Abra lawyer slay suspects identified
>> Wednesday, September 27, 2023
DOJ bares NBI probe results
By Daphne Galvez and Pedring Labrador
BANGUED, Abra -- Probers have identified suspects in the killing of lawyer Maria Saniata Liwliwa Alzate, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla reported Tuesday.
“May suspects na tayo. The NBI is on top of this,” Remulla said in an interview over dzRH, referring to the National Bureau of Investigation.
He did not name the suspects.
Remulla said the NBI launched a parallel probe and looking at footage of closed-circuit television cameras at the crime scene.
Lawyer Maria Saniata Liwliwa Alzate was in her Mitsubishi Mirage parked in front of her house along Santiago St. in Barangay Zone 3, Bangued, on Sept. 14 when she was shot at close range.
Alzate suffered eight gunshot wounds and was declared dead on arrival at the Seares Memorial Hospital.
The DOJ condemned the killing, which it described as “unacceptable.”
Philippine National Police chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. said the special investigation task group created to probe the killing obtained strong leads on the suspects.
At the Sept. 16 News Forum held at Dapo Restaurant and Bar in Quezon City, Acorda reported investigation was “moving in the right direction.”
He said it was premature to link Alzate’s murder to the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections since she was involved with human rights concerns.
Malacañang joined various sectors in condemning the killing of Alzate.
In a statement, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said Alzate’s death was a “tragedy” for the province of Abra and the legal profession.
“We join our brothers and sisters in the legal profession in condemning the killing of Atty. Alzate,” Bersamin, who hails from Abra, said.
“We will ensure that our law enforcement agencies will work relentlessly to bring to justice those behind this heinous act,” he added. ”Pursuit operations are ongoing. We call upon our citizens to remain vigilant.”
Bersamin described Alzate as “fearless, steadfast and principled” in her law practice and “unrelenting” in her pursuit of justice.
Alzate was president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines-Abra chapter and IBP commissioner on Bar discipline.
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) also joined calls for justice for Alzate.
“The CHR strongly condemns the killing of another lawyer and joins the call for law enforcement agencies to urgently pursue the perpetrators of this violence so they may be brought to justice,” the commission said in a statement issued Wednesday.
“In the midst of calls to address impunity, threats and attacks against members of the legal profession directly affront the rule of law. CHR has since stressed their important role: courts, lawyers and judges are crucial in administering justice as well as in uncovering the truth, especially for gross human rights violations,” it said.
The CHR said it was in the best interest of the government to protect lawyers to allow them to do their duty without fear of threats and retaliation.
The Integrated Bar of the Philippines on Tuesday paid tribute to slain lawyer Gonzales-Alzate and called for task force to investigate the killings of lawyers in the country.
The IBP condemned her killing and called on authorities to do more to safeguard the country’s abogados.
The IBP said it is in solidarity with the legal community and Alzate’s family.
The IBP Committee on Bar Discipline posted a “Tribute to Ling” where it remembered her as a staunch human rights defender, one who was “fiery in her passion, brave, and cavalier in the pursuit of justice for the oppressed.”
It said she was dedicated to fighting for the marginalized and disadvantaged, advocating for those who could not speak up for themselves as she upheld the principles of fairness and integrity and inspired others to fight for justice.
The IBP committee also remembered the other lawyers who were killed and left a void in the community. Their fate underscores the risks and dangers that some members of the legal profession face.
This, as the Philippine National Police urged the public to help identify and find the killers of Alzate.
During a press briefing at Camp Crame in Manila on Monday, Col. Jean Fajardo, PNP public information office chief, said the PNP WAS bent on solving the case.
“We saw on CCTV footage that there were two persons involved in the murder of Alzate,” Fajardo said, referring to closed-circuit television camera.
The footage showed the assailant approaching Alzate’s vehicle and shooting her before fleeing.
The gunman later returned to the crime scene on a motorcycle driven by another person.
Fajardo said the CCTV images were of high quality and the PNP submitted these to its Anti-Cybercrime Group for enhancement.
