EDITORIAL - Fall guys

Is someone trying to mislead investigators in the rape and failed killing of a volunteer nurse in Maguindanao? Government prosecutors have cleared six men initially arrested for the brutal crime. The six were speedily apprehended and presented to the press shortly after the nurse was found in Barangay Timanan in South Upi town on Sept. 26, amid rumors that prominent individuals in the town were the culprits. This was the reason the nurse was transferred to a hospital in Davao City.

One of the suspects, Melchor Fulgencio, signed an affidavit owning up to the crime. But he later retracted the statement, saying he was forced to make the false confession. The other day the Department of Justice, citing forensic findings, announced that only one man raped the nurse, a 21-year-old who was doing volunteer work for a few months in Maguindanao.

If the six were fall guys, their arrest gave the real culprits precious time to escape or the opportunity to cover their tracks. Yesterday Justice Secretary Leila de Lima urged South Upi Vice Mayor Jordan Ibrahim to submit himself to questioning and DNA testing in connection with the case. Ibrahim had earlier consented but later backed out upon the advice of his lawyers. Justice officials said he was allegedly seen together with Fulgencio following the nurse hours before she was found naked and unconscious.

Investigators should pursue not just those who raped the nurse and then left her for dead, smashing her head so badly she still has not fully recovered her memory, but also anyone who might be creating a smokescreen to protect the perpetrators. Even if the victim’s injuries prevent her from personally identifying her assailant, DNA testing can firmly establish the identity of the rapist. Apart from catching those who perpetrated the crime, authorities should also pursue charges for obstruction of justice.