5 Philippine mysteries for Sherlock to solve

MANILA, Philippines – Sherlock fans around the world are currently in the midst of a delight-induced stupor, following the premiere episode of the hotly anticipated 3rd season.

BBC One’s modern take on the beloved classic is inspiring a renewed interest in the detective, as well as in the actor who plays him, the wildly popular Benedict Cumberbatch. He and Martin Freeman, who plays Dr. John Watson, are now meme staples on the Internet. 

In the spirit of the new season, here are 5 mysteries based right here in the Philippines that we think Sherlock would chew up and spit out like the proverbial hound from Baskerville: 

Warning: Spoilers for those who haven’t seen the first and second seasons Sherlock. 

1. White lady sightings in Balete Drive

Will glancing at the rearview mirror of your car reveal the terrifying sight of a ghostly lady in white? We’d like to see Sherlock wander about our own Philippine suburbs, troll the neighbors, and get to the bottom of the tale that’s become a Halloween favorite. 

Could the white lady actually be a product of a secret science experiment, like the one in Season Two’s “The Hounds of Baskerville”? Or is a masked criminal really the culprit, like in Scooby Doo? 

This episode treated viewers to a major development in the friendship between Watson and Sherlock, with the latter later muttering, “I don’t have friends. I’ve just got one.” 

2. The Anne Curtis slapping incident

Who’s telling the truth? Following a report that Anne Curtis slapped 3 guests at a popular club, among them fellow actor John Lloyd Cruz, the actress apologized over Twitter and claiming full responsibility for her actions.

Days after, however, showbiz blog FashionPulis.com reported that Cruz and his friends deserved the actress’ wrath after behaving rudely towards her. 

Conflicting statements wouldn’t do much to deter Sherlock. A short meeting with the people involved would have sufficed, as he’s proven repeatedly in several montages in the show’s episodes.

It isn’t too hard to imagine Sherlock being hired to track down and destroy compromising photos procured by an enterprising hacker. Similar scandals involving private media made public happen everyday. 

In Season 2’s “A Scandal in Belgravia,” Sherlock was seen procuring a mobile phone filled with scandalous secrets from the dominatrix, Irene Adler. Fans cheered Sherlock on as he correctly guessed the code to The Woman’s phone. “I’ve always assumed that love is a dangerous disadvantage,” he told his wily adversary. “Thank you for the final proof.”

3. The Nida Blanca murder

In Season One’s “The Great Game,” Sherlock investigated the mysterious death of TV makeover queen Connie Prince. The circumstances surrounding the high profile death of the late John en Marsha actress Nida Blanca were no less mysterious.

Prime suspect Philip Medel confessed to the murder, but later recanted his confession. He died of complications from pneumonia in 2010.

Blanca’s husband, Rod Strunk, accused by Medel of taking out a hit on Blanca, died in 2007 after falling from the balcony of a California hotel. 

If there’s anything more to the story, we think Sherlock would sort it out in a jiffy. After all, he did figure out who the Connie Prince killer was after a quick visit to her home. He deduced that it was the houseboy who killed her via toxic Botox injections.

4. Taxi Cab Crime

Could Sherlock Holmes single-handedly take down taxi-related crime in the Philippines – or at least give us a clue as to its extent? 

Philippine taxis are the subject of many an anecdote from traumatized passengers about unscrupulous drivers. Late last year, Inquirer reported on a new MO involving taxi drivers drugging female passengers with an immobilizing spray.

It wouldn’t be hard to imagine Sherlock cracking down on a fleet of errant cab drivers – via special request from our own police department, of course. Season One’s “A Study in Pink” saw Sherlock engaging in a battle of wits with a killer cabbie. Near the end of the episode, the murderer memorably revealed the name of Sherlock’s unseen enemy with a single cry: “Moriartyyyyyyyy!”

5. The Ninoy Aquino assassination

Three decades after that fateful day, people still keenly feel the loss of one of the country’s political icons. Who was behind the assassination of Ninoy Aquino? The chilling image of the grisly crime scene is indelible in our minds; the identity of his killer remains unconfirmed. 

Sherlock’s skills might have changed everything in 1983. Using a single footprint in Season Two’s “The Reichenbach Fall,” Sherlock found the location of two kidnapped children, prompting Detective Inspector Lestrade to say that Sherlock was a one-man “CSI: Baker Street.” 

What other mysteries would you like Sherlock to solve for you? Let us know in the comments section below.

– Rappler.com

Photos used in collage from Shutterstock and Wikicommons