PNP probes killing of South Cotabato lawyer

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police General Guillermo Eleazar has ordered an investigation into the killing of a lawyer in Surallah, South Cotabato.

On Wednesday, Atty. Juan Macababbad was shot by motorcycle-riding gunmen while he was closing his gate around 5:30 p.m. in Barangay Libertad.

Macababbad was declared dead on arrival at the hospital.

“The Philippine National Police joins the legal community and the Filipino people in condemning the killing of a lawyer in South Cotabato,” Eleazar said in a statement on Thursday.

“Kasabay ng pagkondena dito ay ang aking kautusan sa RD, PRO12 na tutukan ang kasong ito upang mapanagot ang mga taong nasa likod nito at maibigay ang nararapat na hustisya kay Atty. Macababbad at sa kanyang pamilya,” he added.

[Along with this condemnation is the order to focus on the case so that those responsible will be held accountable and justice will be given to Atty. Macababbad and his family.]

Eleazar said he also ordered the Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management to review the status of cases of lawyer killings in the last five years to expedite the investigation of unsolved cases.

The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) said Macababbad was the vice-chair of the Union of Peoples’ Lawyers in Mindanao.

According to the NUPL, Macababbad was the 58th lawyer killed during the Duterte administration as well as the third killed among their members.

“[I]t is clear that the murder of Atty. Macababbad is connected to his vocation of lawyering for the people. Atty. Macababbad has been receiving death threats before his murder,” the NUPL said. — Joahna Lei Casilao/RSJ, GMA News