Killing of Negros judge shocks family

BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occidental — A Regional Trial Court judge who was ambushed and killed by a gunman on Tuesday night in Ilog town, Negros Occidental, never mentioned to his family about receiving death threats, the police said on Wednesday.

Judge Henry Arles of the RTC in Kabankalan City was coming from work in Kabankalan and was driving home to barangay Dancalan, Ilog, about 6:45 p.m. Tuesday, when he was shot dead by a man aboard a tricycle.

As of Wednesday, the police were still trying to determine the motive for the killing were not discounting the possibility that the murder was work related.

Arles’ family and friends in the judiciary informed police that the judge never complained about receiving any death threat and that they did not know of any enemies.

Senior Supt. Allan Guisihan, Negros Occidental, police director said cops probing the killing learned that upon reaching the highway in barangay Manalag in Ilog, a tricycle drove alongside the judge’s Nissan Sentra.

The passenger of the tricycle fired thrice at the driver’s side of the car, using a .45 pistol, said Senior Inspector Joshua Villasis, Ilog police chief. The tricycle then sped off.

Arles suffered gunshot wounds in the body and in the right palm and was brought to Southern Negros Hospital in Kabankalan by bystanders. He, however, was declared dead on arrival.

Guisihan said he has created Task Group Judge Arles headed by Supt. Leo Agpangan to identify and arrest the gunman and the driver of the tricycle.

Villasis, however, said, they had no leads yet on the identity of the gunman and the tricycle driver as well as the motive in the killing.

The victim’s daughter, Ma. Estelita Arles, said her father visited her in Manila last week but he didn’t mention that he had received any death threat. Estelita, a Manila-based lawyer, said she had asked her father to stay until her birthday on April 26 but the judge refused to do so because he had scheduled hearings. /INQUIRER