If our police can’t tell the difference between the left and the right – God help us!

No matter how their propaganda machine desperately grinds, the Philippine National Police cannot minimize the terrible mistake they made – embarrassing themselves and the over-eager La Presidenta – in trumpeting the arrest of the wrong "Radulan Sahiron", alias Abu Sayyaf Commander Putol. The guy the PNP seized in Zamboanga Sibugay was not Putol, but an unfortunate fellow named Antonio Gara.

The trouble is that the police intelligence unit under the command of Senior Supt. Rodolfo "Boogie" Mendoza decided to boogie too soon. They crowed to everybody, from PNP Director General and Chief Arturo C. Lomibao to GMA herself that they had nabbed Sahiron who has a price-tag of $5 million on his head and 21 counts of kidnapping for ransom and serious illegal detention. La Gloria gleefully announced this to the world media – only to have the brave tale collapse upon closer inspection. The fellow turned out to be somebody else, not even, as the poor victimized fellow complained in a subsequent radio interview, "a close look-alike." "Malayo" – very far different – the puzzled man pointed out when shown a photograph of the real renegade Commander Putol alias Sahiron.

To begin with, Gara was missing his left hand, while Commander Putol’s missing hand was his right hand. How different could the two men be? Remember the old nursery rhyme learned in Kindergarten: "I have two hands, the left and the right; Hold them up high, so clean and bright…" Gee whiz. Our cops couldn’t even tell the difference between the left hand and the right. Heaven help us!

The PNP cannot minimize this incident as an "unintentional lapse." The poor fellow arrested, Antonio Gara – while he admitted he had not been mistreated, or subjected to any physical violence – had been blindfolded and spent hours in a misery of suspense while in captivity and interrogation. When the police eventually discovered their awful error, they had freed Gara and asked him not to sue them. The thing is that Gara has every right to sue, for false arrest, illegal detention – you name it. A clever lawyer, and there are many abogados de campanilla around as well as serious human rights lawyers, could make mincemeat in court of the police. However, the reality of provincial life is that the police, in retaliation, could make life hell for Gara and his family in turn.

The fact remains that this major gaffé cannot be shrugged off. It puts in doubt every previous arrest made by the police and other law enforcement agencies. The question is provoked: How many innocent people may be languishing in prison, or in the grave, owing to mistaken identity – or malicious arrest?

The real Radulan Sahiron is an Abu Sayyaf thug, along with that other scumbag, ASG Chieftain Khadafi Abubakar Janjalani, alias Abu Moktar, still at large, these rats responsible for depredations like the murderous February 2004 SuperFerry blast, the Valentine’s Day bombing, the abduction of hostages from Sipadan (Malaysia) in April 2000 and from Dos Palmas resort in Palawan in May 2001 – including the hapless Martin and Gracie Burnham. The Abu’s terrorism has cause many deaths. By nabbing the wrong man under the most stupid and sloppy circumstances only enhances the Abu Sayyaf "legend" of being hard to catch.

Indeed, PNP Chief Gen. Lomibao had to fly to Dipolog, bringing along with him Iglesia ni Cristo broadcaster Arlene de la Cruz, who had interviewed Commander Putol several times, and had, in fact, been hostaged by the rebel-kidnappers herself for a brief period, so she could verify the identity of the "prisoner."

As soon as Arlene saw the detained Gara, she exclaimed that the unfortunate was definitely not Sahiron. The truth is that Ms. de la Cruz’s eyeballing the detainee was entirely unnecessary – but it was the final proof of wrongful arrest.

Gara’s missing limb was his left, not his right. That, for any sensible cop, ought to have been as plain as the nose on his own face.

* * *

The Leftists and Commies don’t miss a trick. Because a US Marine (or five?) raped a Filipino girl in Subic, allegedly in a Starex van, they’re angrily demonstrating demanding the repeal of the Visiting Forces Agreement. Sanamagan. If the 22-year old young woman was raped by that brute of a Marine, what the heck: Grab the guy, and his confederates if they participated in ravishing the lady, slap them in jail, try them in court. If they’re innocent, let them go. If they’re adjudged guilty – or the Marine who used the condom presented as evidence really did the dirty – rape is a heinous crime, so to the Death Row for the fellow. But wait. Justice must be done. The acting US Ambassador Paul Jones and James Kunder have promised cooperation in the case. Let’s see what happens then.

By all means, rape is rape and the honor of our womanhood must be defended. Yet, the hysteria generated by this silly case has gone far out of bounds. You’d think it was the "comfort women" issue all over again – with the Americans, not the Japanese wartime soldiery involved. Gabriela, the Leftwing women’s group, is in full cry – as expected.

I suggest they also rage against GMA for not executing the Filipino rapists already long-convicted and among the 1,000 convicts congesting Death Row. La Presidenta has been commuting the sending of these rapists to the lethal gas chamber when, after they had exhausted all appeals, their executions are long overdue. When Filipino men rape Filipino women, is that a mitigating circumstance? No way.

The victim of alleged rape lives in Zamboanga City and her identity is being carefully kept secret by her family – even with the rape case provoking such a national furor. If the case gets to court, however, she’ll have to come forth and testify.

My Zamboanga Alikaboks already know who the lady is – she lives within the SouthCom area – meaning our Armed Forces Southern Command – and helps run a sari-sari store inside the SouthCom compound. Did she possibly know the Balikatan American servicemen she and a friend dated in Subic, an outing which led, after a drinking party, to her "rape"?

I will say nothing more, since everything will be revealed in the coming trial – if it pushes through.

It was not helpful, nor wise, of course, that James Kunder, Asst. Administrator for Asia and the Near East of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), raised the matter of "human trafficking" when he and Ambassador Jones met with President GMA in Malacañang. Kunder who happened to be here in the course of a three-nation swing which will take him to Indonesia and Thailand to discuss similar issues there, didn’t hint that non-enforcement of measures against human trafficking (exploitation of women and prostitution) would affect US aid to the Philippines. But his very timing leaves a bad taste in the mouth. One gets the impression he’s putting the pressure on – I won’t say it’s outright blackmail.

The US Marines, the most powerful fighting force the Americans have – as they’re demonstrating in Iraq through bomb, shot and shell – have the tradition of "every man a rifleman," i.e. every Leatherneck and Jarhead ready to fight with a rifle in every clime. ("From the Halls of Montezuma, to the Shores of Tripoli" – and beyond.)

They also have the tradition of "no man left behind." If that Marine, or more than one, committed rape however, they’d better leave him to our country’s justice – much as they might distrust it. Not all America’s battles are being waged in Iraq.