Lawyer shoots self to death after killing RTC judge inside Manila City Hall

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MANILA, Philippines — A lawyer fatally shot himself after shooting and killing a judge at the Manila Regional Trial Court inside her office at the Manila City Hall on Wednesday afternoon, police said.

Police said the victim, RTC Branch 45 Judge Maria Teresa Abadilla, 44, was allegedly shot by lawyer Amador Rebato Jr., 42, chief of Court Clerk of the same Manila RTC Branch 45, located on the Manila City Hall’s fifth floor.

The shooting happened at 2:45 p.m., the police report said.

In a 4 p.m. update, Police Major Jhun Ibay, head of Manila Police District Special Mayor’s Reaction Team, said Abadilla was declared dead on arrival at Manila Medical Center 30 minutes after the shooting incident.

He told INQUIRER.net that the suspect died allegedly after shooting himself.

READ: Who was Judge Abadilla?

“Patay po siya (Suspect is dead) [..] using his own firearms. Iyan iyong initial sa assessment ko, na nagpakamatay talaga. (That is our initial assessment, that he killed himself.),” Ibay said in a phone interview when asked about the cause of the suspect’s death.

The shooting incident is still under investigation, police said.

Gunman infected with COVID-19

In an updated report from Manila City Hall, Juanito Reyes, the court’s legal researcher, told police officials that the clerk was shuddering while being questioned by the Judge Abadilla.

Reyes said the two were discussing Rebato’s “unfavorable” performance.

Subsequently, Rebato shot the judge in the head “without hesitation.”

Rebato was considering resigning because he was diagnosed to have COVID-19, which affected his performance, Reyes said.

[JPV, ac]