It escapes comprehension how apparently one piece of evidence after another is being woven toward what might result in the invention of a crime – not the discovery of it, should one really have existed. Such seems to follow this Ted Failon’s tragic affair – sensationalized to the nth degree by unwitting couriers of malice and intrigue.
The ordinary appreciation given what one hears on radio, one views on TV, one reads from newspapers seems to shape the conclusion that it would have been anti-thetical to already recorded accounts or contra-thematic to already popular notions to – now and here – state that what is perceivably a case of suicide is actually one of homicide.
In the realm of forensics, two schools of thought quickly emerged – one that claims the point of entry is at the left temple to the right temple as point of exit and the other that holds the reverse as true. In this case, the SOCO of QCPD claims that the point of entry is the right temple to the left temple as point of exit. It failed to validate however if the gunshot would inflicted on the victim is a contact wound or a near contact one not to mention the vicious confusion over left-handedness or right-handedness of a possible suicide victim or possible murderer, as the case may be.
On the matter of paraffin test, it seems that everyone went through the motion of getting themselves paraffin-tested by the police investigators that found all individuals examined as negative for nitrate or nitrite. Dr. Fortun, a forensic expert and pathologist of the UP College of Medicine claims that this practice has long been abandoned in the 60s and no society elsewhere ever still subscribes to this. And this is so precisely because of the poverty of its scientific integrity which means that a finding could always result in this or that which is a no-no in science. Besides, the resulting evidence cannot be put to a retest or stored.
The charge of obstruction of justice is indicatively built on the assertion that the incident has not been reported promptly to the police by no less than Ted Failon himself nor any of other household members. Rather, it was the New Era Hospital where Trina was brought to that reported it to the police. This might just be a euphemism for what the PNP might deem as ‘failure to cooperate’ on the part of Ted Failon vis a vis a victim at the verge of critical death.
There had been quite of a wild goose chase when police has to storm in the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital to spring out the sisters and brother of Trina which may have been rather an entirely inappropriate police operation in premises deemed as private and that observes its internal security protocol. The scene looks like the police officers are running away with their ‘live trophies’ of individuals they rough up, even handcuff to transport to their headquarters.
I share the view of Gerry Baja of Dos por Dos that indeed, the police officers should have better shut up if opening their mouths to think too loud would have given the viewing audience a misleading interpretation of what actually happened. On why indeed the PNP officers should have restrained themselves from coming out in public with their incomplete evaluation but did not chose to is really surprising. Fact is, their pronouncements came in installment basis – piecemeal than utopia.
If there is anything that most self-respecting individuals attach premium to, it is the idea of due process. In this case, the presumption of innocence should have been adhered to. This means that Ted Failon is deemed presumed innocent until proven otherwise. Was this accorded to him and the rest of the household?
The way the whole thing proceeded, however – with a charge of obstruction of justice, it has become clear that the PNP made an assertion that Ted Failon can be found guilty of a crime, reason for the arrest which the court presumably must have granted to the arresting officer. Unless, warrantless arrest applies in this case, pray tell?
One thing remains about all the behavior of the police authorities involved in the case. By their individual statements, by their actions, by their very words uttered in public, by the very versions of the incident they floated around – the whole work in documentation – has just been recorded in history. And clearly, more violations may have been committed on their end or at least the legal niceties that should have been afforded to the family of TF.
Come to think of it, this should have been just an ordinary incident not an opportunity for some police officers to introduce new legal myths. At every turn of the process, there are clear indications that Ted or so too with Trina, Pam, her other sisters and a brother, Kaye and the rest of the household members may have not been treated well by the PNP inconsistent with its mantra – “to serve and to protect”. At the very least, the hold order issued against TF only indicates unjustifiable motive.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Hahaha, since when have the police ever served and protected the people anyway?
well written…
Nick said you should add an image to your articles, so that the thumbnail in the recent article list on the right panel of the webpage won't appear as a broken link.
It's the simplest of instructions that Pinoys can't seem to follow.
ah, thats why theres a '?' on the "recent posts" list… thanks…
if i may suggest to the powers that be…
as an alternative to a picture, why not just put the author's picture/gravatar next to the title of the blog post in the recent posts list. that way, we know who wrote it.
okay…
this whole article is full of premature conclusions, to say the least. the very title itself, ' few lesson from the ted failon affair" suggests a post mortem analysis, an epilogue, if you will, on the entire tragedy. the full story is still unfolding and, other than the fact that a person died of gunshot wound and that certain people are being accused of obstruction of justice and/or tampering of evidence, most everything else is pure surmises and haka-haka. the speculation mill is being fed by the irresponsible media who in turn harass the police with in-your-face inquisitions that some of its members (the imprudent or clueless ones) succumb. pinoys, in general, have a an irritating propensity to get ahead of themselves, and a tendency to say or write something nonsensical just to let it be known that they have something to say and, therefore, not dumb..
