RTC judge shot dead in Zambo Norte town

DIPOLOG CITY, Zamboanga del Norte – A trial court judge in the town of Liloy, 130 kilometers west of this city, was shot dead by a still unidentified person at a parking lot of Liloy’s Hall of Justice around 3 p.m. Thursday.

In its initial report, Staff Sergeant Celso Suganob, of Liloy Municipality Police Station, identified the victim as Judge Reymar Lacaya of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 28 based in that town.

Lacaya was brought to Liloy District Hospital but was declared “dead on arrival” by the attending physician.

Suganob cited the difficulty in investigating the case because Lacaya was alone when the incident happened.

A lawyer who asked not to be identified said that Lacaya inherited heinous crime cases wherein his predecessor granted bail to suspects.

“Upon assuming his new post, Judge Lacaya recalled these bail grants and issued another arrest warrants which may have angered the suspects,” the lawyer said.

Aside from that, the lawyer stressed that Lacaya was a “good person, wala gyud to siya'y problema (he is easy to deal with)”. (PNA)