Too many likely cooks of one spoiled broth

Rebelyn Pitao was a 21-year-old teacher when she was snatched by armed men on the night of March 4 in Davao City while on a tricycle on her way home. The day after, her body was found floating in a creek.

The body was badly mutilated, apparently from being tortured. Her chest bore five stab wounds. Her neck showed signs of strangulation. And her genitals bore marks that suggested she had been violated with a hard object.

That she is dead goes without argument. But even if she had not died, a detailed description of the brutal injuries she suffered will likely lead whoever hears the description to conclude with certainty that she could not have survived.

In other words, it was an attack of such savagery that even Filipinos increasingly inured to escalating violence in the country cannot help but be shocked. But the murder alone is just part of the sensation.

For Rebelyn was no ordinary young woman. She was the daughter of communist New People's Army leader Leoncio Pitao, who is also known as Commander Parago. On hindsight, this fact sheds light on the choice of her given name — Rebelyn.

What makes her death even more sad is that it exposes once again the great divisions that this once-peaceful country has had to endure over the past several decades, divisions that pit brother against brother in armed conflict.

Commander Parago has quickly blamed the military for the murder, naming at least four soldiers, two of whom used to be former communist rebels themselves, as the perpetrators. He has vowed revenge, an act that, if carried out, can only cause ever more blood to be shed.

The military, just as quickly, denied any hand in the atrocity but promised to investigate, along with the assurance that if the claims of Commander Parago bear any substance then the perpetrators will be brought to justice.

As said earlier, only the death of Rebelyn is beyond any doubt. As to who truly killed her, that is still a matter of speculation. Even the claims of Commander Parago must be borne of facts. His being the grieving father is not enough to substantiate his allegations.

Of course, the great temptation is to blame the military. But the dirty tricks in human conflict is not the sole preserve of the military but is open to a much wider field of likely adherents, including the communist rebels themselves.

Hand in hand with an investigation into possible military involvement in the murder must come an earnest background check on Commander Parago himself, to determine if he does not have any enemies seeking to undermine him while getting the military blamed in the process.

Even the hugely unpopular Arroyo government could be an indirect target for the anticipated backlash that such a heinous crime can only generate. Her political enemies are themselves very capable of carrying out the murder in the hope it might explode in her face.

Other suspects may include those who want to scuttle an anticipated fresh start at peace talks with the communist movement, as well as those who just want to create an atmosphere of instability.

Instability can mask a lot of illegal activities. Plain banditry, for instance, thrives in an environment where the law is always on the run. By such a token, even the Abu Sayyaf cannot be erased from the picture even if it is not known to operate in the area.