EDITORIAL - The quest for elusive justice

The appeal of the Gingoyon family for the government to find "the real killers and not just the set of fall guys" recently arrested in connection with the ambush-slaying of Cebuano judge Henrick Gingoyon of the Regional Trial Court is valid indeed.

It is not the lack of personnel or equipment that is really bugging law enforcement in this country, although God knows a huge shot in the arm is badly needed in that regard. What law enforcement in the Philippines truly needs is a megadose of credibility.

Under a different set of circumstances, the Gingoyon family would have been thanking law enforcement agencies profusely by now for the amazing speed with which at least five people have been arrested in connection with the killing of Judge Gingoyon.

That that doesn't seem to be the case speaks eloquently of the family's impression, along with that of the public, as to where the case seems headed. Nobody knows the true circumstances of the case more than the Gingoyon family, and if they are unimpressed, they must have a reason.

And the reason is that they do not believe the people now in custody are the ones law enforcers should be after. "Find the real killers, not just a set of fall guys." How else could a sentiment of doubt be said more precisely than that.

Of course, no one, not even the Gingoyon family, can say with certainty that the people now in custody are not the ones involved, directly or indirectly, with the killing. Maybe in truth they are.

But all too often, in a world of imperfection such as ours, even such a sacred thing as justice has to hinge, in large measure, on impression and satisfaction. If the family of the victim is not impressed and satisfied, justice will never be served them.

Indeed that is why, in the administration of justice, a great deal of emphasis is laid on "guilt beyond reasonable doubt." No more forceful admission of the need to impress and satisfy can be clearer than that.

If the family of the victim, and that part of the public that agrees with them, cannot eliminate their doubt as to the guilt of those now in custody, then justice will continue to elude their search.

God, in His own time, will take justice into His own hands. And when He does, it shall then be clear to all what happened. But until He does, we will all have to rely on the temporal administration of justice and hope we will not have too many sleepless nights waiting.