RTC JUDGE SHOT; FIGHTING FOR LIFE

BAYAWAN CITY RTC JUDGE IS LATEST

VICTIM IN EXTRA JUDICIAL SHOOTINGS



A judge of the regional trial court in bayawan city is the latest victim in the wake of the resumption of extrajudicial killings both in Dumagute city and Negros Oriental.



Judge Orlando Velasco, presiding judge of Bayawan city’s regional trial court, is fighting for his life at the silliman medical center after he was shot eight times by still unknown would-be assasins last Wednesday evening just when he was about to enter his premises in barrio villareal, bayawan city.



Judge Velasco, member of law class 1974 of Silliman University and a resident of Dipolog recently disposed of sensitive cases involving convictions of drug pushers who were meted life sentences. Police theorized that sympathizers of those whom the judge convicted might have been out for vengeance, according to the police spot report from Bayawan city.



Two suspects were apprehended and will be subjected to paraffin tests by the nbi. The police also led to the recovery of the getaway motorcycle abandoned in the next town of sta Catalina.



The pattern is getting clearer that lawless elements or hired assasins could be behind these extrajudicial killings. Last Sunday and Monday, one was shot dead and two others were shot in barangays Daro and Looc in separate killing sprees by motorcycle riding duos.



Still according to police Supt Dionard Carlos, the best deterrent could still be citizens alert and vigilance by reporting suspicious looking people in the neighborhood, who might still be possibly casing their next victim. Supt Carlos said that unless people will give them a ring, they will have to start from scratch despite the fact that the city has only 72 policemen on three daily 24-hour shifting.

Police and civilian intelligence systems must improve and that intelligence funds must be spent wisely so as to hire more informers who can pre-empt or prevent the commission of heinous crimes.