Deputy Speaker and Batangas Rep. Raneo Abu on Sunday called on Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano to prioritize the approval of a bill providing support for the surviving spouses and children of judges, justices and other judiciary officials who are killed intentionally while in the line of duty.
Abu made the appeal after the recent killing of Ilocos Sur Regional Trial Court Judge Mario Anacleto Bañez while on his way home on board his van in Barangay Mameltac, San Fernando City, La Union.
“We appeal to Speaker Cayetano to include in the priority list of his leadership the passage of my bill. Throughout the years, the country has seen judiciary officials being murdered, assassinated and brutally killed by criminals in the hope of obstructing the ends of justice,” he said.
The Batangas lawmaker filed House Bill No. 2088 to look into the sorry state of the kin of the victims.
“The risk alongside the job of these judiciary officials should be counterbalanced by providing them with a grant that will encourage them to fully perform their duties and responsibilities. Hence, this bill seeks to support the judiciary by granting benefits to their surviving heirs in case they are killed while dispensing justice,” he said.
Earlier, Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta urged law enforcement agencies to leave no stone unturned in their probe to arrest Banez’ killers.
“I call on law enforcement agencies to exert their best efforts and be relentless in their investigation for the immediate apprehension of those responsible for this atrocious and dastardly act,” Peralta said.
Peralta earlier called for the establishment of a US Marshals Service-type agency to protect judges and justices.
Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez said that of the 31 cases of judges killed since 1999, only five had been resolved so far.
Following the assassination, Deputy Speaker Johnny Pimentel also renewed his call for the creation of up to 3,000 new positions for armed judicial protection officers.
“We cannot allow these brazen attacks on judges to go on without a forceful answer,” said Pimentel, a representative of Surigao del Sur.
“Our judges deserve strong protection considering they have become increasingly vulnerable to aggression and violence, presumably from disgruntled and hateful litigants.”