Days after the killing of Atty. Rogelio Bato Jr., police said the slain lawyer of Albuera Rolando Espinosa Sr. and his son suspected drug lord Kerwin was considered a ‘high value’ target in their list of drug personalities.
“He was on our drug watch list as a level 2 high value target. This means, mataas siya [he’s high up in the rankings]. He belongs to the Espinosa Drug Syndicate,” PRO-8 Regional Director Chief Supt. Elmer Beltejar told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
According to Beltejar, Bato handled the cases of the two Espinosas and their members and would receive a monthly payola from the syndicate in return for his services.
“In all our custodial debriefing report, his name always appeared on the list,” he said.
Bato and his 19-year-old (not 15 as earlier reported) companion Angelika Bonita were killed by gunmen inside his vehicle on Tuesday. Police have yet to establish the identities of the gunmen and the perpetrators.
Meanwhile, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) condemned Bato’s killing.
The IBP also urged the authorities to investigate and bring the killers of lawyers and judges to justice.
“We will exert all effort to get witnesses,” Beltejar said.
Meanwhile, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) condemned Bato’s killing.
“’The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers,’ the famous line from Shakespeare’s ‘Henry VI,’ is one of the most misunderstood and misapplied. The context of the statement in the play meant that in order to create chaos and pave the way for tyranny, the best way is to eliminate those who would stand in the way and remove the guardians of independent thinking, the lawyers,” it said.
The IBP also urged the authorities to investigate and bring the killers of lawyers and judges to justice.
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“In ending, the IBP strongly appeals to the Philippine National Police, the National Bureau of Investigation and other law enforcement agencies to act with dispatch and seriously pursue the conclusion of investigations into the many unresolved killings of lawyers and judges,” it said.
source: inquirer
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