Mere lip service

MANILA, Philippines—President Magsaysay’s famous credo, “Those who have less in life should have more in law,” is just  mere lip service to the poor.

They are  just words which does not mean anything to them.

Let me tell you why.

Christian Serrano, a 13-year-old high school student worked as a scavenger to support himself through school, when he met his untimely death at the hands of a police officer three years ago.

Christian and a fellow scavenger were sorting out scrap to sell to a junk shop in an abandoned building in Makati City when Chief Inspector Angelo Germinal chanced upon them.

The time was between 3 a.m. and 4 p.m. on May 9, 2011.

Instead of driving the two boys out of the  condemned building, which was apparently entrusted in his care by the owner, Germinal apparently wanted to try his shooting prowess on the boys.

He got a .22-cal. rifle, which is not issued to cops, from the back compartment of his patrol car and took aim at one of the two boys who were about 20 meters away.

The bullet found its mark: It entered Christian’s back, hit his pancreas and came out of his stomach.

In other words, Germinal allegedly shot Christian in the back.

Murder charges were filed against Germinal in the Makati Regional Trial Court.

Murder is a nonbailable offense and Germinal is supposed to be in jail while he is being tried.

But  Germinal was able to post bail.

Judge Cristina Sulit, who heard Germinal’s petition for bail, ruled there was insufficient evidence against him.

And surprise of surprises, Germinal has since been promoted to superintendent (counterpart of lieutenant colonel in the military)!

The administrative case against him at the National Police Commission (Napolcom) and the criminal case at the Makati court have been dragging on for three years.

Germinal has been sending feelers to Christian’s parents— Salvacion, a street sweeper, and Armando, an electrician who is unemployed most of the time—for an out-of-court settlement, but the couple turned him down.

Salvacion said she wants the police officer to spend his life in prison for killing Christian.

“My son would have been a first year college student now if he were alive,” she said.

But at this point, things look dim for Christian’s family to get justice.

The court said there was no sufficient evidence against Germinal (that’s why he was able to post bail, right?), so he might just get acquitted.

The Napolcom, on the other hand, has been dragging its feet in hearing Germinal’s administrative case for three years now.

In this country, the poor can’t get justice from the courts when they’re pitted against the rich and powerful.

There are thousands of cases similar to Christian’s in various courts throughout the country.

* * *

During the administration of President Gloria, a top Malacañang official said the NPA problem would be gone before the end of her term.

The NPA or New People’s Army is still very much around and gaining members and sympathizers by the day among the poor and the oppressed.

One doesn’t need to be a rocket scientist to know why.