It is a tragic case of over reaction from the Police. they dont even allow the suspects to have legal consultation
and representation. Are we descending to where any citizen can be arrested without the due process of law?
If these Police will do the same kind of enthusiasm in arresting grafters in the government, or extortionists in
their ranks. We would have a better country…
I'm being politely banned. Instead of ex-communicating me, it gives me this message "Your post blah blah blah has to be approved" OK. Bahal na kayo mga pilipino. Magpaka-pilipino kayo sa America.
Renato, that is a moderation queue from our new comment system that is not yet fully implemented..
However, please also give courtesy to others who wish to comment .. Your 17 comments (all in a row) could easily have been written on single comment, this is known as flooding the comments..
Although, we value your comments, and will never ban a user, flooding a whole comment section gives one commenter the monopoly, and thus the discussion cannot be read in a flowing manner..
FV, I posted one liner in 17 posts because I found out that If I post one liner the system accepts without approval. But several sentences in more than one paragraphs it gets moderated. So I did a work around in one liner.
It's no wonder Pilifinos cannot progress in America
Hey fellow. give a good look at yourself. You need some good psychiatric evaluation. Your illness can be
cured . We have modern medicines now.
give to the medicines to the homeland flipazzes – they have to be insane to put up with so much crap in the darn islands .
That's what you get when the news the you read in your show everyday are sensationalize by the company that you work for and you still read it. Tit for tat Ted.
Excellent observation Supremo. Before I came in this blog everyone are oblivious to media's incompetency. Aren't you all glad I shone a light to our journalists and columnists ignorance?
I'm glad now that people here in this site are now aware of columnists and journalists perpetual incompetencies
Excuse me on the warrantless arrest. If a police has probable cause they don't need warrants. I learned that from American newspapers not from some columnists who are propagating false misplaced publication of warrantless arrest …
… but they can only hold that person for 48 hours in the instance of American justice where Pilifinos plagiarize and copy …
Please … can some sensical logical columnists here in FV research on warrantless arrest please so the people reading your columns would know, instead of dumbing them down
I'm not even a journalism graduate, I haven't gone to college, I'm a high-school drop-out and i'm better than any columnists in the philippines combined.
Hey, I think you need also a good Psychiatric care. Why not have an evaluation?
He!he! Ssssh! Just want attention :)
So everyone was negative of unreliable paraffin tests. So she did not committed suicide. So Ted did not shoot her so the maids and drivers did not shoot her. sO WHO SHOT HER IN THE BATHROOM THAT WAS LOCKED FROM THE INSIDE?
GOD SHOT HER!
Conviction by faith. it finally happened. How about that!!! WTF! ROTFLMAO!
Ted Failon cannot be arrested. Ted Failon will scream POLITICAL LYNCHING because he's the annointed political runner.
PROUD TO BE PINOY?
Lauren, since when the columnists, journalists were heroes of poor filipinos and ethical reports? They're all coin-operated
That would be AC/DC Journalism. Attack and Collect. Defend and Collect.
Ano ba naman ito, 17 comments out of 25, just in one thread. Renato, tigilan mo na nga kalalasing mo! Matulog ka muna bago ka mag-comment. Nawawala ang takbo ng istorya s lahat ng thread dito sa FV dahil sa kangangawa mo!
Bert, sorry, po. Kasi pag mag-one liner papasok ang posts ko pero kung several sentence hindi papasok.
Stress test ba yan ng FV comment section. Pati kami na-stress din.
OK. tulog na ako. Alas dosi na! Na stress rin ako kasi yung posts ko hindi pumasok.
it pains me saying that to you, Renato, but you are killing this blogsite with that kind of antic. I'm sorry.
If you think sensical posts kill blogsite, is like saying dumb columnists are killing Filipinos.
Not a problem Renato, we do appreciate the comments, the comment system is still under construction.. so please be assured, your longer comments will pass through.. no need for the one liners.. but it was still a shock to see so many chuckie faces all in one column..
we appreciate the comments, just stick to paragraphs muna.. thank you..
He needs a good Psychiatric evaluation and medical care…
homeland flipazzes need a comprehensive mental health check up – how do they put up with all that cr@p in the islands
Bong, I saw your response from IntenseDebate e-mailed to me but I cannot open your comment from FV. Something is wrong here
I even saw and read your comment!