Although the suspects’ faces were visible in the footage, Fajardo said the PNP was appealing for public assistance.
Fajardo urged anyone with information about the suspects to cooperate with the police.
She said the PNP has yet to determine the motive for the killing.
Authorities are now hunting the two gunmen who shot dead Alzate.
"We call on the public to provide us any relevant information that would assist us in our investigation," Abra police director Col Froiland Lopez said in a statement.
"Whatever the motive and whoever are the assailants and masterminds, this merciless murder of a young, principled and idealistic lawyer is enabled by impunity engendered by passive, token and ningas cogon responses from State authorities," Edre Olalia, transitional president of lawyers group International Association of Democratic Lawyers, said Friday in a statement.
Abra Gov. Dominic Valera also condemned the killing of Alzate and urged local authorities to expedite its investigation.
In a Facebook post, Raphiel Alzate, the widower of the slain lawyer, appealed to the public to donate to a legal fund for continuation of the cases his wife was handling.
According to Raphiel, a former acting presiding judge of a Regional Trial Court in Ilocos Sur and Abra, most of his wife's cases were pro bono, in which legal services wer4e covered by a professional fee or at a lower cost.
Local police said Alzate was gunned down along Santiago St, Zone 3 around 4:55 p.m.
Based on initial investigation, Alzate was parking her vehicle when she was shot.
A concerned citizen witnessed the shooting, brought the lawyer to the nearest hospital and sought assistance of police.
Alzate, the police said, was declared dead a few minutes after reaching hospital.
The witness said the assassins had blue shirts and dark caps on and fled towards Barangay Consiliman, Zone 2 after the attack.
Abra provincial police public information office chief Captain Ronaldo Eslabra said based on initial investigation, the victim was inside her white car parked in front of her house when two unidentified assailants shot her.
The victim was brought to Dr. Petronilo V. Seares Sr. Memorial Hospital, but later died at around 5:05 pm, according to Eslabra.
After shooting the lawyer, the assailants fled on their motorcycles towards Barangay Consiliman, in the same town.
One of the assailants was seen wearing a blue polo shirt and dark cap.
“We strongly condemn this heartless attack against our sister in the profession. We staunchly urge government authorities to act swiftly in the apprehension of the perpetrators,” the IBP Northern Luzon Chapter said.
“When will the killings stop? When will lawyers be allowed to perform their duties in accordance with their lawyer’s oath without fear of reprisal?” said National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) President Ephraim Cortez in a statement, adding that Alzate is the second lawyer killed in less than a month, after the murder of lawyer Elmer Mape on Aug. 22 in Leyte.
Cortez cited a case handled by Alzate that was favored by the Regional Trial Court of Abra.
According to IBP, Abra RTC granted a writ of amparo in favor of Excel Billedo, Alzate’s client, on Feb. 20 this year.
The court also granted a protection order for Billedo and his mother.
The IBP commended not only the judge who promptly resolved the case but also the efforts of Alzate.
“Her able representation of her clients aided them in their quest for justice despite great risks to herself. It is a sterling example of lawyering for the public interest,” the IBP said.
Cortez said after the Supreme Court’s issuance of a joint statement to address the issue on attacks against the legal profession and the issuance of the Rule on the Use of Body Worn Cameras, “no other positive action was made to address the issue on the attacks on the members of the legal profession. Several lawyers have since been killed, harassed and intimidated.”
“Time and again, we have called the attention of authorities to do something about these killings. We have been knocking on doors till the morning light so to speak,” Cortez said.
The IBP-Northern Luzon said Alzate dedicatedly and selflessly served as chapter president for two terms.
“A strong principled lady lawyer and an epitome of valor, she readily heeded to the call for help of the underprivileged, oppressed and downtrodden,” the IBP-Northern Luzon said.
Alzate is the third lawyer killed since Ferdinand Marcos Jr. assumed office, the group said.
