EDITORIAL - Unsolved crimes

There are text messages on his cell phone that can be traced, pictures of tattooed men with high-powered firearms, and eyewitnesses who have reportedly described to police the killer of former Army Lt. Baron Cervantes. As the self-styled spokesman of the Young Officers’ Union was buried Sunday morning, however, investigators seemed no closer to the identity of his assassin or the brains behind it.

The controversial officer may have rubbed too many people the wrong way, which makes it difficult to zero in on a motive strong enough to warrant his murder. It also makes it easy for charges to be hurled in all directions against everyone, and even for certain groups to accuse the administration itself of plotting the murder. The most convoluted conspiracy theories can find credibility in this country because the truth is rarely known in many sensational cases. Or else when the truth finally comes out, witnesses have disappeared and people have simply lost interest.

Consider the persons indicted for staging the simultaneous bomb attacks in Metro Manila on Dec. 30, 2000. The case is still under preliminary investigation, and many people are under the impression that the bombings remain unsolved. Consider, too, the disappearance of casino employee Edgar Bentain, the murders of publicist Salvador Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito, the killing of leftist leader Felimon Lagman. Will the murder of Baron Cervantes be added to the list of unsolved crimes?

The administration has been pleading for an end to coup rumors, which are creating an atmosphere of instability and scaring away investments. The chief of the national police dismisses as "baloney" rumors of a brewing coup. Military officers have repeatedly assured the public that their troops are behind their commander-in-chief.

A better way of dispelling the uncertainty, however, is by dispelling the mystery that surrounds sensational crimes — by arresting the right suspects, by preparing an air-tight case that can lead to conviction and imprisonment. This can also give credibility to the police leadership’s claim that the crime rate is going down. Solving the murder of Baron Cervantes will be a good start.