IBP calls for speedy probe into killing of Cebu lawyer

The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) on Tuesday called on the authorities to expedite the investigation into the attack against former prosecutor Salvador Solima and his wife Verose.

“The national leadership of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines decries and condemns the murder of lawyer Salvador Solima of Cebu – the most recent in a quick succession of treacherous attacks against lawyers. What adds ignominy to this heinous offense is that it was perpetrated without regard to the sanctity of home and family,” IBP National President Abdiel Dan Elijah Fajardo said in a statement.

“We call on the authorities to solve this case with competence and dispatch. Lawyers, prosecutors, and judges are being targeted with surging frequency and impunity. This has spawned a dark halo of fear that impacts negatively on the most important pillars of the justice system,” he added.

The IBP, a mandatory organization of lawyers with more than 50,000 members, pointed out that lawyers “are professionals who must not be associated with the perceived crimes of their clients.”

“We are sworn to advocate our clients’ causes within the bounds of law, free from fear and intimidation, and regardless of our own opinions as to their guilt and innocence,” Fajardo said.

Meanwhile, the IBP Cebu chapter called the attack as “vicious” and “pure evil.”

Mundlyn Misal-Martin said: “We call for justice and we call for a fast investigation. We call on to our authorities to resolve this case and to put the culprit in jail.”

Solima, former assistant city prosecutor of Cebu, and his wife Verose were attacked inside their house in Barangay Guadalupe in the city.

Solima was killed, while his wife was critically injured.

Martin said the killing of Solima was puzzling as he was “a respected prosecutor before he ventured into private practice and is known to be accommodating to his clients.”

“This act of killing is almost the ‘new norm’ when it should not be! When will this end?” Martin said. “When will people understand that killing/hurting another lawyer is not the ‘real justice’ they think they deserve. Justice cannot be attained by an injustice. Killing of a lawyer, or any other person, is unjustifiable and will never be a solution/resolution to misery! This is not supposed to happen in this generation.”

Earlier, the IBP created a task force to investigate the killings of lawyers in the country.

Argel Cabatbat was killed last Feb. 13 and Jonah John Ungab, vice mayor of Ronda town in Cebu who served as lawyer of detained drug lord Kerwin Espinosa, was killed last Feb. 19. /atm