EDITORIAL - High and dangerous

Weeping behind bars, brothers Rolin and Roel Gacita looked genuinely contrite. If not for the fact that they had just been arrested for a gruesome crime, you could almost feel pity for them. Still young at 27 and 24, respectively, they are certain to spend the best years of their lives rotting away in prison for the brutal killing of 20-year-old Cyrish Magalang.

The brothers said they had taken shabu when they chanced upon Magalang, a tourism graduate of the University of Santo Tomas. Magalang had bought rice cake in Bacoor on Wednesday last week and rode in a tricycle driven by Roel, who was later joined by his brother. Rolin reportedly planned to rape Magalang but when she resisted and started shouting, he began stabbing her with a screwdriver. By the time he was done, Magalang had 49 stab wounds. Not content, Rolin allegedly smashed her face with a hollow block. Witnesses led police to the brothers’ house in Molino 3, Bacoor, where the bloodied implements used in the killing were found.

The grisly crime should prompt authorities to intensify the campaign against prohibited drugs. Shabu, or methamphetamine hydrochloride, continues to proliferate nationwide. It is the drug of choice for drivers who need to stay awake for long-haul trips. Many deadly road accidents have occurred involving drivers under the influence of shabu. That tricycle drivers are also using the drug indicates the ease by which shabu can be obtained in this country.

As police raids have shown, shabu can be synthesized in laboratories set up in medium-sized houses or even in shanties right in Metro Manila. And as several cases have shown, the illegal but lucrative operations often flourish with the blessings of police and barangay officials. Raids on shabu laboratories rarely lead to the arrest of the operators, fueling speculation that they are tipped off by their protectors in law enforcement or local government.

The illegal drug trade lures operators and couriers who think their products simply provide pleasure to consumers. The brutal murder of Cyrish Magalang is just the latest in a long string of heinous crimes perpetrated by individuals high on drugs. Her death should strengthen the resolve of authorities to eradicate this blight.