The mother will also try to produce CCTV footage to support their claim and to counter NBI’s theory.
As to the bloodstained cap, the mother claimed it was not blood but “steel rust” as the cap is owned by the elder brother who works in the pier area. The accused, who is studying at the Maribago National High School, is the youngest of four sons. The cracked cellular phone submitted as evidence has long been cracked, the mother added.
The NBI claimed they have strong evidence against the accused and they will lay down more evidence in the next few days that may possibly convince the public to favor their theory. Why wait a few days if they can do it now? Lay your cards on the table so you can convince the prosecutor’s office to file the case in court and possibly convict the accused.
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Congratulations to all the graduates of Indiana Aerospace University (IAU), who will receive their diploma today during the 26th commencement exercises to be held at the university’s main campus in Lapu-Lapu City. Former special assistant to the president and the administration’s senatorial candidate Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go is the guest of honor and speaker. He is expected to talk about his platforms of government and woo the graduates to support him and the Duterte administration. Dr. Juvinal “Jovy” Toring, university president, will lead other university officials in conferring degrees to the graduates from various courses offered by the university, especially from the aeronautics department, the school’s flagship professional course. Again, congratulations!