P1.2 million reward up for judge's killers

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines —The cash reward for the arrest of the suspects in the ambush-slay of Kabankalan Regional Trial Court Judge Henry Arles is now P1.2 million.

This as the victim’s family announced Tuesday to offer a P1-million reward to whoever can provide information that can lead to the arrest of the killers, as well as the mastermind behind the crime.

The late judge’s youngest daughter, Atty. Maria Estelita Arles, said their family came up with the mechanics on how to distribute the reward after consulting with the agencies involved in the investigation.

The P1M from Arles’ family is on top of the P200,000 that the Philippine Judges Foundation (PJF) is offering for the arrest of the suspects.

Supreme Court spokesman Jose Midas Marquez announced last Friday that the PJF is giving P100,000 to anyone who can provide information that can lead to the suspects’ arrest. Another P100,000 will be given to the tipster upon conviction of the accused.

Arles, 62, was laid to rest last Tuesday at the Rolling Hills Memorial Park in Bacolod City. He was gunned down by still unidentified suspects on April 24 in Barangay Manalad in Ilog town while on his way home to Barangay Dancalan, also in Ilog.

Ilog is situated next to Kabankalan town in the southern part of Negros Occidental, a few towns away from the capital Bacolod City. 

Arles succumbed to three gunshot wounds. Authorities identified the weapon used as a .45 caliber pistol. The gunman reportedly fled using a tricycle.

Estelita said they have appealed to the Philippine National Police, the National Bureau of Investigation, and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group to hasten the arrest of the suspects.

Arles who had served the Kabankalan RTC for 13 years had received various awards for his speedy disposition of cases, among them the Chief Justice Ramon Avanceña Award given by the Supreme Court in 2008. - /JMO (FREEMAN)