EDITORIAL - No fall guys

Philippine National Police officials have vowed that there will be no "shortcuts" in solving the killings of militant activists and journalists. The reassurance is welcome, but public anxiety lingers. With a 10-week deadline set by President Arroyo to solve at least some of the murders, some PNP members may find it irresistible to resort to shortcuts in announcing that a case has been solved. This is done by presenting fall guys or manufacturing evidence to pin down suspects. The government could end up with even more people crying harassment and human rights violations.

In several of the murders, hired guns carried out the hits. A case is deemed solved not just with the arrest of the triggerman but when the mastermind is caught and the motive established. There could be enormous roadblocks in solving a case when influential people are behind the murder. PNP officials as well as government prosecutors, who were given the same deadline by the President, should see to it that there are no sacred cows in the investigation.

For their part, militant activists should give the system a chance and cooperate with the police investigation if they truly want justice. There is a ring of truth in the lament of some cops that relatives of some of the victims have refused to cooperate in finding the killers. There are undeniably rogue elements in both the PNP and the Armed Forces of the Philippines. But there are also persons of integrity in the two organizations who, given enough leads and public assistance, are capable of performing their jobs well. Militants would not want to fuel speculation that the rash of killings is part of yet another brutal purge in the communist rebel movement.

The government should assist relatives of murdered militants and journalists in turning to other law enforcement units for help if they do not trust the local police. Mutual distrust could dash any hope of solving these murders. Using fall guys can only add to that distrust.