Zamboanga del Norte judge shot dead

MANILA, Philippines – A Regional Trial Court Judge in Zamboanga del Norte was shot dead Thursday afternoon, Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin confirmed as he condemned the killing and urged authorities to promptly probe the incident and arrest those behind the attack.

Sindangan, Zamboanga del Norte Regional Trial Court Branch 11 Judge Reymar L. Lacaya was at the parking area of the courthouse building in Liloy Thursday afternoon when he was shot by a lone gunman, police Lieutenant Darwin Navarro said.

“The entire Judiciary condemns in the strongest possible terms the killing of Judge Lacaya. I am urging the authorities to exert their best efforts for the immediate apprehension of those responsible for Judge Lacaya’s death,” Chief Justice Bersamin said.

Lacaya was the son of a former governor of Zamboanga del Norte, the Late Virgilio Lacaya, who served from 1967 to 1980.

The slain judge is the 30^th judge to be killed while in Judiciary service since 1999 and the fourth killed since 2017.

Other judges killed since 2017 are the following:

Judge Godofredo Abul Jr. – RTC Butuan City (August 5, 2017);

Judge Ricky Begino – MTC-Presentacion, Camarines Sur (June 12, 2018);

Judge Edmundo Pintac – RTC Ozamiz City (October 8, 2018). /gsg