Law vs frame-up a dead letter

There’s a law that metes out a life imprisonment sentence on a law enforcer who “plants” drugs on innocent citizens.

But not a single policeman or agent of the National Bureau of Investigation or Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency has been convicted under that law which was authored by then Senators Bobby Barbers and Rodolfo Biazon.

You see, most law enforcers are either too clever to get caught for framing innocent civilians or their victims don’t complain.

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However, a case that has come to my attention might be the first in sending at least two Manila policemen to prison for the rest of their lives for violating the law against drug frame-up.

Here’s the story:

Danter Jeff Lim, 35, a tricycle driver and a rehabilitated drug addict, was arrested by five Manila policemen for allegedly pushing drugs.

After taking Lim to barangay captain Loreto Erasquin of Barangay 601, Zone 51, Sta. Mesa, Manila, as a matter of courtesy, the cops brought him to the Manila Police District’s Station No. 8.

On Feb. 27, PO2 Gabriel Mandap and PO1 Kirby Latonero filed a case for drug pushing, a nonbailable offense, against Lim in the Manila City Prosecutor’s Office.

They presented as evidence a plastic sachet supposedly confiscated from Lim containing 0.095 grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride (street name: “shabu”).

But Mandap and Latonero failed to cover their tracks in framing the innocent Lim.

Erasquin, the barangay captain to whom they first brought Lim, told me there was nothing found on the suspect at the barangay hall.

Erasquin said Lim was even stripped naked in front of him but there were no drugs found on him.

The barangay captain was shocked to learn later that Lim was charged with drug pushing when Lim was “clean” when he was brought before him.

He told me he was going to testify for Lim if the case would go to court.

Danter Lim’s wife, Armona, who sought the help of “Isumbong mo kay Tulfo” yesterday, said Mandap demanded P50,000 from her for her husband’s release.

She showed me text messages sent by Mandap using Danter’s cellphone.

The following are the text messages:

Feb. 26 at 8:12 p.m.—11 wait ka namin. Pinapagawan n aq ng papeles (We will wait for you at 11 o’clock. I am about to be booked).

Feb. 26, 8:30 p.m.—ma 11 lang ang binigay na oras (Ma, we’re being given until 11 [to produce the amount]).

Feb. 26, 10:12 p.m.—tutuluyan na lang aq ma (They’re going to push through with filing the case against me).

Feb. 26, 10:27 p.m.—30 n lang daw ma. cge na mag 11 na (They’ve brought down the asking money to P30,000. Please, Ma, our 11 deadline is about to expire).

What do all those text messages above mean?

That Mandap and Latonero were obviously lying in their affidavit that they arrested Lim for alleged drug pushing on Feb. 26 at 11:30 p.m.

Barangay Captain Erasquin told me Lim was brought before him on Feb. 25 at 7 p.m., which belies the claim of Mandap and Latonero that he was arrested on Feb. 26 at 11:30 p.m.

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If the prosecutor who will handle the case of frame-up against the two cops is intelligent enough to collect the facts I mentioned earlier as evidence, the case against Mandap and Latonero is going to be airtight.

If the judge who will try the frame-up case is discerning enough or cannot be bribed, he would send the two cops to prison for the rest of their miserable lives.

Let’s make the law against drug frame-up work so law enforcers will think twice before they plant drugs on innocent citizens.

Right now, what we have is a dead letter law.