After foiled ambush on Dela Cerna:Lawyers get death threats.

CEBU, Philippines — At least two lawyers in Cebu received death threats in what appears to be a case of extortion to ride on the foiled assassination of lawyer Inocencio dela Cerna on Monday.

Lawyers Kim Grace Mendoza and Magdalena Daymeg Lepiten received a call from a man who demanded money in exchange for their lives. The caller used the number 09971779161.

In the video she posted online, Mendoza said the caller told her he is a member of a gun-for-hire group in Mindanao. The man reportedly told her she is on the list of lawyers to be assassinated along with Dela Cerna. The caller reportedly negotiated for her to give money in exchange for her life.

Lepiten, meanwhile, posted on Facebook an excerpt of her conversation with a certain Bobby. Her post reads:

CROWDSOURCING:

Caller No: 09971779161  (Time : 9:39 am)

Caller: Si Bobby ni, Taga Davao. naa kay time makig istorya?

Me Daymeg -  Oo, ngano man?

Caller: Naa ka sa listahan nga among ipa tumba. Naa koy mga tawo sa Cebu.

Me Daymeg - Unsa? Kahibalo ka nga ma trace ka nako?

Caller : Walay koy paki alam Ma’am.

Me Daymeg: Wala sad koy paki alam nimo.

Turned off the phone.

After she ended the call, she reportedly received two messages – the first challenging her ability to trace the call and the second telling her that her life would be spared if she would give P100,000.

Text Message Received from the same caller:

“E trace ug gusto ka.. lantawun ta”

Second Text:

“Ma swerte lang c dela cerna. ekaw ug dli ka makig coperate mamatay ka. 100K kapalit sa imung kinabuhe”

Lawyer Ian Vincent Manticajon, a columnist in The Freeman, was also reached by the same mobile number but he was unable to take the call. His phone logged the call at 2:48 p.m.

“Based on my talks with other lawyers, it appears nga scam jud siya taking advantage of the failed ambush ni Atty. Dela Cerna. They are apparently riding on the fear that might have been generated by this state of impunity,” Manticajon said.

Police Response

Cebu City Police Director Gemma Vinluan agrees with Manticajon and she urged lawyers who receive the call to report immediately to the police.

"Ito ay isang maliwanag na extortion at hindi po natin ito ito-tolerate (This is a clear case of extortion and we will not tolerate this)," she said yesterday.

"I-diretso po natin sa PNP tong mga natatanggap na threat at gagawin po namin ang aming makakaya para i-solve tong mga to… Pumunta po sila sa amin sa police station – kahit dito po sa amin sa headquarters... meron naman po akong investigators… andito din po ang CIDG (Criminal Investigation and Detection Group)… makipag-cooperate lang po sila (Report the threats you receive straight to the PNP and we will do our best to address the matter… They can go to the police station – even here at the headquarters… I have investigators here and we have the CIDG… they should cooperate with us)," she added.

She said it is important for the recipient of the call or the threat to provide the police the details of the message because these details will be integral in the investigation. She assured that all information the lawyers will give will be treated with confidentiality.

"Ako po, ipapangako ko po sa inyo na i-consider ko po na confidential yan, highly confidential yung ibibigay nyong information, at kami pong mga pulis, iva-value po namin ang inyong mga buhay (I can promise you that we will treat the information you give us with utmost confidentiality and that we in the police force value your lives)," Vinluan said.

Threat to Profession

Manticajon said that while money may be the ultimate motive, lawyers should not take the threat lightly. He said the chilling effect of the threats may lead to people getting deprived of legal representation.

“We’re really looking at the threat to the profession. What would be its effect to lawyers and then to clients also? Some lawyers would now be very careful in handling cases. That would deny people of the right to proper legal counsel,” he said.

Similarly, Mendoza believes the death threats are not just about money but had to do with their role as lawyers.

“Our role in society and in the court is to bring about justice for whom it is due… There is an interplay between extortion of money and the role of lawyers in society. We cannot say that this is plain scam,” she said.

The calls made to the lawyers have been reported to the police and the National Bureau of Investigation. —  JMO (FREEMAN)