Lawyers told to promptly report death threats to PNP

MANILA, Philippines – Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde on Tuesday urged lawyers who have received death threats to promptly report the matter to the police to prevent a repeat of the recent murder of lawyers in Negros Oriental and Bukidnon.

Albayalde said the police will conduct profiling of suspects and conduct an investigation to verify the threat.

“Sa ating mga abugado, sa mga counsels natin, kung meron silang nakikita na mga natatanggap na death threats, sabihin kaagad sa ating mga kapulisan para yan naman kahit papaano mablotter man lang sa atin, malaman natin kung meron silang pinaghihinalaan at maprevent natin (We are asking lawyers who receive death threats to report the same to the police so that proper preventive action can be taken),” Albayalde told reporters in a chance interview.

Albayalde’s appeal comes in the wake of the killing of 53 year-old lawyer Anthony Trinidad in Negros Oriental last July 23.

Trinidad was reportedly a supporter of communist rebels in Negros.

The Integrated Bar of the Philippines has demanded a swift investigation into the murder and the arrest of the killers.

READ: Lawyer linked to Reds killed in Negros ambush

On July 28, or merely five days later, 67-year-old lawyer Nicolas Gomez Jr. was also gunned down by motorcycle-riding assassins in Bukidnon. /gsg

READ: Another lawyer gunned down in Bukidnon