Kudos are already being sent to the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) for the solution or close to solution of three recent murders; one of a female call center agent, another of a female who was contacted by the suspect through a radio dating program, and the third of a male Iranian student.

But let’s not party yet.

The first two murders were crimes of passion. The third was a spur-of-the-moment robbery that turned bad. The killers in these instances were bound to commit mistakes, and these mistakes led the police to their doorsteps.

I’m not belittling the sleuthing skills of the police, but they were certainly helped by the killers’ traces.

On the other hand, high-profile cases such as the daylight ambushes of Patrick Ian Osorio and Richard Sison by hired killers remain unsolved and continue to baffle police. These murders were premeditated and carried out with precision. They left no trace.

Only when the police are able to break any of these cases will I break out the champagne.