Pubdate: Mon, 15 Aug 2016
Source: Philippine Star (Philippines)
Copyright: PhilSTAR Daily Inc. 2016
Contact:  http://www.philstar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/622

SILENCED WITNESS

If the government wants charges to stick against public officials 
linked to the illegal drug trade, it should protect witnesses at 
least against high-value suspects.

Last Wednesday Police Officer 2 Ryan Casiban was found dead at a 
firing range in Lapu-Lapu City in Cebu with only his pants on. The 
rest of his uniform plus his service M-16 rifle and police motorcycle 
were found in another area of the city.

Investigators reportedly said Casiban was among those who identified 
police generals Marcelo Garbo and Vicente Loot as protectors of the 
illegal drug trade. The two are among the five police generals, three 
of them still in the active service, who were publicly identified by 
President Duterte as coddlers of drug trafficking. All five have 
denied the accusation.

The President has since identified over 150 other officials in the 
police and military as well as mayors, vice mayors, prosecutors and 
judges linked to drug deals. He has conceded that some of those on 
the list may be innocent, but he is also certain that many are guilty.

Investigations have been launched, with several of those identified 
presenting themselves to the police to clear their names. The 
government cannot secure all the witnesses against drug suspects. But 
the government must provide protection for those whose testimonies 
are needed against the most notorious drug dealers.

In major crimes in this country, witnesses are often prime targets 
for assassination. Several key witnesses in the 2009 Maguindanao 
massacre have been executed. There is suspicion that many of those 
killed in the ongoing war on drugs were silenced by their police 
handlers. Drug trafficking is big business, and dealers have all the 
means to permanently silence witnesses.

The murder of witnesses has been one of the major reasons for the 
failure to solve the killing of journalists, militant activists and 
legal professionals. The threat of assassination can also be a major 
stumbling block to the ongoing war on drugs. The administration must 
show that it can secure those who support its campaign against the drug menace.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom