Another OSG lawyer threatened

Another government lawyer handling the government’s case involving the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 (NAIA-3) has been receiving death threats following the murder of associate solicitor general Nestor Ballacillo last week.

A police source said the lawyer is with the Office of the Solicitor General. Ballacillo was shot dead along with his son in Parañaque last Wednesday by two gunmen.

The source said this development strengthened police suspicion that the murder of Ballacillo was linked to the squabble over the NAIA-3.

Police investigators are still verifying the information. Parañaque police and the National Bureau of Investigation believe that a gun-for-hire syndicate might be involved.

Ballacillo is one of the lawyers of the Office of the Solicitor General handling the long-running dispute over the new airport terminal. He has been arguing the government’s case in a legal battle over the facility, built by a consortium of Fraport AG and its Filipino partners in the Philippine International Air Terminals Inc. Co. (Piatco).

Ballacillo is the second official linked to the Piatco case which involves the German company Fraport, to be killed.

Ballacillo and son, Benedict, 23, were waiting for a ride along Hernandez Avenue in San Antonio Valley in Barangay San Antonio Wednesday morning when the suspects shot them at close range. They were set to go to Subic where Ballacillo was suppose to attend a conference.

The murder came almost a year after Pasay RTC Judge Henrick Gingoyon who previously handled the case involving Piatco, was shot dead in Cavite Dec. 31 last year.

– Rhodina Villanueva