Slain Kabankalan judge’s family offers P1-M reward

BACOLOD CITY—The family of slain Regional Trial Court Judge Henry Arles is offering a P1-million reward for information that can lead to the arrest of those behind his assassination.

Lawyer Ma. Estelita “Ria” Arles, daughter of the judge, said the payment of the reward would be done in consultation with government agencies involved in the investigation of the case.

The P1 million from the Arles family would add to the P200,000 reward being offered by the Supreme Court, said Ted Britanico, Arles’ brother-in-law.

He said the family was still finalizing the mechanics of the payment of the P1-million reward to civilians or law enforcement agents who could solve the murder.

Arles, of RTC Kabankalan City, was driving home in Ilog town in the evening of April 24 when a gunman, on board a tricycle and armed with a .45 cal. pistol, fired at the judge, who died while undergoing treatment in a hospital.

Police said the killing was job-related. Britanico said the gunman, the tricycle driver and a third accomplice would be identified within the week.

“We are very, very serious in solving this because we are convinced that he (Arles) had not done anything wrong,” said Britanico.

“If he was executed by these criminals, it is because they just did not like the way he decided their cases and since they could not bribe him, they might as well get rid of him so that someone else they could bribe could take over,” he said.

Senior Superintendent Allan Guisihan, Negros Occidental police director, said the reward would hasten the resolution of the case. Police are pursuing several leads and searching for two other suspects, Guisihan said.