The son of slain Kabankalan Regional Trial Court Judge Henry Arles said he is optimistic that the Task Force Arles and the National Bureau of Investigation will succeed in giving justice to his father's death in Ilog, Negros Occidental.
Philip Arles, who attended the hearing of the suspect in the murder of Ilog Councilor Antonio Gequillana at the Hall of Justice in Bacolod on Thursday, said he also hopes that the NBI will soon be able to identify the mastermind in the killing of his father.
Philip said he will wait for more developments on the investigations being conducted by the NBI and Task Force Arles.
Negros Occidental Vice Governor Genaro Alvarez had earlier challenged the NBI to name the alleged member of his family it claims may be linked to the killing of Judge Arles so the person can defend himself.
Arles was shot by gunmen on a tricycle in Brgy. Manalad, Ilog, as he was driving home in the evening of April 24.
Alvarez described the NBI report of linking an alleged member of their family to the incident as “unfair and unfounded.”
Numerous witnesses in the killing of Arles have come out to help in speed up the resolution of the Arles case, police said.
Philip's sister, Maria Estelita said they could not confirm or deny that a member of the Alvarez family is linked to her father's killing, and that, being private individuals, they are only recipients of facts and evidences gathered by law enforcers.
The Arles family is offering a P1 million reward for the arrest and conviction of the suspects, on top of the P200,000 being offered by the Philippine Judges Association.
Task Force Arles, which is headed by Senior Supt. Allan Guisihan, provincial police director of Negros Occidental, has reported that the five suspects involved in the killing of Arles are “guns-for-hire”.
Philip lost to Mercedes Alvarez, daughter of Vice-Governor Alvarez, in the 6th district congressional race in the 2010 elections.*GPB
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