IBP offers P200K reward for info on Palawan lawyer slay

THE Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) has offered a P200,000 reward for information leading to the identification, arrest, and prosecution of the perpetrators behind the killing of lawyer Joshua Lavega Abrina in Puerto Princesa, Palawan.

The lawyer was gunned down by unidentified assailants on Sept. 17, shortly after attending a prayer meeting. He was attacked near his home.

In an advisory issued Sept., the IBP 27^th Board of Governors said it “resolved to allot the amount of P200,000.00 (Two Hundred Thousand Pesos) as a reward.”

The IBP said the resolution “reflects the IBP’s determination to support ongoing investigations and to ensure that justice is not denied.”

Its Committee on Security for the Legal Profession will coordinate with the Philippine National Police and other relevant agencies for implementation.

Condemning what it described as the “brutal murder” of Mr. Abrina, the IBP warned that “the killing of lawyers is not only an attack on individuals. It is a symptom of a deeper malaise in our democracy.”

“Each unsolved death reveals a culture of impunity, a weakness in state institutions, and a collapse of public trust in the rule of law,” it added.

The IBP vowed to pursue Mr. Abrina’s case “with vigilance” and said it will continue pushing for stronger safeguards for lawyers. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking