Peligro Co: Forensics and the Costs of Peace

Friday, 28 January 2011 00:25

Written by Louie C. Montemar

Consider these names: Ninoy Aquino. Lean Alejandro. Dacer and Corbito. And now, Leonard Co and Maximo Peligro. What do these names have in common? They all raise a big question mark for government to address. The question of who really killed them, had them killed, or, in the case of Maximo Peligro, nearly killed them remains a mystery, at least officially. Even in the case of Ninoy the question remains for the mastermind has yet to be identified. Numerous killings remain unsolved and more are piling up each day. I actually pity our police personnel, especially our police investigators. I wonder how they are managing under all that pressure… but… do they really want to?

It’s almost tempting to say that, in our country, the discipline of forensics is purposively left underdeveloped so that the perpetrators of crimes and their cohorts (since some of them may actually be in public offices) could maintain their impunity.

It is interesting to note that if one were to google information on where formal education on forensics is offered in the country, it appears that it is only the Philippine College of Criminology which has such a dedicated course content. The University of the Philippines reportedly has DNA testing capability but the country has yet to have a DNA database which makes DNA testing almost pointless for the purpose of helping solve crimes. On another front, if one searches online for what the Philippine Congress may have on forensics, only one relevant document actually comes out as formally putting the word “forensics” in the official discourse—Republic Act 9710 or the “Magna Carta of Women.” One can only wonder therefore where these so-called Philippine SOCO guys and gals on TV actually get their training and support.

Needless to say, the forensic evidence behind cases like the Ampatuan Massacre could make or break these keystone justice concerns. To compound matters, how can one fully trust government on such matters when those involved might have been government agents themselves? Indeed, the country needs to put more science in its governance as it needs to find some way to maintain a modicum of trust in government. Well, one can always trust science that is done properly—hence, it would really help if government invests more seriously in building a better forensics community.

It shouldn’t be too off the mark to say that our police are ineffective largely because of their weak investigative and forensic science capabilities. And precisely because the surety of being caught as a criminal in the country is not strong, we in fact confront a very serious peace and order situation.

The Philippines now ranks 130th among 149 countries in terms of the state of peace, according to the 2010 Global Peace Index (GPI). The GPI, an international survey on the state of peace in various countries, shows that the Philippines went down ten notches from its ranking in 2010 due to rampant crime and internal conflict. Its steep decline in ranking was noted by the international think tank Institute for Economics and Peace.

The GPI ranks the state of peace in countries using a scale of one to five, with one being the highest and five being the lowest score. The index is reportedly based on 23 indicators grouped as follows: measures of ongoing domestic and international conflict, measures of societal safety and security, and measures of militarization.

The measures used were set by an international panel of academics, businesspeople, philanthropists, and members of peace institutions. The original study is the brainchild of Australian entrepreneur Steve Killelea and has been endorsed by prominent leaders and global personalities such as Kofi Annan, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Muhammad Yunus, economist Jeffrey Sachs, and former US president Jimmy Carter.

Given very recent developments such as the bus bombing in Makati, violent carjacking incidents, and the slaying of botanist Leonard Co — if nothing is done to address these peace-related challenges — we can only expect our country to slide further in such rankings. The incompetence of our police is once again highlighted. Hence, hopelessness can only wax and political trust will wane. Our national leadership cannot afford to lose what precious political support remains.

Regarding losing, let me meander a bit on this very curious case of Leonard Co. Please bear with me as I appraise it from a certain angle to draw out some insights on what we are actually losing given the weakness of our police as well as military forces.

An investigative report carried by one broadsheet last year pointed out that of the leading Manila colleges and universities from 2008-2009, the University of Asia and the Pacific charged the highest average fee for college-level education service at Php124,800 per year . Of the leading private schools in the list published from said report, the College of the Holy Spirit charged the least at Php32,540.78 per student, per year.

The same report noted that, on average, Philippine state colleges and universities (SCUs) collect fees of Php438.80 per year from each student. This should give one an idea of how much the government is subsidizing the education of those in SCU's. Taking the low-end figure from the private school cases and based on certain assumptions, government must therefore be paying around Php32,000 per year for the education of one college student in the country in one of our SCUs like the PUP, UP, or the Mindanao State University.

Again, just to simplify things but taking the low-end cost assumptions, a student that took the usual four-year college course would have been supported by government at the cost of Php128,000 for him to earn a baccalaureate diploma. If at least a two-year Master of Arts or Science degree is pursued to “create” some kind of area specialist, the government needs to spend, at the least, an additional Php64,000. Cheap?

Now consider the need to educate that specialist prior to college. The same investigative news report estimated that a private school in Philippine provinces charges an average of Php1,000 per month from each student. Multiply this by a factor of eleven years (assuming a one-year pre-schooling program and a ten-year basic education stint). You get Php1.32 million. Now add this to our computed cost of a four-year-college-with-masters education.

In short, to create just one college-trained specialist, government needs to set aside about Php1.45 million and wait 17 years.

This is, at the very least, what government would lose in the passing away, the professional inactivity, or the migration of a “Master of Science” or a technical specialist. Pardon me but this is — cold and objectifying as it may sound — what government would lose, at the very least, in the slaying of a botanist like Leonard Co. This is a very rough but realistic computation assuming the least cost needed.

However, other things that made Leonard Co a real scientist need to be considered as well. How can one price field experience and informal learning? How can one measure the value of the social network and social capital built up by Leonard through the years of his practice? How one can cost the knowledge that he has produced and would have produced in his normal lifetime barring an ill-fate as what has befallen him?

Most of all, how can one cost the exquisite blending of genius and empathy — the synergy of a brilliant brain and a caring heart — which is what real education is all about? From all indications, Leonard was a truly educated person, and a truly educated person is priceless.

Tragically, this educated person was felled by a few measly pesos, which is how much those deadly metal slugs that cut short his life are.

In the cases of Co, Aquino, Corbito, and even Peligro, another priceless variable has to be factored in to balance the equation. Justice has to be served. We can try to cost the loss of Co to have a better idea of the price of peace.

The other day, the question of peace and order has been punctuated by another deadly blast at the heart of the Metropolis. Another ill-fated bus added at least four more glyphs on the mystery board for the government and the police to work on. Thanks for small mercies, the one who drove the bus survived. His name: Maximo Peligro. How tragically apropos. Tumitindi ang peligro sa bayan co.