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Sunday, November 09, 2008
Judge survives ambush; bodyguard dies
DUMAGUETE CITY -- A trial court judge in Guihulngan, Negros Oriental was waylaid by motorcycle riding gunmen early Saturday morning. The judge survives but his bodyguard died.
Regional Trial Court Judge Mario Trinidad was in front of his house in Barangay Poblacion, Guihulngan City when the assailants fired several shots at him and his close-in bodyguard, Rodolfo Guzman.
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Trinidad was rushed to the Guihulngan District Hospital but was later transferred to Dumaguete City for further medical attention.
Trinidad's driver, Guzman, later expired at the Guihulngan District Hospital.
The judge was handling insurgency-related cases in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental.
Trinidad was just 200 meters from his house when an undetermined number of persons fired on him and Guzman at 12:30 a.m.
Trinidad was driving his multicab while Guzman was following closely on a motorcycle when attacked.
The police recovered 10 empty shells fired from an M-16 rifle.
Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office Director Augusto Marquez Jr. said Trinidad suffered a superficial wound in the right ear and a gunshot wound in the right thigh.
Guzman had gunshot wounds in his back.
Marquez said Trinidad was handling several cases against members of the New People's Army (NPA).
Apart from those involving rebels, he said they will also check for other high-profile cases that the judge handled before.
Marquez told reporters that the Guihulngan court had so many cases that a second judge, Kennedy Duka, was assigned there.
He said Duka has already taken steps to ensure his safety.
Marquez also said a recent court decision was another blow to the NPA.
Judge Roderick Maxino of the Regional Trial Court Branch 32 in Dumaguete City sentenced the third highest officer of the Komiteng Rehiyon Sentral Bisayas (Central Visayas Regional Party Committee) of the NPA to a jail term of 10 years and one day to 18 years and a fine of P50,000.
Pedro Lumantas and live-in partner Lita Mahilum were convicted Thursday for violating Section 2 of Republic Act 8294, or the anti-illegal possession of firearms law.
Marquez said Lumantas had several cases for NPA atrocities in Cebu and Bohol provinces.
Since 1999, some 16 judges have been killed in the country. (Edmund B. Sestoso/Sunnex)
(November 9, 2008 issue)
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