Judge's slay case NBI getting death threats

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is getting death and other threats in connection with its investigation into the murder of Kabankalan RTC Judge Henry Arles.

NBI-Bacolod head Ferdinand Lavin said they have been receiving death threats for two months already, while on the final stage of investigating the case of Arles, who was gunned down last April 24 in Ilog town, Negros Occidental while on his way home.

“I did not receive it personally. It was conveyed to me by some persons very close to me. I heard I will be replaced (from my position), I will be harmed, I might be ambushed, something like that,” Lavin told reporters Thursday.

Lavin said they also received threats that their office will be bombed or torched. “Nothing (was) clear but I’ve gotten word, in particular, the Arles case, including some of my agents,” he said. “I’ve been hearing about that but that was not formally communicated to us. That’s part of the total package, if you may call it,” he added.

“When you are investigating a sensational case, (there are usually) death threats not only to the witnesses but also those involved in the investigation. I would like to believe hindi lang may (not only are there) threats sa (to) family of victims, witnesses, (and) persons who have extended their full cooperation during the investigation like the informants, but also to investigators and law enforcers,” said Lavin.

These threats led the NBI Central Office to reinforce the Bacolod office with at least 12 agents from different (NBI) offices since two months ago. “The deployment of NBI agents here is just temporary,” he said, adding that they classify the threats as “non-serious” but still they are not ignoring the possibility that it can happen.

In a related development, lawyer Frank Britanico, spokesman for the Arles family and brother-in-law of the slain judge, said they have received their own subpoenas from the Department of Justice (DOJ) last Thursday (Sept. 6).

The subpoenas were addressed to Arles’ sons, Albert, a lawyer, and Philip, who filed the case with the NBI before the DOJ in Manila last July 27. Britanico furnished the media a copy of the subpoena that was signed by assistant state prosecutor Vimar Barcellano on August 17.

The Arles family has filed murder charges against Ilog Mayor John Paul Alvarez, whom they tagged as mastermind of the crime, and six others in the murder of the Arles: triggerman Jessie Daguia, Alejandro “Vincent” Capunong, Eddie Fortunado, who are all members of the Revolutionary Proletarian Army—Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPA-ABB) and now under the custody of the NBI Manila; Marvin Salve, vice commander of the RPA-ABB in the 6th District, Gerald Tabujara, also an RPA-ABB member, and Emmanuel Medez, an administrative aide at the Ilog municipal government.

In the subpoena, Barcellano ordered both the complainants and the respondents to appear at the DOJ office on Sept. 4 and 18 at 2 p.m. in connection with the preliminary investigation on the case.

—Danny B. Dangcalan (FREEMAN)