Justice for a slain judge

Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.

NINFA R. LEONARDIA Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ Editor CHERYL CRUZ Desk Editor NIDA A. BUENAFE Sports Editor RENE GENOVE Bureau Chief, Dumaguete MAJA P. DELY Advertising Coordinator

CARLOS ANTONIO L. LEONARDIA Administrative Officer

There is good reason in the complaint of the son of the late Judge Henry Arles about the delay in action by the Department of Justice on the case of his father, that has been pending for more than a year now.

Judge Arles was ambushed and killed while on his way home from work one night, and while the suspects have been identified, only three of the seven have been arrested and are now detained in Kabankalan City. The four others are still at large up to now. Three of them are allegedly members of the Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade, and the other an employee of the Ilog Municipal Government.

Why can these identified suspects still not be accounted for by the police, or even by the military, considering that some belong to a revolutionary group? That is why decent people are wondering why the wheels of justice are turning so slowly in this case about the murder of a decent public official, a member of the Judiciary, no less, known for being upright and uncompromising where the functions of his office were concerned.

No wonder his family is comparing the action of the Justice Department on this case to that of show business personality, Fernando “Vhong” Navarro, the charges against whom for rape by an alleged model, were dismissed in the record time of about two months.

What the family is asking for is an update on the case, in fear that it may drag on, until the suspects who are still at large disappear and can no longer be found and made to face trial.

It is an irony, indeed, that this case involves a Justice of the Peace, and yet even for him, justice seems to also be delayed, and hopefully, will not be denied.*