NINE SUSPECT including a police officer, are now facing murder charges over the ambush-slay of lawyer Eric Jay Magcamit in Narra, Palawan last November 17.
Among those indicted is Senior M/Sgt. Ariel Pareja, who is now under restrictive custody of the Palawan Police Provincial Office.
Also named respondents in the charges filed on Wednesday before the Palawan Provincial Prosecutor’s Office were Jazer del Rosario, Marcelino Quioyo, and six other John Does.
In a report to Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Debold Sinas, Police Regional Office 4-B (Mimaropa) director, Brig. Gen. Pascual Muñoz said Pareja has been moonlighting as a bodyguard for Quioyo, who is involved in a court case over a land dispute where Magcamit is representing the other party.
Muñoz said administrative charges are also being prepared against Pareja based on his indictment in the murder case.
Meanwhile, the PNP has also identified "persons of interest" in the killing of another lawyer, Joey Luis Wee in Cebu on November 23.
“As for the case of Atty. Wee in Cebu, we also gave the IBP an update. We already have persons of interest and the motive is work-related. We have talked about ensuring the protection of lawyers because we really cannot prevent those who want to commit crimes from doing it. So we advise our lawyers also to be ready to protect themselves, " Sinas said.
He assured that the government is not taking these killings lightly and intends to apprehend and bring to court those responsible for these killings.
He offered help to protect the lawyers who want to obtain guns for their security.
"We offered assistance such as easy access to LTOFP (License to Own and Possess Firearms) and permit to carry for those who would want to buy guns for their safety. As long as they would follow the proper procedures, there would be no problems,” Sinas said.
Sinas also advised lawyers to coordinate with the police for their own safety.
"We cannot always look after them especially if they won't tell us that their lives are under threat. They should tell us so we can do something to protect them,” he added.
Earlier, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said the NBI had sent more agents to Palawan and Cebu to locate and arrest those behind the killings of the two lawyers.
“The NBI is working hard on the investigation of the violent deaths of Attorneys Magcamit and Wee. More field operatives have been deployed in Palawan and Cebu to intensify their hunt for the perpetrators of these treacherous crimes,” Guevarra said. (By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan)
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