“The NUPL firmly urges all law enforcement agencies to rigorously investigate this incident and, subsequently, bring to justice its perpetrators, echoing its earlier calls made in the wake of attacks on lawyers: Stop the Attacks!” the NUPL said in their statement. – AD with pooled reports
“May suspects na tayo. The NBI is on top of this,” Remulla said in an interview over dzRH, referring to the National Bureau of Investigation.
He did not name the suspects.
Remulla said the NBI launched a parallel probe and looking at footage of closed-circuit television cameras at the crime scene.
Lawyer Maria Saniata Liwliwa Alzate was in her Mitsubishi Mirage parked in front of her house along Santiago St. in Barangay Zone 3, Bangued, on Sept. 14 when she was shot at close range.
Alzate suffered eight gunshot wounds and was declared dead on arrival at the Seares Memorial Hospital.
The DOJ condemned the killing, which it described as “unacceptable.”
Philippine National Police chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. said the special investigation task group created to probe the killing obtained strong leads on the suspects.
At the Sept. 16 News Forum held at Dapo Restaurant and Bar in Quezon City, Acorda reported investigation was “moving in the right direction.”
He said it was premature to link Alzate’s murder to the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections since she was involved with human rights concerns.
Malacañang joined various sectors in condemning the killing of Alzate.
In a statement, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said Alzate’s death was a “tragedy” for the province of Abra and the legal profession.
“We join our brothers and sisters in the legal profession in condemning the killing of Atty. Alzate,” Bersamin, who hails from Abra, said.
“We will ensure that our law enforcement agencies will work relentlessly to bring to justice those behind this heinous act,” he added. ”Pursuit operations are ongoing. We call upon our citizens to remain vigilant.”
Bersamin described Alzate as “fearless, steadfast and principled” in her law practice and “unrelenting” in her pursuit of justice.
Alzate was president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines-Abra chapter and IBP commissioner on Bar discipline.
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) also joined calls for justice for Alzate.
“The CHR strongly condemns the killing of another lawyer and joins the call for law enforcement agencies to urgently pursue the perpetrators of this violence so they may be brought to justice,” the commission said in a statement issued Wednesday.
“In the midst of calls to address impunity, threats and attacks against members of the legal profession directly affront the rule of law. CHR has since stressed their important role: courts, lawyers and judges are crucial in administering justice as well as in uncovering the truth, especially for gross human rights violations,” it said.
The CHR said it was in the best interest of the government to protect lawyers to allow them to do their duty without fear of threats and retaliation.
The Integrated Bar of the Philippines on Tuesday paid tribute to slain lawyer Gonzales-Alzate and called for task force to investigate the killings of lawyers in the country.
The IBP condemned her killing and called on authorities to do more to safeguard the country’s abogados.
The IBP said it is in solidarity with the legal community and Alzate’s family.
The IBP Committee on Bar Discipline posted a “Tribute to Ling” where it remembered her as a staunch human rights defender, one who was “fiery in her passion, brave, and cavalier in the pursuit of justice for the oppressed.”
It said she was dedicated to fighting for the marginalized and disadvantaged, advocating for those who could not speak up for themselves as she upheld the principles of fairness and integrity and inspired others to fight for justice.
The IBP committee also remembered the other lawyers who were killed and left a void in the community. Their fate underscores the risks and dangers that some members of the legal profession face.
This, as the Philippine National Police urged the public to help identify and find the killers of Alzate.
During a press briefing at Camp Crame in Manila on Monday, Col. Jean Fajardo, PNP public information office chief, said the PNP WAS bent on solving the case.
“We saw on CCTV footage that there were two persons involved in the murder of Alzate,” Fajardo said, referring to closed-circuit television camera.
The footage showed the assailant approaching Alzate’s vehicle and shooting her before fleeing.
The gunman later returned to the crime scene on a motorcycle driven by another person.
Fajardo said the CCTV images were of high quality and the PNP submitted these to its Anti-Cybercrime Group for enhancement.
Although the suspects’ faces were visible in the footage, Fajardo said the PNP was appealing for public assistance.
Fajardo urged anyone with information about the suspects to cooperate with the police.
