Another one bites the dust

 

A Bulacan judge was gunned down recently, apparently in retaliation for his decision that sent a criminal suspect behind bars.  

That is unacceptable, according to the Public Attorney's Office, and therefore the government should provide ample security for judges in the country.

Judge Wilfredo Nieves of Bulacan Regional Trial Court Branch 84, was shot dead by still unidentified armed men on Wednesday. He was the judge who convicted gang leader Raymond Dominguez and sentenced him to 30 years in prison in April 2012 for car theft. Dominguez and his brother Roger were said to be the leaders of the Dominguez car theft syndicate operating in Metro Manila and Central Luzon.

Malacañang had even commended Nieves for the conviction of Dominguez, noting it only took the judge a year and four months to resolve the case.

The PAO wants to ensure the safety of judges so they won't live in fear as they perform their duties. Each judge, it suggests, should be given at least a two-man security detail.

It's a sound proposal, from where we sit.

The murder of Judge Nieves should be solved as soon as possible as this would restore the people's faith in law enforcement—and the rule of law in this country.