TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan – The city
government and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Cagayan chapter have
condemned the killing here of a trial lawyer on May 14 and called on
authorities for the immediate arrest of those behind his slay.
IBP Cagayan chapter
president Alexander Simeon Jr., in a statement, also appealed to the public to
refrain from making speculations surrounding the killing of lawyer Isagani
Garcia, which came in the wake of the filing of graft cases against Mayor
Jefferson Soriano.
“We do not want to
speculate on his murder or point an accusing finger to anyone. We do not have
personal knowledge as to the circumstances of his death,” said Simeon,
describing their colleague’s killing as “unacceptable” and an “act of
barbarism.”
Soriano, a lawyer
himself, deplored the killing a few hours after the incident, dismissing
insinuations from his political rivals that Garcia’s slay might have something
to do with the two graft cases which he was handling against him.
The graft cases
against Soriano were filed by city councilor Maila Ting-Que with Garcia
reportedly acting as the legal counsel before the Office of the Ombudsman.
Que is a daughter of
former mayor Delfin Ting, whom Soriano, also a former police general, defeated
in last year’s elections. Soriano’s victory ended the Tings’ political
dominance over the city’s top post, which they held for more than two decades.
“I did not even know that (Garcia) was the legal
counsel of the graft cases against me. I have nothing to do with his deplorable
killing. I called on my former colleagues in the Philippine National Police for
the arrest of those behind the killing,” he said.
Garcia, 35, who hailed
from Tumauini, Isabela, was shot dead by motorcycle-riding men while on board
his car along the provincial road here night of May 14.
Reports said he
sustained at least 10 gunshot wounds.
Reports said Garcia,
also a law professor at the Cagayan State University-Tuguegarao campus, also
reportedly handled high-profile cases, including election-related ones, at the
time of his killing.
Supt. Jay Cumigad,
city police chief, said Garcia had just attended his class when his assailants
overtook his car and fired at him.
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