She said the PNP has yet to determine the motive for the killing.
Authorities are now hunting the two gunmen who shot dead Alzate.
"We call on the public to provide us any relevant information that would assist us in our investigation," Abra police director Col Froiland Lopez said in a statement.
"Whatever the motive and whoever are the assailants and masterminds, this merciless murder of a young, principled and idealistic lawyer is enabled by impunity engendered by passive, token and ningas cogon responses from State authorities," Edre Olalia, transitional president of lawyers group International Association of Democratic Lawyers, said Friday in a statement.
Abra Gov. Dominic Valera also condemned the killing of Alzate and urged local authorities to expedite its investigation.
In a Facebook post, Raphiel Alzate, the widower of the slain lawyer, appealed to the public to donate to a legal fund for continuation of the cases his wife was handling.
According to Raphiel, a former acting presiding judge of a Regional Trial Court in Ilocos Sur and Abra, most of his wife's cases were pro bono, in which legal services wer4e covered by a professional fee or at a lower cost.
Local police said Alzate was gunned down along Santiago St, Zone 3 around 4:55 p.m.
Based on initial investigation, Alzate was parking her vehicle when she was shot.
A concerned citizen witnessed the shooting, brought the lawyer to the nearest hospital and sought assistance of police.
Alzate, the police said, was declared dead a few minutes after reaching hospital.
The witness said the assassins had blue shirts and dark caps on and fled towards Barangay Consiliman, Zone 2 after the attack.
Abra provincial police public information office chief Captain Ronaldo Eslabra said based on initial investigation, the victim was inside her white car parked in front of her house when two unidentified assailants shot her.
The victim was brought to Dr. Petronilo V. Seares Sr. Memorial Hospital, but later died at around 5:05 pm, according to Eslabra.
After shooting the lawyer, the assailants fled on their motorcycles towards Barangay Consiliman, in the same town.
One of the assailants was seen wearing a blue polo shirt and dark cap.
“We strongly condemn this heartless attack against our sister in the profession. We staunchly urge government authorities to act swiftly in the apprehension of the perpetrators,” the IBP Northern Luzon Chapter said.
“When will the killings stop? When will lawyers be allowed to perform their duties in accordance with their lawyer’s oath without fear of reprisal?” said National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) President Ephraim Cortez in a statement, adding that Alzate is the second lawyer killed in less than a month, after the murder of lawyer Elmer Mape on Aug. 22 in Leyte.
Cortez cited a case handled by Alzate that was favored by the Regional Trial Court of Abra.
According to IBP, Abra RTC granted a writ of amparo in favor of Excel Billedo, Alzate’s client, on Feb. 20 this year.
The court also granted a protection order for Billedo and his mother.
The IBP commended not only the judge who promptly resolved the case but also the efforts of Alzate.
“Her able representation of her clients aided them in their quest for justice despite great risks to herself. It is a sterling example of lawyering for the public interest,” the IBP said.
Cortez said after the Supreme Court’s issuance of a joint statement to address the issue on attacks against the legal profession and the issuance of the Rule on the Use of Body Worn Cameras, “no other positive action was made to address the issue on the attacks on the members of the legal profession. Several lawyers have since been killed, harassed and intimidated.”
“Time and again, we have called the attention of authorities to do something about these killings. We have been knocking on doors till the morning light so to speak,” Cortez said.
The IBP-Northern Luzon said Alzate dedicatedly and selflessly served as chapter president for two terms.
“A strong principled lady lawyer and an epitome of valor, she readily heeded to the call for help of the underprivileged, oppressed and downtrodden,” the IBP-Northern Luzon said.
Alzate is the third lawyer killed since Ferdinand Marcos Jr. assumed office, the group said.
“The NUPL firmly urges all law enforcement agencies to rigorously investigate this incident and, subsequently, bring to justice its perpetrators, echoing its earlier calls made in the wake of attacks on lawyers: Stop the Attacks!” the NUPL said in their statement. – AD with pooled reports
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