Malacañang denounced the murder of 73-year-old lawyer Bayani Dalangin who was shot dead right inside his office in Nueva Ecija on Friday night.
“Every act of violence we condemn it. We will not tolerate any act of violence against any person,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in an interview over DZIQ on Sunday.
Panelo said law enforcement authorities will investigate the case until all perpetrators are brought to justice.
“Automatically paiimbestigahan ‘yan (we’ll have that investigated). We will not stop unless we pinpoint the perpetrators,” he said.
He said President Rodrigo Duterte would not allow any crime committed against any Filipino or foreigner in the country go unpunished.
“Lahat ng nandito sa ating bansa, whether ‘yan ay kababayan natin o hindi, hindi ‘yan puwede kay Presidente ‘yun (Cases involving anyone in our country, regardless if he or she is a Filipino citizen or not, will be investigated. The President would not allow it),” he said.
In a statement on Saturday, Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Nueva Ecija Chapter president Wilson Chua slammed Dalangin’s murder as not only “an attack against a member of the Philippine bar” but also “an attack against the legal order and justice system.”
“It is an outrage and mockery on the competence and integrity of the pillars of judicial system, clearly taunting on the ability of law enforcements to curtail dastardly criminal acts like these,” the statement read.
He also urged the Philippine National Police and other law enforcement agencies to conduct an “immediate, in-depth, comprehensive, and swift investigation to bring to justice the perpetrators of this gruesome and despicable act.”
He described Dalangin, a law professor and a barrister of the public attorneys’ office (PAO), as “a good, brilliant and respected Ecija lawyer.”
Police reports showed that Dalangin was with a client when he was attacked by a hooded gunman at around 7 p.m. Friday in Barangay Poblacion Sur, Talavera town.
After the incident, suspect hurriedly fled towards the south direction onboard an unknown motorcycle, the report said.
The victim was rushed to Talavera General Hospital where he was declared dead.
He is the latest fatality in the series of attacks against judges, prosecutors, and lawyers in the country. (PNA)
