SC condemns killing of Northern Samar judge

The Supreme Court on Monday expressed "outrage and sadness" over the killing of a judge in Northern Samar over the weekend.

A statement posted by the high court's Public Information Office on its Twitter account said, "On behalf of the Philippine Judiciary, the Chief Justice and the Associate Justices of the Supreme Court express their outrage and sadness at the killing of the Honorable Presiding Judge Reynaldo Espinar of the MCTC (Municipal Circuit Trial Court) Laoang, Northern Samar."

Espinar was gunned down inside a cockpit area in Pambuhan town on Sunday afternoon.

Espinar became the thrid judge to the killed in the past three months, the others being Judge Wilfredo Nieves in Malolos, Bulacan, on Nov 11 and Judge Erwin Alaba in Baler, Aurora on Sept. 

In condemning the latest incident, the high court said: "The killing of judges represents the ultimate shortcut and an affront to the rule of law. Killing of judges not only threatens other judges in the performance of their functions, but it also undermines the neutral environment so essential for fair and evenhanded decision-making." 

It added: "The Court condemns in the strongest terms the killing of Judge Espinar and calls on the authorities concerned to take all necessary steps with all deliberate speed to do justice for Juge Espinar by fully investigating his killing."

Authorities said Espinar was with his close-in security Wilfredo Saromenes when a lone gunman shot the victim from behind. The judge instantly died due to a gunshot wound in the head.

The judge's close-in security, meanwhile, shot and killed the still unidentified assailant.

The firearms of the gunman and Saromenes have been seized by the police.

Authorities are still investigating the incident. — Rose-An Jessica Dioquino/RSJ, GMA News