EDITORIAL - Silenced?

Investigators are pursuing several leads in the assassination of police Chief Inspector Renato Marasigan. To ferret out the truth in this murder, the Philippine National Police should take the investigation out of the hands of the Pasig police. Turning it over to the National Bureau of Investigation may be even better. There is a big possibility that Pasig policemen themselves may be involved, and the motive for the killing could be linked to the illegal drug trade.

Marasigan, a former member of the Pasig police force, was the deputy chief for investigation and intelligence of the PNP Internal Affairs Service. He was investigating the possible involvement of his former colleagues in the Pasig police in the illicit drug trade following a raid last month on a virtual shabu flea market or tiangge that had operated for a year within spitting distance of the Pasig City Hall and police headquarters. Reports said some cops and city government personnel were regular visitors in the shabu flea market.

Shortly after the raid, Marasigan wrote an open letter to his former colleagues in Pasig, in his capacity as past president of the Pasig Elite Police Brotherhood Association Inc., lamenting the lost "glory" and deterioration of the force. Last Wednesday morning, as Marasigan was driving to work, four men surrounded his van and opened fire, killing him instantaneously. Pasig investigators said that aside from the drug angle, they were pursuing reports that a land dispute had led to the murder.

Marasigan’s death might not have been linked to the drug trade. Until this angle is completely ruled out, however, the PNP should not take chances and provide opportunities for a cover-up. The Pasig police can assist in the investigation, but another law enforcement unit or agency should take the lead. A thorough, impartial investigation could reveal not just the brains behind the daring murder, but also the extent of police involvement in the drug trade.