Our police, congressmen, senators and the rest of the bureaucrats should have psychiatric evaluation for cleptomanic tenddencies before they run for office …
Trina is negative. Trina was shot in the bathroom locked from the inside. The rest of the household tested negative … so who shot her?
Something is terribly wrong her! Am I banned?
hell no… you are coming in loud and clear.. pre ayaw kalimiti – http://en.gravatar.com/ – aron dili grayed out imong avatar.
OK. Thanks!
pacifico, i can see you are a boon to many here at FV. you sure inflate the comment threads of even the most outlandish postings. i'm sure they are happy with you around.
I speak truths loudly and noisily; and listen to others, even to the dull and ignorant postings they too have their stories to tell …
I got it, Bong! THANK YOU, BUDDY! :)
Mr. Bencard,
Karl Marx says – "The tradition of all the dead generations weighs like a nightmare on the brains of the living".
What does that mean? This means the better part of you is poisoned. That your formative years made you liable to fantasies of persecution.
What does that mean? It means you have imagined enemies where there were none. You have been tortured by indignities which were created by your own fancy and have magnified the gloom in every reverse.
Enough.
Mr. Bencard, let us talk plain. Just point to the premature conclusions, pure surmises, haka haka or speculation that you are referring to in my article. At least undertake to show what is nonsensical or dumb about what was written.
If you have questions, don't hesitate to ask.
By the way, it is more correct to refer to mine, should I follow your dubious drift, as a prologue than an epilogue. In any case, it is not even intended to be a post-mortem analysis.
Still, thank you for reading every blog I write here at FV. I don't intend to quarrel with you as most of the things you comment on here hardly approximate what a good legal opinion is.
very apt for you to quote karl marx but you are mischaraterizing the import of what he was saying. he was referring to ideology, not the quality of one's reasoning or intellect. oh, i didn't know you were a psychoanalyst..
premature conclusions? i don't have much time but how about these:
"one piece of evidence after another being woven towards what might result in the invention of a crime (sic)".
"and clearly more violations may have been committed".
"not an opportunity for some police officers to introduce new legal myths".
"the hold order against tf only indicates unjustifiable motives".
look, i have to read your post to see if it makes sense, not to flatter you. and i'm criticizing it, not you.
btw, an "epilogue" is a commentary after an "affair" has played out in its entirety, sort of like post-game analysis. this is what you appear to imply with your "few lessons from the ted failoin 'affair'".
and, fyi, not all comments i make here are necessarily "legal opinion" just because i happen to be a lawyer by profession..
Go placidly amid the noise and the haste. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all bloggers and commentators. With all its sham, drudgery and broken english, it is still a beautiful blog site :)
Peace to you all
Bert, I don't read news by Filipino. I came to know of knews thru blogsites ONLY. Because Filipino newspapers are just so illogical that it raises my blood pressure and makes me loony.
I took a peek at Inquirer.net RE: Failon It looks like FV bloggers are ahead of the curve in the invistigation and legal aspects.
Guys, get ready for a diluge of crime to be reviewed by us.
Nick should charge them for our joint consultancy effort
We are the only brilliant minds left in the Philippines.
Viva FV!
Does anyone know here why the Failon household's rights were trampled upon? ANSWER: Because they failed to apply for Write of Amparing.
In civilized world, even a fetus has their rights protected already. Here, in the PHilippines, we have to apply for it.
Weird country, Weird people. Proud to be Pinoy?
So our rights are not protected until we apply for Writ of Amparing?
I'd rather live in a Satanic country, like Europe, than live in a religious country that cannot protect our rights!
Weird country, Weird people. Proud to be Pinoy?
Mr Pacifico, I think you ought to write your own blog so we can be free of your inanities.
Mr. Pagunuran, I can't help but agree with your observation on how the Police are conducting themselves in this operation. It's ok to admit that you don't have anything conclusive this early in the investigation, that there are still certain aspects of the investigation that needs clarification. Instead we see them mouthing stuff like "There are a lot of consistencies between the maid's account and Ted Failon's." Or "Wala akong pakiaalam kung si Ted Failon pa sya" which serves nothing but to inflame speculators and incite controversy. And this before Raul Gonzales joins the fray. What a mess indeed!
philos, i think prejudicial speculations are coming from all sides. in the case of the law enforcers (who are not free of dimwits among them), it seems to me that whatever theories they disclose are squeezed from them by the irresponsible media who evidently has its own agenda. i thought the gratuitous statement by the deceased "friends" that she killed herself and the repeated, sensationalized publicity accorded it, is just an example of the squid tactics being used to muddle the case. btrw, not all statement of a police officer is "official statement" and unless authorized is just a plain and simple haka-haka.
