EDITORIAL - Technical lapses

Last month the nation was amazed when police reported arresting a Chinese man who claimed not to speak English or Filipino for possession of an impressive cache of weapons and ammunition, including grenades and pistols equipped with silencers, after he had an altercation with an employee at the Resorts World Manila casino.

Now the nation is again amazed that the man bearing the name Jerry Sy, 46, has been ordered released by Pasay City prosecutor Josefina Muego. Members of the Southern Police District said Muego issued the order after the arresting officers failed to present a certification from any government agency that Sy was not authorized to own the weapons found in his possession.

SPD members are questioning the prosecutor’s order and have asked the Department of Justice to look into the case. Muego, for her part, reportedly noted that the SPD arrested Sy after they allegedly saw two gun magazines drop from Sy’s possession during his altercation with a casino financier at the parking area of the gaming facility. Police said they found the weapons and ammunition when they searched Sy’s car, which was in the casino’s VIP parking area.

Sy still faces charges of being an undocumented alien and has been turned over to the Bureau of Immigration where he is detained. Police had initially voiced suspicion that he was a hired gun sent to Manila from China for an assassination. This has not been established.

The indignation of the SPD members over the release order is understandable. It won’t be the first time, however, that a prosecutor has ordered the release of a suspect over a technicality, and the move is not entirely unreasonable. There have been too many cases of individuals being framed by police using planted evidence, notably in cases of illegal gun or drug possession.

The frame-ups are used to shake down certain individuals, who are slapped with criminal charges when they refuse to pay up. These incidents make it all the more important for police officers to follow legal procedures in conducting arrests, searches, and seizure of items to be used as evidence. The case of Jerry Sy, or whatever his real name is, offers lessons in proper law enforcement.