BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya –
The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) chapter here rallied behind a
retired judge who was recently charged with the murder of a colleague two years
ago.
In a manifesto, the IBP-Nueva
Vizcaya chapter led by Emmanuel Rasing said retired Judge Jose Rosales, of the
Regional Trial Court Branch 27 here, is not capable of committing such
crime.
Rosales, 76, is facing charges
after recaptured New Bilibid Prison (NBP) detainee Rommel Laciste, a murder
convict, claimed the retired judge paid them P100,000 to kill human rights
lawyer Ernesto Salunat.
Salunat, 64, a former IBP
Northern Luzon governor and provincial campaign manager of the Liberal Party in
the 2010 elections, was shot dead in front of the municipal trial court in
Solano town here on June 22, 2010.
“Judge Rosales is seen as an
honest, prudent, just and peace-loving person,” and “implicating…(him) in
(Salunat’s killing) is seen as nothing but a mere ploy to divert the attention
of the intelligence and law enforcement community away from the real
perpetrators of the crime,” according to the manifesto.
The IBP members also offered to
help Rosales in his legal defense even as they assured him of their “continuing
quest for justice” for Salunat and his family.
Among the signatories to the
manifesto were former governor Rodolfo Agbayani, former board members Reonel Saddul
and Primo Marcos, former provincial prosecutor Celerino Jandoc, provincial
administrator Edu Balgos, former provincial legal officer Basilio Rupisan,
provincial elections officer Abraham Asuncion and former municipal elections
officer Fidel Santos.
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