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IBP outraged over killing of QC prosecutor


The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) on Tuesday expressed outrage over last week's daylight killing of a Quezon City prosecutor and urged authorities to bring the culprits to justice.

The mandatory organization for all Philippine lawyers urged authorities to hold accountable the suspects in the killing of 64-year-old deputy prosecutor Rogelio Velasco, the latest in a string of "murders" against officers of the court.

"We express outrage over the impunity by which lawyers, prosecutors and judges, are being targeted by evil forces in their malevolent efforts to subvert the rule of law," the IBP said in a statement.

"The brazen daylight killing of QC prosecutor Velasco is the latest in a quick succession of murders perpetrated against officers of the Court without any regard to the sanctity of life, and with gross disrespect to their loved ones who will forever be scarred by the violence they had never imagined they would experience first-hand in their lifetime."

Velasco was shot several times by around four men while inside his vehicle last Friday afternoon. The Quezon City Police District has formed a task force to probe the incident.

"We call upon the authorities to do their jobs and hold to account the perpetrators of this dastardly act against Prosecutor Velasco. Impunity is the natural child of apathy and incompetence," the IBP statement said.

The group has earlier created a national task force to investigate, document and prosecute or assist in the prosecution of cases of violence against its lawyer-members.

The formation of the task force came on the heels of the fatal shooting of Jonah John Ungab, the lawyer of confessed drug distributor Kerwin Espinosa, and the failed ambush on lawyer Argel Cababtbat in Quezon City.  —Nicole-Anne C. Lagrimas/KBK, GMA News

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