Murder raps filed against suspects in slay of Malolos judge

Suspects in the killing of a Bulacan judge in November 2015 have been charged with murder before before the Malolos Regional Trial Court.

According to the Supreme Court Public Information Office, criminal charges have already been filed against the suspects in the death of Judge Wilfredo Nieves of the Malolos City, Bulacan Regional Trial Court Branch 84.

Nieves was shot to death on November 11, 2015.

A progress report on the case was submitted to Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno and the Office of the Court Administrator (OCA), the SC PIO added.

Charged with murder were Jay Deogrades Joson with aliases Jepoy and Jefferson, and Raymond Dominguez. The complaint against a third suspect, Arnel Janoras, however, was dismissed because Janoras is already dead.

The complaint against the remaining respondents, including two John Does, was dismissed for lack of probable cause.

Janoras was killed while being transported from Malolos City to San Jose Del Monte City on November 23, 2015, or barely two weeks after the killing of the judge.

Janoras was supposed to attend inquest proceedings when he allegedly grabbed the gun of one of his escorts inside the police car, forcing the officer to shoot him.

Based on the report to the OCA by Senior Superintendent Ferdinand Divina, director of the Bulacan Police Provincial Office, the case was already raffled to the Malolos RTC Branch 82 and a warrant of arrest is set to be issued.

“Rest assured that the Bulacan Police will continue to monitor and coordinate for progress and best result of the murder case filed against the suspects,” Divina said in his letter to the OCA.

Dominguez, who was convicted for carnapping by Judge Nieves in 2012, is currently detained at the New Bilibid Prisons. He was included in the charge sheet after it was established, based on the deceased Janoras’ statement, that he had instructed Deogrades to kill Nieves.

Deogrades is said to be a friend of Dominguez's who used to visit the inmate based on the NBP's list of visitors.

Nieves was the 25th judge slain while in the service since 1999.
 
The latest victim was Judge Reynaldo Espinar of the Municipal Trial Court of Laoang, Northern Samar. Similar to Nieves, Judge Espinar died of multiple gunshot wounds during an ambush, also in November last year. -NB, GMA News