You mean free of logical sensical arguments? That's intense, dude. You think my posts are meaningless? Dude, what I posts here are commonsense, lucid and cogent.
Go back to my posts again and bang your head against it. Your posts are copied from my arguments. Dude, you lack observation.
Typical Filipino ain't dude?
Philippine Justice at work! Nakatanggap ng text si DOJ Gonzalez na nan-doon pala pinatay si Trining sa bedroom! According to his TEXTER. http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2009/april/18...
Let us text the DOJ Gonzalez that there was an accomplice. The accomplice is ME!
Philippine justice at work! Hawr! Hawr! Hawr! Hawr!
DON'T YOU LOVE PHILIPPINES? I better apply for Writ of Amparing so my constitutional rights to be protected! HAWR! HAWR! HAWR! HAWR!
Philos, thanks although one self-indulging bencard always prevents us from talking part of the whole or what is piecemeal analysis for?
I don't know this bencard but if he as much as subscribes to how the PNP conducted their arrest, conducted their investigation as to indicatively disturb the flow of events and sow intrigues by making a lot of speculations because they are the ones who made premature conclusions, then he must be part of this corrupt government.
That is just a syllogistic argument.
Thanks philos. I share your view that it is time for us to 'cut' Mr. Pacifico since neurosis can have some contagious if not emetic effects.
Statements from Ted Failon, or the house maids, or the relatives are mere pieces of evidences that are taken into consideration in determining the real story. The official version should come from the police and the challenge could be lodged with the courts. Let the police do its job. Seal the residence of Ted and temporarily housed the occupants elsewhere to allow the conduct of investigation to proceed without interference. Use modern technology of blood retracing (rush an order from Japan or U.S., GMA or FGMA can handily fork out the funds) to get a picture of what the true situation was after the shooting. We cannot allow emotions, accusations, or even reputation to tarnish the truth.
Our police may not be as good as Scotland Yard but they do protect us. Withour them we can't get out without a gun.
On twin strict ways, they are not conclusions. They are not an epilogue, either.
how about "flooding" FV with articles on the same subject matter by the same author? many a time, one has to keep repeating the same comment, argument or rebuttal, lest the questionable entry that is blatantly repeated (cleverly with a different title) is left unanswered and , therefore, might be perceived as sound or accurate.
how about "flooding" FV with articles on the same subject matter by the same author? many a time, one has to keep repeating the same comment, argument or rebuttal, lest the questionable entry that is blatantly repeated (cleverly with a different title) is left unanswered and , therefore, might be perceived as sound or accurate.
Bencard, please see my comment below. It was actually a work around …
One addictive critic here accuses one of flooding FV with same subject matter by the same author.
Clearly, it reflects an uncharacteristically lack of understanding on what the blog at one turn discusses and what on the next turn – which could happen and not at all unthinkable more particularly on the now controversial topic on TF.
Eh, _ _ _ _ naman pala to.
Stop the analysis already. DOJ Gonzalez just received a text that Trining was blown away in the bedroom. According to teksters.
Philippine justice system has gone down to teksting. That's totally intense
Before anyone knew it, Failon will be in America seeking political asylum ….
This woman's death may be ruled as a suicide, but by whom, and how much investigation will actually ensue? Let's face it, in some respects our gov't only differs from organized crime in terms of having legitimacy. "They" can make anybody disappear, dead, or suddenly be unable to remember what happened to them just as easily as the thugs they publically denounce, but in private emulate.
There are various types of mental illness.One is being a paranoid conspiracy theorist. Another is singing la la la and pouring yourself another cup of tea while your neighbor is being murdered in his front garden thirty feet away.You could put it more simply: Eyes open, or eyes shut.
or:
Believing everything your politicians tell you, or using the powers of discrimination which your life experience is supposed to teach you in order to sort out the truth from the bull. Any parent can do it with his child, and when your government appears to be run by children with guilt written all over their faces, with their hands still in the cookie jar, and using the pathetic excuses which all adults have heard a million times from school kids, you can tell the difference too.
Suicide, the forensic expert from Ateneo, concludes with strong likelihood after he examined the victim along with members from the SOCO Team.
Does anyone has a feeling that Failon is reading the blog entries and subsequent comments? Because following mornings his lawyers has answers to our questions already.
See? this is what happened if FBI-Academy trained invistigators pagarparing to the public. The perpetrators would know what are possible questions that needs to be rebutted ….
If that be true, then don't leave this place renato although you ought to trim down on your 'swear words' and its racist slur.
Care to give any example?