Defensor vs. Aglipay: The bigger picture - My Viewpoint

So, Representative Mike Defensor has been charged with violations of the anti-graft law for allegedly trying to interfere with the arrest of four suspected call girls in Quezon City. Four police officers claim that Defensor induced them to violate the law by intimidating and coercing them to sign an affidavit admitting the illegality of their apprehension of the girls.

The feisty Defensor swears he will fire countercharges against the four who he claims were kotong cops trying to victimize innocent women who were merely out having a good time and were in no way women of ill repute. The Ombudsman will decide whether a prima facie case has been established warranting the filing of formal charges against Defensor with the Sandiganbayan. On the other hand, depending on what legal steps Defensor actually takes, a court may have to decide whether the cops, and not the girls, were the real culprits here.

The police hierarchy, spearheaded by Chief Superintendent Edgar Aglipay, is understandably backing up the cops. That may have been the result of what the PNP perceived as putting heavy-handed pressure applied by the young Congressman, including what the four apprehending cops thought was an undeserved tongue-lashing they received from him. Defensor only admits he raised his voice, but denies shouting at or cursing the cops who, he insists, came to him and were not summoned by him. Disputes like this have a way of escalating or even running out of control. Arguably, the dueling legal suits are a bit of overkill on the part of both protagonists.

There are, however, larger issues that need to be addressed. I know Aglipay stands by his men who he says were merely following orders and were engaged in continuing operations to rid the Timog Ave. nightclub strip of street-walkers and other assorted nogoodniks. He claims there are witnesses who will testify that the women concerned are not as pure and pristine as they make themselves out to be. But he stresses that if the cops are proved to have been acting illegally, he will come down hard on them.

This is what gives me pause, since this sounds like a less-than-ringing endorsement of his men. In view of the ferocity of the PNP's counter punches against Defensor, shouldn't Aglipay have first ascertained beyond reasonable doubt that the cops themselves are as high-minded and dedicated as they say they are. If the contrary is proven, all this could come back to haunt Aglipay and the entire PNP. The women have withdrawn their admissions of guilt and said they were not afforded the benefit of counsel. Considering the potential further inconvenience and embarrassment, they assert, their payment of the P200 or so fine was an act of prudence rather than an acknowledgement that they were vagrants.

I suppose that if you look at the way kids hang out these days, one could say you would spot several "walking aimlessly" outside their favorite nightspots "with no visible