MANILA - A small hole in the wall of lawyer Jose Bernas's chambers marks the spot where an assassin's bullet lodged in a botched attempt to kill him.

The hole, just to the right of the main door, has a black circle drawn around it so it serves as a constant reminder that in the Philippines the law often comes at a very high price.

Bernas believes the attempt on his life in May was connected with his work on one of the many high profile cases involving Manila airport's $600-million mothballed international passenger terminal, known as terminal three.

The ultra-modern terminal has been at the centre of controversy and allegations of widespread corruption since it was first conceived in 1992.

So far one judge and the country's deputy solicitor general have been murdered and many lawyers have allegedly been intimidated by various interest groups connected with the terminal.

The saga of terminal three has spanned the administrations of presidents Fidel Ramos, the disgraced Joseph Estrada and incumbent Gloria Arroyo. Completed five years ago it sits abandoned on the other side of Manila airport away from the existing, dilapidated 26-year-old international terminal having never seen a single passenger or aircraft.

In 2004 the government expropriated the project from Philippine International Airport Terminals Co (Piatco) and its private contractor German company Fraport claiming major contract irregularities.

Since then the fate of terminal three has been bogged down in domestic legal battles and hearings in the international arbitration courts in Washington and Singapore.

Bernas is just one of dozens of lawyers involved in the lengthy litigation and he has no doubt the attempt on his life was tied to the airport.

"You don't have to be smart to start drawing connections. Not in this country," he said in an interview.

"First you had a high-powered judge murdered and then you had the assistant solicitor general murdered -- both were involved in the litigation over terminal three."

Judge Henrick Gingoyon was killed 100 meters from his home in Cavite on December 31, 2005. He was presiding over one of the cases against Piatco.

A year later, the assistant solicitor general Nestor Ballacillo and his son Benedict were gunned down in much the same way outside their Manila home. Nestor Ballacillo had been working on another case involving Piatco.

Although police say the cases are not connected and that there is no evidence suggesting links to the airport, Manila's legal community is not convinced.

"Although there is no evidence linking the killings there is plenty of circumstantial evidence to suggest otherwise," said Neri Colmenares of the Asian Law Center.*AFP

"In Gingoyon's case this was the main case he was handling, while Ballacillo had two controversial cases, one being the airport. Neither case was investigated properly. While robbery was said to have been the motive, nothing was taken from the victims."

Bernas said he was not satisfied with the investigation that followed the attempt on his life.

"There was no dusting for fingerprints and we still don't know why the security guards disappeared when the gunmen entered the building," he said, adding: "The whole episode does not speak well of the system of justice and law enforcement in this country."

Bernas was in his Makati office in Manila's financial district when his receptionist rang and said two journalists were waiting to see him.

"I didn't recognize the names but went out to see them just the same," he said.

"As I opened the door two men stood up, drew guns and began to point them at me. I rushed back inside. I tried to close the door but they were pushing from the other side.

"As we struggled for control of the door, I lost my footing and began to slide down the door. As I did a hand came round the door clutching a gun and fired. Fortunately, he missed."

It was all over in a few seconds but it changed his life and that of his family.

"Before the attempt on my life I didn't bother with security. Now it's part of my life. It's not the way I want to live but that is the reality," he said.*AFP

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