IBP calls on NBI, PNP to probe killing of Abra lawyer

The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) on Friday called on the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to look into the killing of a lawyer in Abra.

“We urgently call upon the NBI, the PNP, and all relevant investigative agencies to promptly launch [a] comprehensive investigation into this heinous crime, along with all other unresolved cases targeting lawyers,” the IBP said.

“We ask that they ensure the expedient resolution of these investigations, thereby holding the perpetrators accountable," it added.

This came after lawyer Ma. Saniata Liwliwa Gonzales-Alzate was shot and killed in front of her residence in Bangued, Abra on Thursday afternoon.

According to the IBP, Gonzales-Alzate’s death is a reminder of the threats faced by the lawyers, judges, and court officers in the country.

The IBP expressed its solidarity with the family of Gonzales-Alzate and the legal community.

“We honor her memory as an esteemed public interest lawyer and a dedicated Commissioner of the Integrated Bar. She upheld the highest standards of the legal profession, leaving behind an enduring legacy for us all,” it said.

“In a society built upon the foundations of justice and equity, there is no place, nor can there be any tolerance, for those who would assail those dedicated to upholding the legal profession and the cause of justice,” it added.

The International Association of Democratic Lawyers has also condemned the killing, saying the act was enabled by impunity and “engendered by passive, token, and ningas cogon responses from State authorities.”

For its part, the Department of Justice said the killing is “unacceptable.”—AOL, GMA Integrated News